A blistering first half saw Arsenal storm past West Ham United at the London Stadium, securing a 5-2 triumph in which five different visiting players found the net.
Seven points from their last three home league fixtures have signaled an improvement in form for West Ham, but an already daunting challenge became even trickier 10 minutes in as Arsenal took the advantage. The Gunners’ set-piece prowess is no secret, and they scored from a corner once again when Gabriel Magalhães flicked in Bukayo Saka’s cross to give the Hammers a steep challenge. Arsenal remained in control, with Saka curling an attempt wide of the far upright before linking with Martin Ødegaard to lethal effect. Brilliant interplay between the duo freed Saka, who squared to Leandro Trossard for an easy tap-in with 27 minutes gone.
After being fouled by a reckless challenge from Lucas Paquetá, usual penalty-taker Saka allowed Ødegaard to slot home from the spot – a strike that triggered a six-minute burst of goals. The game seemed over as a contest when Max Kilman missed an interception, allowing Kai Havertz to score calmly, but West Ham answered almost immediately with their first real attack. A stunning threaded pass from Carlos Soler found an ordinarily goal-shy Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who struck a side-footed first-time finish past David Raya for his second goal this season. Caught flat-footed, the visitors surprisingly conceded again when Emerson Palmieri curled an unstoppable free-kick in off the crossbar. There was still time for a seventh first-half goal as Łukasz Fabiański’s punch struck Gabriel, and this time, Saka converted from 12 yards to reclaim his side’s three-goal cushion.
An explosive first half was followed by a somewhat muted second half, largely due to the stoppage-time goal that seemed to stifle the hosts’ momentum. In complete command of the game, Mikel Arteta’s side kept West Ham at bay, with Tomáš Souček’s diving header easily handled by Raya in a half short on clear chances. A late Raheem Sterling free-kick was as close as Arsenal came to extending their lead, with substitute Danny Ings rounding Raya but failing to find the net when off-balance soon afterward.
Having cruised past Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League, Arsenal continued to excel on all fronts with a comfortably deserved win that moves them to second in the Premier League (PL) standings, at least temporarily. Meanwhile, the under-pressure Julen Lopetegui watched from the stands as his team struggled to compete for significant portions of the game, leaving the Hammers 14th in the standings, six points above the relegation zone.
