So much for bogey teams. In a week they have banished the demons of their poor recent record at Newcastle and here against Olympiakos, it was West Ham’s turn to feel the force of a resurgent Arsenal as they went to the top of the Premier League after Liverpool suffered a second straight defeat.
Other than the concerning sight of first Martin Ødegaard and then Declan Rice, scorer of the first goal, having to be replaced because of injuries, this was a most satisfying afternoon for Mikel Arteta on his 300th match in charge. While 16% of Arsenal’s goals under the Spaniard have come from set pieces – a figure surpassed only by Tony Pulis and Sam Allardyce of those who have managed that many games in the Premier League – they showed they are still capable of breaking down teams who come to defend with a low block as well.
West Ham, who had won onpast two trips here, initially put up a fight under their new manager, Nuno Espírito Santo, but were not able to respond after falling behind to the outstanding Rice against his former club. The England midfielder asked to be substituted in the second half clutching his back after the equally influential Bukayo Saka had made sure of the points with a penalty.
It was with the memory of February’s damaging defeat here that ended a 15-match unbeaten run and any realistic hopes of catching Liverpool that probably persuaded Arteta to start with Rice as a single pivot in midfield with Ødegaard and Eberechi Eze ahead of him. But the experiment did not last long as the Norwegian was forced off on the half-hour mark, with his replacement, Martín Zubimendi, allowing Rice to push further forward.
West Ham made the more positive start when Niclas Füllkrug headed over a corner inside the first minute. Nuno opted for a mobile midfield three of Matheus Fernandes, Soungoutou Magassa and Lucas Paquetá that caused Arsenal’s defence some more problems early on after Jurriën Timber had tested Alphonse Areola at the other end. Eze, who has the dubious honour of having had the most shots without scoring in the Premier League this season, then ballooned his 17th over from six yards when the French goalkeeper spilled the ball on the line in a moment he will want to forget.
The sight of Ødegaard having to limp off on the half-hour mark after hurting his knee in an ill-judged attempt to tackle Crysencio Summerville was not exactly what Arteta would have had planned either. But while Viktor Gyökeres was unable to convert a brilliant cross from Saka that skimmed off the big striker’s head as Arsenal stepped up the pressure, it was Zubimendi who helped unlock the visitors’ creaking defence.
Eze’s shot after being played in by the Spaniard was pushed straight into the path of Rice and he did well to keep his follow-up down. “Declan Rice, we got him half-price,” sang the Arsenal supporters, with the England midfielder not celebrating, but instead taking a lingering glance at the away end that had earlier barracked him as he took a corner.
West Ham were just happy to hold until the break as Arsenal – and the outstanding Saka in particular up against the raw Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf – smelled blood. Areola was fortunate Riccardo Calafiori’s shot that hit him after cannoning off the post did not trickle back over the line.
Gyökeres was inches away from converting Leandro Trossard’s cross as Arsenal picked up where they left off. There is more of an intensity about their attacking this season with Rice so often the driving force from deep.
West Ham could not get out of their own half and Nuno’s response was to replace Füllkrug and Magassa for the 20-year-old striker Callum Marshall for his debut and academy graduate Freddie Potts in midfield. It seemed only a matter of time until Arsenal doubled their lead, although they were fortunate that the referee, John Brookes, deemed Diouf’s challenge on Timber to have taken place inside the area and pointed to the spot, with Saka making no mistake.
