Saka stars as Arsenal beat West Ham by five to finish second

Arsenal moved up to second place in the Premier League after a frantic first-half performance propelled them to a 5-2 victory over West Ham United.

All the goals came in a remarkable opening period at the London Stadium, where Gabriel Magalhaes, Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz put Arsenal 4-0 ahead on 36 minutes.

But quick strikes from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson gave West Ham hope, although their comeback chances were dashed when Bukayo Saka, who also provided two assists, added the fifth ‘Arsenal just before half-time.

It is only the fourth time in Premier League history that seven goals have been scored in a single half, but the Gunners showed greater measure after the break to ensure it was no trace of additional drama.

Arsenal are now six points behind leaders Liverpool, who face a heavyweight clash with Manchester City on Sunday, while West Ham remain 14th.

How the match went

Saka created Arsenal’s first two goals, with his 10th-minute corner headed in by Gabriel, before the England winger laid it on a plate for Trossard to tap in a second before the half-hour mark. In doing so, Saka became the first player to reach double the number of assists in Europe’s top five leagues.

Two goals in as many minutes looked to have put the Gunners out of sight – Odegaard slotting in from the penalty spot after Lucas Paqueta had fouled Saka before Havertz took advantage of a little slack in defense to beat Lukasz Fabianski one on one.

However, Wan-Bissaka scored his second goal in as many games after slipping in behind the Arsenal defense, with Emerson’s superb free-kick putting West Ham back in the lead.

Arsenal restored a three-goal lead in first-half stoppage time. Gabriel was struck by Fabianski, with VAR confirming Anthony Taylor’s penalty decision on the field, and Saka’s finish had too much power for the West Ham keeper.

Michail Antonio almost reduced the gap again after the break, although his effort went narrowly wide, while West Ham substitute Danny Ings was only able to break through after rounding David Raya late on as Arsenal expected an emphatic triumph.

West Ham defense collapses

The Hammers’ victory against Newcastle United on Monday eased some pressure on manager Julen Lopetegui, who had to watch this match from the stands due to suspension. However, the Spaniard could face scrutiny after the first half.

The frustration in the stadium was palpable as Arsenal scored four goals with relative ease, with some home fans leaving their seats as soon as Odegaard’s penalty hit the back of the net.

With flashbacks to their 6-0 defeat in this very match last season surely crossing some minds, the home fans were at least given some respite when West Ham pulled two back against the run of play. Wan-Bissaka currently have the touch of goal and finished quietly after latching onto a superb ball from Carlos Soler, while Emerson’s free-kick, which clattered off the woodwork, was delightful.

It was only a short-lived respite, however, as Arsenal took advantage of West Ham’s slow defense with another free-kick before the break, with Gabriel once again given too much freedom before being taken out by the punch by Fabianski.

Edson Alvarez was brought on at half-time to try to steady the West Ham ship, and the hosts looked more balanced, but they are yet to find any consistency, something Lopetegui will need to resolve sooner rather than later if the Hammers want to stay. away from danger.

Arsenal back on track

After a slight wobble before the international break, Arsenal have come back strongly over the past two weeks, following up in style with their 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest last weekend.

Arsenal’s attack worked fluidly in the first half, with Trossard’s goal being the perfect example as they easily opened up the West Ham defense.

Also with a 5-1 victory over Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League, Arsenal have now scored 13 goals in their last three matches in all competitions, and it is surely no coincidence that this has coincided with the return from injury by Odegaard. His bond with Saka in particular has proven unstoppable at times.

Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United will certainly pose more of a challenge than West Ham on Wednesday, but with Manchester City faltering, the Gunners are proving they are still a force to be reckoned with.

Club reports

West Ham report | Arsenal report

What leaders say

Julen Lopetegui: “Overall, I’m frustrated in the first half. We deserved two goals, but they didn’t deserve five. We were unlucky in the decisions, in my opinion. The first goal, I think it was a blockage.”

Mikel Arteta: “We made it crazy. We played so well at the start of the game. We scored three goals early in the game, then they scored one immediately after kickoff, then another – then it was the match. We have to manage the match – we did it very well. The last two matches were tricky and scoring goals is a big challenge.

Upcoming Premier League matches

Key facts

West Ham conceded five goals in the first half of a Premier League match for the first time. They have conceded more goals than any other team in the top flight in 2024 (68), scoring at least five goals on four occasions.

Saka has provided 10 assists in Arsenal’s 13 Premier League games this season – only Harry Kane (11 in 2020/21), Cesc Fabregas (12 in 2014/15) and Mesut Ozil (12 in 2015/16) have reached the double with ten games less. in a team’s Premier League campaign.

Gabriel has scored 17 goals in the Premier League, the most goals of any defender since his debut in the competition in September 2020. 10 of them came in London derbies, the highest percentage of all players in Premier League history (59 percent with a minimum of 15). goals).

Arsenal scored 60 away goals in the Premier League against West Ham, the first team to reach that figure on the road against a single opponent in the competition.