Strong squad? Check. Proven manager? Check. World-class goalkeeper? Cech. Is it Arsenal's year? It's meant to be. In the Chinese zodiac, 2016 is the year of the monkey. But it could also be the year that Arsene Wenger gets one of his back by leading the Gunners to what would be a first Premier League title since his Invincibles did their thang way back in 2004. I'm Shane and I'll be guiding you through all of the action in North London as Arsenal look to kick off their 2015-16 season by beating West Ham United. Let's go.

Thierry Henry is now on the opposite side of the camera, working as a Sky Sports pundit. Sol Campbell is running for London mayor. Lauren is studying for an MBA at the University of Malaga. Sylvain Wiltord is the ambassador of the French Association of FootGolf. Don't ask. And Patrick Vieira now plays darts, using a photo of Roy Keane instead of a board.

These are just a few members of the last Arsenal squad to lift the Premier League trophy and, as you can see, many have left the beautiful game behind in favour of other ventures. We're talking 12 years. It's a long time. But optimism is rife in the red part of London again that their barren spell will come to an end this season - and a winning start could prove key.

The Gunners, who lost just one of their last 14 league games last season, before going on to win the FA Cup for a second successive year, know all too well the importance of a fast and furious start. Despite their excellent league form toward the end of the 2014-15 season, they were far too adrift of would-be champions Chelsea to affect the title race. Why? You got it in one: their stuttering form during the first half.

Their title-winning form was in fact only good enough to consolidate a top-four finish, such was the chasm between themselves and Jose Mourinho's side. But it's gameweek one; the time of the season where everybody in the Premier League gets a second chance and Wenger's men will certainly look to grab their chance by the short and curlies - but first they must beat a potentially dangerous West Ham side.

The Hammers - under new boss Slaven Bilic - are something of an unknown quantity. They're an opening-day banana skin. New manager. Ten new players. And you think this will be a walk in the park for the hosts? Unless you frequent parks comprising of sharks, lions and ISIS, then no, it won't be. Probably.

Shall we have a look at both teams? I don't see why not. Stay tuned ladies and gents.

ARSENAL XI: Cech; Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Ramsey, Ozil; Oxlade-Chamberalin, Cazorla, Giroud

WEST HAM XI: Adrian, Tomkins, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Oxford, Noble, Kouyate, Payet, Zarate, Sakho

ARSENAL SUBS: Ospina, Gibbs, Gabriel, Arteta, Alexis, Walcott, Chambers

WEST HAM SUBS: Randolph (GK), Collins, Poyet, Nolan, Jarvis, Lanzini, Maiga

Shall we be polite and start with the visitors? Fair enough. And the big news is that Reece Oxford makes his senior debut for the Hammers. The 16-year-old get the nod in a huge show of faith by Bilic, who also gives debuts to Dimitri Payet and Angelo Ogbonna. Diafra Sakho and Mauro Zarate spearhead the attack. Huge day for Oxford.

On to Le Professeur's first XI now and I can confirm that Cech starts between the sticks. It was never in doubt. Mathieu Debuchy comes in for Hector Bellerin, who isn't in the squad. Also absent from the 18 is Theo Walcott in an omission that we have to assume is forced. Olivier Giroud spearheads the attack, with Santi Cazorla and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain either side of him. Big season for Oxlade-Chamberlain.

We spoke about West Ham's potential to prove a banana skin of sorts this afternoon. But if they are to spring a surprise they'll need to defy one of the worst head-to-records over the last decade of the Premier League.

Ominously, the Gunners bring a 10-match winning streak with them this afternoon. Ten! In fact, West Ham's last win against Arsenal was their 1-0 win back in 2007 which, incidentally, was the first time today's hosts lost at the Emirates! Bobby Zamora scored that day, and Rob Green had arguably the best performance ever seen from an opposition goalkeeper in this stadium. You get the feeling that Adrian will have to perform well.

Want more stats? Okay. West Ham have lost NINE of their Premier League openers - more than any other club - and Arsenal have lost just once in their last 14 opening-day meetings. Remember what it was? Indeed, it was the 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa here two years ago - a result that saw the home fans serenade Wenger with his favourite "spend some @#$%& money". He did. Mesut Ozil arrived shortly after for £42.5m.

Would it be fair to say that it's the biggest day of Oxford's short life? I think so. Where were you when you were 16? Me? I was on football pitches too but it was to drink cider - and subsequently vomit it up half-an-hour later - on Friday nights. It's oh so hard not to feel nervous for the youngster this afternoon. But it goes to show how well thought of he is in the West Ham ranks. He'll be fine. Hopefully.

