Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Fri 8 May 2026 7:10, UK

West Ham United will look to return to winning ways on Sunday, but face a daunting test against Premier League leaders Arsenal.

The Hammers suffered a damaging 3-0 defeat at Brentford on Saturday and, 24 hours later, were back in the bottom three after rivals Tottenham won at Aston Villa.

With only three games left, West Ham are in urgent need of a response.

It must start against Arsenal, who arrive fresh from sealing their place in the Champions League final.

With this in mind, Nuno Espirito Santo may look to set up differently as his side chase a response.

Nuno opts for reshape as Arsenal come to town

Against Brentford, the scoreline did not necessarily match the actual performance put in by the Irons.

But despite performing well for large periods, West Ham are now in line for relegation if they do not pick up results fast.

Manchester City’s draw with Everton on Monday means Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have their title hopes back in their own hands. They will be determined not to squander that advantage in East London, which could prompt Nuno to adopt a more cautious approach.

With no change on the injury front, the Portuguese manager again has a full squad available.

That could open the door for Jean-Clair Todibo to replace the ineffective Pablo, with the defender joining Axel Disasi and Kostas Mavropanos in a back three.

Such a switch would add defensive stability against the league leaders, who struck three against Fulham last time out.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka is another option out wide, although Kyle Walker-Peters appears better suited to the wing-back role, while the system could also free El Hadji Malick Diouf to push further forward.

West Ham will have to put in season-defining performance

Naturally, welcoming the league leaders is always going to be a tough test for any side, never mind one in West Ham’s precarious position in the standings.

They have, however, shown they can trouble some of the division’s best since the turn of the year, notably holding Arsenal’s title rivals Manchester City to a draw at the London Stadium before the March international break.

A switch to a back five could see the Hammers look to hit on the break against a side that controls matches better than almost anyone, if not anyone, in Europe.

For that plan to work, though, they will need a season-defining display out of possession, while Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville must be sharp enough out wide to make their counter-attacking threat count.