Arsenal moved up to second in the Premier League after a rampant first-half performance propelled them to a 5-2 victory over West Ham United.
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All of the goals came in a remarkable opening period at London Stadium, where Gabriel Magalhaes, Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz put Arsenal 4-0 up inside 36 minutes.
But quickfire strikes from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson gave West Ham hope, though their chances of a comeback were quashed when Bukayo Saka, who also provided two assists, added Arsenal’s fifth on the stroke of half-time.
It is only the fourth time in Premier League history that there have been seven goals scored in a single half, but the Gunners put in a more measured display after the interval to ensure there was no hint of further drama.
Arsenal now sit six points behind leaders Liverpool, who face a heavyweight clash with Manchester City on Sunday, while West Ham remain in 14th.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
14 | +18 | 35 |
| 2 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
14 | +16 | 28 |
| 3 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
14 | +14 | 28 |
| 4 |
Man City
MCI
|
14 | +6 | 26 |
| 5 |
Brighton
BHA
|
13 | +5 | 23 |
How the match unfolded
Saka created Arsenal’s first two goals, with his 10th-minute corner headed home by Gabriel, before the England winger laid it on a plate for Trossard to tuck in a second before the half-hour. In so doing, Saka became the first player to reach double figures for assists across Europe's top five leagues.
Two goals in as many minutes then looked to have put the Gunners out of sight – Odegaard slotted in from the penalty spot after Lucas Paqueta had fouled Saka before Havertz profited from some slack defending to beat Lukasz Fabianski one-v-one.
However, Wan-Bissaka scored his second goal in as many games after ghosting in behind Arsenal’s defence, with Emerson’s stunning free-kick putting West Ham back into it.
Arsenal restored a three-goal cushion in first-half stoppage time. Gabriel was punched by Fabianski, with VAR confirming Anthony Taylor’s on-field decision of penalty, and Saka’s finish had too much power for West Ham’s goalkeeper.
How the first half of West Ham v Arsenal unfolded
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10 min: West Ham 0-1 Arsenal - Gabriel scores
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17 min: West Ham 0-1 Arsenal - Summerville goal disallowed for offside
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27 min: West Ham 0-2 Arsenal - Trossard taps home
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34 min: West Ham 0-3 Arsenal - Odegaard scores from the spot
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36 min: West Ham 0-4 Arsenal - Havertz slots past Fabianski
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38 min: West Ham 1-4 - Arsenal Wan-Bissaka pulls one back
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40 min: West Ham 2-4 Arsenal - Emerson scores a brilliant free-kick
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45+5 min: West Ham 2-5 Arsenal - Saka converts Arsenal's second penalty
10 min: West Ham 0-1 Arsenal - Gabriel scores
1 / 8
17 min: West Ham 0-1 Arsenal - Summerville goal disallowed for offside
2 / 8
27 min: West Ham 0-2 Arsenal - Trossard taps home
3 / 8
34 min: West Ham 0-3 Arsenal - Odegaard scores from the spot
4 / 8
36 min: West Ham 0-4 Arsenal - Havertz slots past Fabianski
5 / 8
38 min: West Ham 1-4 - Arsenal Wan-Bissaka pulls one back
6 / 8
40 min: West Ham 2-4 Arsenal - Emerson scores a brilliant free-kick
7 / 8
45+5 min: West Ham 2-5 Arsenal - Saka converts Arsenal's second penalty
8 / 8
Michail Antonio almost cut the deficit again after the break, though his effort deflected narrowly wide, while West Ham substitute Danny Ings could only drill wide after rounding David Raya late on as Arsenal held out for an emphatic triumph.
West Ham's defence crumbles
The Hammers’ win over Newcastle United on Monday eased some of the pressure on manager Julen Lopetegui, who had to watch this match from the stands due to suspension. However, there could be some scrutiny back on the Spaniard after the opening half.
The frustration in the stadium was palpable as Arsenal racked up 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 exact fixture last season surely crossing some minds, the home fans at least got some respite when West Ham pulled two back against the run of play. Wan-Bissaka has the scoring touch at the moment, and finished coolly after latching on to a great ball from Carlos Soler, while Emerson’s free-kick, which clattered in off the woodwork, was delightful.
It was only a short-lived reprieve, though, as Arsenal took advantage of West Ham’s defensive sluggishness on another set-piece before the break, with Gabriel once again given too much freedom before he was taken out by Fabianski’s punch.
Edson Alvarez was brought on at half-time to try and steady the West Ham ship, and the hosts did appear more balanced, but they are yet to find consistency, something Lopetegui will need to address sooner rather than later if the Hammers are to stay clear of danger.
Arsenal back on track
After a slight wobble before the international break, Arsenal have come back firing in the last two weeks, following up their 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest last weekend in style.
Arsenal’s attack worked fluidly in the first half, with Trossard’s goal the perfect example of that as they sliced open West Ham’s defence with ease.
With a 5-1 win over Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League also under their belts, Arsenal have now scored 13 goals in their last three matches in all competitions, and it is surely no coincidence that it has coincided with Odegaard’s return from injury. His link-up with Saka in particular proved unstoppable at times.
Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United will almost 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 the managers said
Julen Lopetegui: "Overall, I am 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 block."
Mikel Arteta: "We made it crazy. We played so well at the start of the game. We scored three early goals and then they score one immediately after kick-off and then another one - then it was game on. We have to manage the game - we did that really well. The last two games were tricky and to score goals is a big one."
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Key facts
West Ham conceded five goals in the first half of a Premier League game for the first time. They’ve conceded more goals than any other side in the top flight in 2024 (68), shipping 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 double figures fewer games into a team’s Premier League campaign.
Gabriel has scored 17 Premier League goals, the most of any defender since his debut in the competition in September 2020. 10 of these have come in London derbies, the highest percentage of any player in Premier League history (59 per cent with a minimum 15 goals).
Arsenal have scored 60 Premier League away goals against West Ham, the first side to reach that figure on the road against a single opponent in the competition.