Over at St James's Park, meanwhile, Chancel Mbemba has gone all James Bond and turned up to his Newcastle debut with Southampton looking quite dapper it has to be said. He wants his half-time Lucozade Sport shaken not stirred, and a knife flicks out the toe of his boots if he needs to take it to that extreme. Joey Barton must've left them behind when he left for QPR.

At least someone's made an effort for the #NUFC game - Chancel Mbemba rocks up to St James' Park in a tux.... pic.twitter.com/NaguPDqeWh — Scott Wilson (@Scottwilsonecho) August 9, 2015

Meanwhile, Mesut Ozil, who looks like he just had a good cry, turns up looking like he's got his GCSE's coming up instead of West Ham. 1-0 Mbemba.

.@MesutOzil1088 arrives at Emirates Stadium in good spirits ahead of #AFCvWHU pic.twitter.com/CFTjefo84Y — Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) August 9, 2015

PREDICTION! It's time to get a prediction wrong. Let's go 2-1 Arsenal but we reckon it could also be a draw. Chelsea drew 2-2 with Swansea. Manchester United laboured to an unconvincing win over Spurs. I think the Gunners will be struck down by a similar lethargy but they may just a sneak it 2-1. Ten minutes until showtime!

Let's go out and about and look for more predictions.

This might be a bit optimistic, Olly. Can we call you Olly?

My prediction: #Arsenal 4-0 #WHUFC

— Oliver Norgrove (@OliverNorgrove) August 9, 2015

Looks like Al is also on a Gunners win. Can we call you Al?

Prediction: 3-0 to #Arsenal

— AllanAFC (@iTalkSoccer1) August 9, 2015

So, Arsenal or West Ham or?

Going to make a big prediction and say Turkington to win Race 2 with maximum ballast bit ambitious but we will see! #BTCC #itvsport

— Nath #RIPJules (@f1nath434) August 9, 2015

KICKOFF: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're off at the Emirates. It's got the makings of a good game this. Let's go.

West Ham knocking the ball around very nicely so far. Watch out for Payet. Wenger flagged him as a danger in his pre-match press conference and we may see throughout this 90 minutes.

Speaking of Payet, he fizzes a corner into the area now but Giroud is up well to nod it away. Giroud's got a fantastic record against the Hammers so don't be surprised if we see towering headers from him in the opposition box as well.

BOOKING: Ominous for West Ham as the combative Mark Noble goes into the book for a foul on Coquelin. That puts him on thin ice for the next, hmm, 85 minutes!

BOOKING: Oh god another yellow for West Ham as debutant Ogbonna goes into the book for bringing down Oxlade-Chamberalain. Ozil will whip this into the box...

Ozil went for goal instead but it deflects out for a corner. Arsenal, as usual, go short and the attack breaks down when Debuchy heads over when the ball eventually comes into the box.

CLOSE! If this goes in then we're looking at a goal of the season contender already! Giroud's low cross bounces up to Oxlade-Chamberlain on the edge of the box, and the winger unleashes a fierce first-time volley that just missed the upright. Would've been an absolute beaut.

Arsenal well on top now following West Ham's early promise but we're yet to see any goalscoring chances of note. Oxlade-Chamberlain's fantastic volley a minute ago was the closest we've come to a goal, but you wouldn't classify that as a chance given how it came out of nothing.

We mentioned Giroud's goalscoring record against the Hammers, but we should note that all of them goals came against Sam Allardyce's Irons. Bilic's men seem to have him quiet thus far.

We haven't seen much magic from Ozil as of yet either. Of course, he's got the tools to unlock most defences but he has struggled in this first 20 minutes or so.

Debuchy looks to float a cross into the box now, but it's too deep for Giroud and Adrian comes to collect. It's been quite a tentative start by both sides it must be said. Chances very much at a premium.

Really disappointing delivery from Cazorla here. Giroud does brilliantly to win a free kick on the left, but the Spaniard's cross into the box is easily headed to safety by a West Ham head.

Take a bow Angelo Ogbonna. Giroud looks certain to score after controlling Coquelin's ball with his chest, but the debutant defender intervenes before Giroud can pull the trigger. You could see the Frenchman's eyes light up there.

CHANCE! Probably the first chance of the game, and it's quite brilliant from Oxlade-Chamberlain, who effortlessly beats a number of players in an enterprising run as he crosses for Cazorla, who looks to lob Adrian from an acute angle with a first-time volley but it bounces over. Good effort.

