Arsenal moved up to second in table after victory against West Ham on Saturday
Bukayo Saka says the Gunners have looked back to their best in the past week
This Man City team is DONE and Pep Guardiola has been sleeping on the job - LISTEN NOW to It's All Kicking Off! New episodes every Monday and Thursday
By JAMES SHARPE
Published: 16:15 EST, 30 November 2024 | Updated: 16:15 EST, 30 November 2024
Bukayo Saka warned Arsenal’s title rivals that the Gunners are ‘back to our best’ after they romped to a 5-2 win at West Ham.
The winger scored from the penalty spot and set up three more in a crazy first half that saw seven goals before the break for the only the fourth time in Premier League history.
Arsenal have now picked up three wins in the last week, also scoring five past Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League, as they put behind them a poor run of just two victories in their previous seven games.
‘Definitely, the last three games, we’ve been back, back to our best, back to our best way of playing,’ said Saka. ‘We’re fluid, we’re dynamic and you can see the movements, the rotations, everything looks good. We need to continue like this, we played three good games but we know in this league it’s not enough.’
Arsenal’s win moved them up to second in the Premier League table and manager Mikel Arteta said it means his side can now enjoy watching the huge title clash between Liverpool and Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
‘We have got some momentum, we have some flow back and a real determination,’ said Arteta. ‘Three wins in a row is great. We are going to enjoy tonight and watch a beautiful game of football tomorrow.
Bukayo Saka warned Arsenal’s title rivals that the Gunners are ‘back to our best’
The Gunners romped to a 5-2 win at West Ham and move up to second in the table
‘The first half was crazy,’ added Arteta, whose side raced into a 4-0 lead after 34 minutes before West Ham struck twice in quick succession only for Saka to slot home a fifth before half-time. ‘It was a spectacular first 30 minutes, straight away how much the team wanted it.’
Coming off the back of their thumping 5-1 win against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League in midweek, this result saw Arsenal became only the third English top-flight side to score five goals in five different away games in a calendar year after Sunderland in 1892 and Manchester City in 1937.
West Ham, meanwhile, crashed back down to earth after their shock win at Newcastle on Monday night.
Under-pressure manager Julen Lopetegui watched on from the director’s box as he served his touchline ban and felt that Arsenal’s first goal, scored by Gabriel from a corner, should have been disallowed for a push on Lucas Paqueta at the near post.
He also questioned the decision to award Arsenal their second penalty when goalkeeper Lukas Fabianski punched Gabriel in the head.
‘We are very frustrated,’ said Lopetegui. ‘We are at home and despite playing against one of the best teams in the world, we can and have to do better.
‘It was a very, very strange first half. We didn’t deserve two goals and they didn’t deserve to score five. Their first one was a set piece that we prepared but, in my opinion, it is a very clear foul. If it's not a foul, we have to review in my opinion about the rules.
‘After we have to do better with the second and third goal. The fifth goal, before half-time, killed the match.
Mikel Arteta insists his title-chasing side have 'momentum' after a third consecutive win
Julen Lopetegui felt that Arsenal’s first goal should have been disallowed for a foul on Paqueta
‘It wasn't a penalty. Compare the contact for the first goal on Paqueta and then it happened with Lukas (Fabianski) and Gabriel.
‘We were unlucky with the decision. But it’s not one excuse because we can do better.’