All Time Head to Head
Home - W 15 - D 23 - L 25
Away - W 17 - D 15 - L 30
Total - W 32 - D 38 - L 55
Premiership only
Home - W 2 - D 6 - L 8
Away - W 4 - D 1 - L 11
Total - W 6 - D 7 - L 19
In January 1906 West Ham crossed the Thames and headed for the Manor Ground in Plumstead for their first game against Woolwich Arsenal in the FA Cup. The 1-1 draw was overturned by a 3-2 defeat at the Boleyn Ground a few days later, and it was 17 years before the two sides met again, with the Gunners having moved north to Highbury and dropped the "Woolwich" prefix. Between the wars the two sides were fairly evenly matched, until the Irons were relegated in 1932, just as Arsenal were embarking on a decade of success
The first post-war game in 1946 ended in a 6-0 win to West Ham in the FA cup, but Arsenal went on to win the league in '48 and '53 before slipping down into a trophy wilderness for the rest of the 1950's and into the '60's. It was during this period, in 1958, that the Irons were promoted to the top flight - and did not lose a game to Arsenal until 1963! After two more losses in '65 and '66, interspersed with a couple of wins, Arsenal then turned the table with a draw in '67 kick-starting a period where West Ham did not win a single game against them until 1975 FA Cup.
Over the next seventeen years the two clubs were again fairly evenly matched on a game by game basis - despite West Ham having two spells in the second tier whilst Arsenal continued their record-holding run of seasons in the top flight (they are currently in their 86th!). But it was after the formation of the Premiership that the Gunners cemented their position as one of the top clubs in the country, winning several honours and even spending the '03/'04 season unbeaten.
And that is the story the stats tell... with only 6 wins out of 32 Premiership games against them, and a 50% loss rate at home, it is clear that this will be the toughest game of the season so far.... Come on you Irons!
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