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5 keys to Arsenal versus West Ham

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 09: Reece Oxford and James Tomkins of West Ham United jump for the ball along with Olivier Giroud of Arsenal during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on August 9, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 09: Reece Oxford and James Tomkins of West Ham United jump for the ball along with Olivier Giroud of Arsenal during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on August 9, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 13: Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal in action during the Emirates FA Cup sixth round match between Arsenal and Watford at Emirates Stadium on March 13, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 13: Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal in action during the Emirates FA Cup sixth round match between Arsenal and Watford at Emirates Stadium on March 13, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

Aaron Cresswell vs. Alexis Sanchez

Count on Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger instructing his side to attack down West Ham’s left flank early and often today. That means that Hammer left back Aaron Cresswell is going to be repeatedly tested by Arsenal attacker Alexis Sanchez.

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Simply put, this isn’t a match-up that’s likely to work out in West Ham’s favor very often. Cresswell is a decent Premier League defender, but he’s not going to win many one on one battles with a world-class attacker like Alexis.

The good news for Cresswell is that his manager, Slaven Bilic, will game plan to provide him a lot of support against the skilled Chilean. West Ham will do their best to make sure the young Englishman doesn’t match-up with Alexis one on one.

Still, there are going to be some crucial moments in the match when Cresswell is going to need to battle Alexis on his own. If he can fend off those moments and keep Alexis quiet, his team will have a chance at victory. If he falls victim to his superior opponent, it could derail his club’s push for the top four.

Next: 4. Danny Welbeck

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