4 weeks ago
25
So much for bogey teams. In a week that Mikel Arteta’s side 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 laid down the gauntlet in the title race with a convincing victory.
Other than the concerning sight of first Martin Ødegaard and then opening goalscorer Declan Rice having to be replaced due to injuries, this was a most satisfying afternoon for Arteta on his 300th match in charge. While 16% of Arsenal’s goals under the Spaniard have come from set-pieces – a figure only surpassed 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 on their last two trips to this part of north London, initially showed some signs of fight under their new manager Nuno Espírito Santo but weren’t able to respond after falling behind to the outstanding Rice against his former club. He was forced off in the second half clutching his back after Bukayo Saka had made sure of the points with a penalty.
It was most likely with the memory of February’s damaging defeat here which ended a 15-match unbeaten run and any realistic hopes of catching eventual champions Liverpool that Arteta decided to start with Rice as a single pivot in midfield with Ødegaard and Eberechi Eze ahead of him. That meant no place for Martín Zubimendi as one of five changes from the win over Olympiakos in midweek.
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 issues early on after Jurrien Timber had tested Alphonse Areola at the other end. Somehow 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 only 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 the captain’s replacement 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 that Riccardo Calafiori’s shot that hit him on the after cannoning off the post didn’t trickle back over the line.
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Nuno was left shaking his head on the touchline when Max Kilman was caught in possession attempting to dribble out of defence. Gyökeres was inches away from converting Leandro Trossard’s cross as Arsenal picked up where they left off at the end of the first half. There is more of an intensity about their attacking this season so far, with Rice so often the driving force from deep.
West Ham couldn’t get out of their own half and Nuno’s response was to replace Füllkrug and Magassa for 20-year-old striker Callum Marshall and academy graduate Freddie Potts in midfield. It seemed like 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 to send Arsenal into the international break with some real momentum.