OFF THE BAR! Arsenal come agonisingly close to going ahead as Ramsey's chest-and-volley deflects off Noble before looping over Adrian and skimming the top of the crossbar. Arsenal well on top now.

Good defending from Winston Reid as he gets in between Giroud to head away Chamberalin's curling cross. Adrian comes a long way to collect the corner.

CLOSE! West Ham's first effort is from Payet and it's not far away at all as he curls narrowly over from outside the box. Cech was nowhere near it. He's been impressive today the Frenchman.

BOOKING: Great play from Monreal as he drops the shoulder to beat Tomkins, who then fouls him and he's booked. Three bookings for the visitors now.

CLOSE! Not far away but it's selfish play from Ramsey, who drills wide from outside the box, but to the right of him Debuchy had ran into an acre of space and that was the better option.

Four minutes until the break and it looks like we're going in goalless. Arsenal have bossed this first half but they're yet to fashion any real chances. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Cazorla have come close but that's it.

This was NOT in the script, folks. Payet's brilliant free kick is headed home by Kouyate. Big questions over Cech, who came well off his line and didn't get it. Huge moment in this game.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. We said West Ham are a banana skin before kickoff and they're proving just that as Bilic's men earn a 1-0 lead at the break thanks to Kouyate's header shortly before the interval. Wow.

There was a HUGE question mark over Petr Cech for the goal after the ex-Chelsea man raced off his line to punch Payet's free kick, only to be beaten by Kouyate first.

RESTART! Aaaaaaaaaaand we're back! West Ham get us underway. Can Arsenal get back into this? They need two goals in order to win this and, on that first-half display, that looks a tall order.

Arsenal well on top in the early stages as one might expect, but breaking down this West Ham defence looks a tall order indeed. There's a sea of blue shirt in West Ham's half.

Still all the Gunners but if I were them I'd be really, really concerned.

Oh my word it's all going very, very wrong for Arsenal. Creswell's teasing cross is poorly cleared and Zarate picks up to rifle past Cech from outside the area. Fine finish.

SUB: Coquelin is off for Theo Walcott. Huge last half-an-hour from Arsenal now. They've been outplayed up until this point.

SUB: First West Ham sub now as Zarate, the goalscorer, makes way for Matt Jarvis. Zarate was brilliant today. The goal is just the cherry on top of an excellent performance.

Free kick in a dangerous area for the Gunners now. Cazorla will whip this in and somebody needs to convert!

HEADER! It's a tame, backwards header by Giroud and it falls straight to Adrian. Not good enough.

SUB: Alexis Sanchez replaces Debuchy. Wenger won't have wanted to play Sanchez, given that he's played about 100 games in the last 12 months for club and country, but desperate times etc....

Mark noble is down getting treatment following a relatively reckless challenge from Monreal, who earned a yellow card for his troubles.

It's so difficult to see a route back into this for Arsenal. West Ham aren't fazed. They're just going about their business here.

Some worrying scenes in the box as Giroud and Tomkins both lie motionless on the floor following a clash of heads. Both being treated by their respective medical teams. Luckily for Arsenal they've got one more sub because Giroud will have to go off here.

Looks like Giroud is staying on, but Tomkins, who seemed to bear the brunt of the force, is being replaced by Kevin Nolan. Expect plenty of injury time. Five or six minutes.

SUB: My mistake, Tomkins stays on and Nolan replaces youngster Reece Oxford, who had a good debut.

CHANCE! Could've been game set and match here as Sakho runs through on goal, but Koscielny's last-ditch tackles takes the sting off the shot and Cech collects.

CLOSE! Arsenal turning the screw now and Oxlade-Chamberlain fires into the side netting. They're going closer.

Arsenal had a promising attack there but, yep, you guessed: nothing came of it. West Ham are killing this game like a dentist kills a lion. Never forget.

Two minutes to go and West Ham have Arsenal exactly where they want them: in their own half because the visitors have a corner.

SHOT! This about sums up Arsenal's day. Chamberlain plays in Giroud, who fires over with his weaker foot from an acute angle. We expect about five or six minutes added on, but really, Arsenal needed to score in normal time if they want to salvage a point.

CHANCE! Should be 2-1 as Sanchez slots a shocking effort into the arms of Adrian. That's that.

What a start to the season for West Ham! Goals from Kouyate and Zarate help the Hammers to a shock 2-0 win on day one of the Premier League season! Wenger greeted Bilic with a smile before the customary handshake, but inside the Frenchman will be disgusted. So will the 60,000 Arsenal fans in attendance. Anywho, that's it. Thanks for joining our live commentary and we'll see you next time!