David Raya makes ‘tough’ admission ahead of West Ham United showdown v Arsenal
Arsenal keeper David Raya believes West Ham are a “great team” that can “hurt you in many ways” ahead of the game between the two sides on Thursday (28 December).
Speaking on the Arsenal website on Wednesday (27 December), the 28-year-old warned that the Gunners have to be “very aware” of the Hammers’ strengths, particularly on the counter-attack.
The Spanish international said that his side knows what to expect from the Irons after losing to them in the Carabao Cup on 1 November, adding that it’s going to be a “tough game” at the Emirates Stadium.
“West Ham are a great team that can hurt you in many ways, especially on fast attacks and counter-attacks, so we have to be very aware of their strengths,” said Raya. “We just have to play our game and focus more on ourselves and what we can do to win the game.
“We played them in the cup as well so we know what to expect. In this league, every game is tough. Anybody can beat anybody so it’s going to be a tough match, as every game is in the Premier League.”
Challenge
It’s going to be a huge challenge for West Ham to go to Arsenal and try and pick up a positive result following their dismal away record against the so-called “big-six” under David Moyes.
The Hammers boss usually opts for a fairly defensive setup against the top sides away from home and, apart from the victory over Tottenham earlier this month, it hasn’t often proved to be very fruitful.
The 2-0 win, however, over Manchester United on Saturday (23 December) could provide them with a boost heading into the clash at the Emirates.
They can also take confidence from their success over the Premier League title contenders in the Carabao Cup last month, but it will likely be a different side to the one they came up against that day at the London Stadium.
Although every game is an opportunity to pick up points, this is in some ways a free hit for the Irons as nobody really expects them to come away from North London with anything.
In other West Ham news, Micah Richards was wowed by what one Hammers star did after footage has emerged.