The Hammers have had a turbulent season but their top flight status was secured by beating Wigan 3-2 at Upton Park in their last home game.

The Hammers have struggled for mist of the season after getting off to a good start with a 2-0 win at Wolves. That win on 15^th August was their only league victory until 4^th November when Aston Villa were beaten at Upton Park, a run that saw the Hammers fail to win in nine attempts.

Their problems on the filed during the early part of the season were highlighted when The Hammers were drawn against their bitter rivals Millwall in the Carling Cup and following a Hammers equaliser, a pitch invasion took place and violence was reported before and after the game.

Ownership problems have also blighted the club in recent years. In 2006, Icelandic pair Eggert Magnusson and Björgólfur Guðmundsson bought the club but Magnusson only lasted a year and Guðmundsson but by the beginning of 2010, The Hammers had new owners on the shape of former Birmingham pair David Gold and David Sullivan.

Despite the new owners, West Ham continued to struggle and were dumped out of the FA Cup 2-1 by Arsenal and had to wait until 10^th February for their first win of the year, a 2-0 home win over Birmingham. Since then, they have recorded just three further wins but survived relegation mainly due to the form of Hull City and Burnley.

 Manager – Gianfranco Zola

 

Former Chelsea star Zola has been in charge at Upton Park since September 2008, replacing Alan Curbishley in the West Ham hot seat. But his managerial statistics show that Zola has a lot to learn as his win ratio is just 29%, having won just 23 from 79 games.

Ground – Upton Park

Upton Park has been West Ham’s home since 1904 and has a current capacity of 35,303.

West Ham Facts

Upton Park is the more common name of West Ham’s ground but its true name is the Boleyn Ground, named because the famous wife of Henry VIII either owned or rented the Green Street house in the area.

West Ham have had surprisingly few managers. Since they were founded, only 12 men have occupied the hot seat.

Although the capacity of Upton Park is 35,303, a game against City in September 2002 attracted 35,550 spectators. Work that one out.

Spurs arrive at The City of Manchester Stadium for Wednesday’s crunch game with the blues knowing that a win will secure them Champions League football next season. 

The Londoners have been in fine form this season which began by showing their intention of cracking the top four by beating Liverpool 2-1 at White Hart Lane. Since then, they have produced a formidable home form that has seen them win 14 of their 19 games played at The Lane, losing only to United (3-1), Stoke (1-0) and Wolves (1-0). 

Their away form is probably the reason Spurs haven’t already wrapped fourth place up by now. Six wins away from The Lane comes with six defeats and if they leave Eastlands with a draw of Wednesday it will mean they finish with a satanic 6 wins, 6 draws and 6 defeats. 

Manager – Harry Redknapp 

Harry Redknapp has been in charge or Spurs since 2008 and is aiming to take Spurs to the top table of European football. He began his managerial career in 1983 at Bournemouth and brought the club to Maine Road in 1988 when The Cherries came back from 3-0 down to leave Maine Road with a point. 

He then spent seven years at West Ham before managing Portsmouth. Redknapp caused controversy on the south coast when he moved to Pompey’s bitter rivals Southampton in 2004, but only stayed a year before returning to Fratton Park, where he spent a further 3 years, winning the FA Cup before moving on to Spurs. 

Redknapp is also the uncle of Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard. 

Ground – White Hart Lane 

  

The Lane has been Tottenham’s home since 1899 and has a current capacity of 36,310. 

Notable Former City and Spurs Players 

 Paul Stewart, Paul Walsh, Vedran Corluka, Clive Allen, Michael Brown

In short, Arsenal look to have blown their chance of winning the league this year. There was a brief moment when they topped the table, but a 1-1 draw at Birmingham at the end of March was followed by two gruelling encounters with Barcelona in the Champions League.

After Lionel Messi destroyed the Gunners in Spain, Arsenal have lost ground on the top two after defeats at Spurs and Wigan leaves them six points behind leaders Chelsea with just nine left to play for.

Although the Gunners have not been their usual, forceful selves away from home, at The Emirates they are a different team. From seventeen games played there this season, Arsenal have won fourteen and only lost to Chelsea and United.

Arsenal last won the Premier League title in the 2003/04 season and have failed to win a trophy since they lifted the FA Cup in 2005.

Manager – Arsene WengerArsene Wenger has been in charge of Arsenal since 1996 and is their most successful manager in terms of trophies. His managerial career is much better than his playing career which stretched between 1973 and 1981. Wenger made 147 appearances for three clubs but manager to score 24 goals in his eight year career.

 

 Wenger is the only non-British manager to win the double in England and is the only manager in Premier League history to go through an entire season undefeated in the league.

Ground – The Emirates Stadium

 

Built in Ashburton Grove, The Emirates has been Arsenal’s home since 2006, with the club leaving their Highbury home after 93 years. Its current capacity is 60,355, which is the second largest in the country behind Old Trafford.

Key Player – Robin van Persie 

 

The Dutchman has just returned from injury and will be hoping to inspire Arsenal to a strong finish.

We all know who they are and we’ve all been reminded how successful they have been.

But United will be looking to protect their record against the blues on derby day as they attempt to overhaul Chelsea at the top of the Premier League.

The reds sit four points behind the leaders and just eleven points clear of the blues, which is a much narrower gap between the two than has been in recent years. The two teams have already played each other three times, with United winning two to City’s one and the visitors will be hoping to make it three wins out of four and their second win on the trot at Eastlands in consecutive seasons.

United have been dogged by protests over control of the club by the Glazer family and this season the fans have been more vociferous than in previous years.

United will be hoping not to concede against City; in all three wins at Eastlands, United have not conceded a goal, but when City have scored, they have gone on to win the game.

      

Manager – Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson is the longest serving manager in the Premier League having taken over the reigns at Old Trafford in 1986, but it took him four years to win his first trophy, the FA Cup in 1990 after a replay against Crystal Palace. Since then he has guided United to success at home and abroad and was knighted for his efforts.

Ferguson is still at War with the BBC and still refuses to give interviews to the corporation. However, he will be forced to end his boycott next season.

Ground – Old Trafford

United moved from their Bank Street ground in Newton Heath in February 1910 and has been United’s home ever since, apart from sharing Maine Road for eight years when it was bombed during World War Two.

Former City and United Players You May Remember

Dennis Law, Terry Cooke, Andy Cole, Peter Schmeichel, Andrei Kanchelskis, John Gidman and of course, Carlos Tevez

And Some You May Not Have Realised Played For Both

Shaun Goater, Peter Beardsley, Ryan Giggs