Arsenal vs West Ham Review
Arsenal boosted their Premier League title ambitions by defeating West Ham 2-0, handing the Hammers their record 135th loss in top-flight London derbies. Early on, Arsenal created a strong chance for Jurrien Timber, whose low shot was saved by Alphonse Areola’s legs. Shortly after, an even better opportunity arose. Unsurprisingly, three of Arsenal’s key players were involved, Bukayo Saka did the hard work by escaping his marker and delivering a precise cross that led to a goalmouth scramble involving Viktor Gyökeres. When Gyökeres couldn’t score, it seemed certain that Eberechi Eze would from six yards out, but he astonishingly volleyed the ball well over the bar.
The Gunners didn’t have to wait long to find the back of the net, as Saka slipped behind the West Ham defense and calmly placed a shot into the bottom corner, though his celebration was cut short by the assistant referee’s offside flag. Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta’s side kept up relentless pressure throughout the first half and finally broke through West Ham’s defense in the 38th minute. Declan Rice was poised to make an impact against his old club, and he did just that by reacting fastest after Areola could only parry Eze’s shot back into a dangerous area, sending the ball high into the net to give Arsenal the lead at halftime.
Arsenal might have gone into the break with a two-goal advantage when Riccaro Calafiori’s shot struck the post with the final kick of the first half. Saka provided a more comfortable lead midway through the second half. El Hadji Malick Diouf fouled Timber inside the penalty area, and Saka confidently converted the penalty from 12 yards, securing Arsenal’s second goal and marking his 100th Premier League goal contribution.
Having to take both Martin Ødegaard and Rice off due to injury during the match was a significant setback for Arteta, but he would still have been pleased to see his team secure the three points, which puts them at the top of the Premier League. Meanwhile, Nuno Espírito Santo’s search for his first win with West Ham continues, and although the team remains in the relegation zone, he understands that their season won’t be decided by matches like this.
