Jack Wilshere confident West Ham can inflict further misery on Arsenal

Return: Jack Wilshere
West Ham United via Getty Images
Giuseppe Muro21 August 2018

Jack Wilshere believes it could be a good time for West Ham to play Arsenal on Saturday as the midfielder prepares for an emotional return to Emirates Stadium.

West Ham travel to Arsenal this weekend in a crunch London derby for both clubs after they lost their opening two Premier League games.

The Gunners are still finding their feet under Unai Emery and Wilshere knows West Ham meet the Gunners while they are in a period of transition after 22 years of Arsene Wenger.

Arsenal have lost to Manchester City and Chelsea in a stuttering start to the Emery era, and Wilshere is confident West Ham can inflict a third straight defeat on his former side.

Wilshere said: “They have got a new manager but I know the players. Hopefully, it will be a good time to play them. I have got to try and block all the emotion out. First of all I have got to concentrate on football. I quite fancy our chances.”

The 26-year-old was forced to leave Arsenal in the summer and end his 17-year association with the club after Emery told him he would not be guaranteed regular football.

Wilshere, who made 197 appearances for Arsenal, wanted to stay but he decided to turn down the offer of a new contract and join West Ham on a free transfer. He now wants to prove a point.

He told West Ham's matchday programme: “It will be a strange one for as I was never able to go there and play when I went on loan as you cannot play against your parent club, but it is one I am looking forward to.

“It is down to me to prove a point to Arsenal that they were wrong to get rid of me.”

West Ham have also made a slow start to the season under new boss Manuel Pellegrini and Wilshere admits the new-look Hammers need to gel quickly.

A 4-0 defeat at Liverpool on the opening day was followed by a 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth on Saturday and Wilshere said: “We have got a lot of new players and we need to gel.

“At this level in this league, people are not given time, so we have to do it quick and all tuck in this week. We started well [against Bournemouth], we all wanted to win and we felt we were good enough to win. Obviously, the dressing room is devastated because we should have come away with something from the game, but we have to go again."

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