West Ham vs. Arsenal: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

West Ham United and Arsenal will compete in their second London derby in two days' time, facing off on Sunday in the Premier League's final set of fixtures of 2014.

The Gunners beat QPR 2-1 on Friday, surviving a late comeback after Olivier Giroud was given a red card, while the Hammers were soundly beaten by league leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

West Ham will be looking to end their impressive 2014 campaign on a high note, taking advantage of Arsenal's injury concerns and the suspension of Giroud to continue their push for one of the European spots.

Date: Sunday, December 28

Time: 3 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET

Venue: Boleyn Ground, London

TV info and live stream: The match will be broadcast on NBC Sports' Extra Time (for U.S. viewers), with mobile coverage available through NBC Sports' Live Extra service.

Preview

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The hosts suffered their first loss in six outings on Friday against Chelsea, ending a strong run that saw them continue their push into the Premier League's top five. West Ham currently sit just in front or Arsenal, with a single point separating the two sides.

For the Gunners, the next two matchdays will be key. West Ham and Southampton both sit just outside of the team's reach, and with those two clubs next on the schedule, Arsenal could move into the top four with two solid results.

Those results won't come easy, however. Manager Arsene Wenger confirmed Laurent Koscielny, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott are unlikely to feature, via the club's official website, while Olivier Giroud will begin his three-match suspension for a head-butt against QPR, per Match of the Day:

The Gunners have been forced to overcome injuries all season, but Giroud's return to the starting XI had given the side an extra attacking spark, taking some of the pressure off Alexis Sanchez's shoulders.

The Chilean has been lights out for Arsenal this campaign, but with the schedule at its busiest during the holiday season, Wenger is running the risk of overplaying Sanchez, who isn't used to playing this many matches in such a short span.

At the Boleyn, Arsenal will face a familiar foe in Alex Song, who has found great success with the Hammers since completing a loan move from Barcelona in the summer. Wenger told Arsenal's official website he isn't surprised his former pupil is doing so well:

"

He didn't play on Friday against Chelsea. He was certainly rested for us. I think he was a very good player when he was here but he didn't play a lot when he was in Spain.

I brought him here at the age of 17 and kept him despite all the opinions against him. You don't need to convince me he's a good player.

"

For his part, Song knows Sunday's match is going to be special, per 101 Great Goals:

Song and Stewart Downing form one of the Premier League's top physical duos in the centre of the pitch, and they will be the key for West Ham. Arsenal have plenty of pace and creativity out wide, but they lack a dominant ball-winner who can control the pace of the game in midfield.

Increasing the pressure on the ball early and setting up quick breaks will force the Gunners to keep their full-backs in their own half, isolating Sanchez and keeping Arsenal from converting their dangerous overlapping runs.

The Gunners should take a page from the Chelsea playbook, committing men to Diafra Sakho and forcing Andy Carroll to beat the defenders with the ball at his feet. The 25-year-old is having a strong season, but he'll never be a mobile striker capable of outplaying a defence on his own.

Final prediction: West Ham United 2-2 Arsenal

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