Arsenal earned an impressive 5-2 victory against West Ham at the London Stadium, continuing their excellent run of form.
With their star players in the starting lineup, Arsenal began the game strongly and took the lead within the first ten minutes through a Gabriel Magalhães header with Bukayo Saka assisting..
It remained all Arsenal, as West Ham appeared stunned and uncertain whether to stick to their game plan.
Less than 20 minutes later, Arsenal found the back of the net again thanks to Leandro Trossard, and the Gunners extended their lead to 3-0 just past the half-hour mark following a penalty, which Martin Odegaard dispatched with ease.
Not satisfied, Kai Havertz added a fourth goal in the 36th minute, prompting many West Ham fans to start leaving the stadium.
(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Remarkably, the Gunners had scored nine goals in approximately 125 minutes of football across their matches against Sporting Club and West Ham.
However, West Ham showed some resilience shortly after Arsenal’s fourth goal, scoring twice in two minutes to narrow the deficit.
Arsenal responded with another goal before halftime via another penalty and this time it was Saka and not Odegaard taking the honours, making it 5-2 in a half that saw more goals than any Premier League match had in over a decade.
Unfortunately, one of Arsenal’s key players, Gabriel, could not return for the second half due to an injury sustained earlier in the match.
Mikel Arteta’s men began the second half with noticeably less intensity, giving the impression that West Ham might claw their way back into the game.
The Hammers were the better side for much of the second period, but Arsenal’s defence held firm to maintain their lead.
Arteta introduced some attacking substitutes to further strengthen the lead, but none of the new players managed to add to the scoreline.
Overall it was a performance to remember and one that will send a strong message to both Man City and Liverpool.