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West Ham face a stern test on Wednesday night as they travel across London to tackle Champions League chasing Arsenal on the back of four consecutive Premier League defeats.

Saturday’s loss to Hull City saw the Hammers drop to just six points above the relegation zone with eight games remaining, putting them in an uncomfortable position ahead of their trip to North London.

With the Gunners having hit five past the Hammers in a victory at the London Stadium earlier this season, the situation ahead of the game looks particularly bleak.

However, Arsene Wenger’s side are amidst their own poor run of form as the Gunners have won just three of their last ten games across all competitions.

That sequence of results will give the Hammers hope and Cheikhou Kouyate, who scored against Arsenal in a 2-0 victory on the opening day of last season, is confident of securing another positive result.

Speaking to West Ham’s official website, the Senegalese defender said:

“This is a big test and a big game for us against one of the best teams in the Premier League. Arsenal is a nice team which plays good football in a good stadium and they need points, but it is the same for us.”

“West Ham need some points and we will battle for the whole 90 minutes to take all three again.”

“We had a fantastic result at Emirates last season. I remember it well and it was an unbelievable day for us, so why can’t it happen again this year?”

“It’s a very, very difficult moment for us, but sometimes you have this period one time in a year or one time in two years. It is important that we stay positive, stay together and just focus.”

“We need to win some games, just work hard and play hard. We need to take our chances and defend well, but most importantly we need to work together and be positive.”

West Ham need to start getting points on the board and they’ll be aware that further testing fixtures await between now and the end of the campaign, with Everton, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur all to face in their final seven fixtures.