Arsenal showed no mercy to their local rivals West Ham as they thrashed them 6-0 at the London Stadium on Sunday. The Gunners scored four goals in the first half and added two more in the second to move within two points of the Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Saka and Rice shine for Arsenal
Arsenal’s young star Bukayo Saka was the man of the match as he scored two goals and assisted one. The 21-year-old winger opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a low shot from the edge of the box after a neat exchange with Leandro Trossard. He doubled his tally in the 62nd minute with a curling effort from the left flank that left West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski rooted to the spot.
Saka also set up Declan Rice for Arsenal’s sixth goal in the 64th minute. Rice, who joined Arsenal from West Ham in the summer, scored against his former club with a powerful header from a corner. The England midfielder did not celebrate out of respect for his old fans, but he received a warm applause from the Arsenal supporters.
Arsenal’s defensive duo score rare goals
Arsenal’s centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes also got on the scoresheet with rare goals. Saliba headed in Arsenal’s second goal in the 40th minute from a James Ward-Prowse free-kick. The French defender, who returned to Arsenal after a successful loan spell at Nice, scored his first goal for the club.
Gabriel made it 3-0 in the 43rd minute with a stunning volley from outside the box. The Brazilian defender, who joined Arsenal from Lille in 2020, scored his second goal for the club and his first in the Premier League.
Trossard adds to West Ham’s misery
Arsenal’s fourth goal came in the injury time of the first half, when Trossard scored with a deflected shot from a tight angle. The Belgian winger, who joined Arsenal from Brighton in 2021, scored his seventh goal of the season and his fourth in the last five games.
West Ham had no answer to Arsenal’s onslaught and barely threatened their goal. The hosts managed only three shots in the whole game, with only one on target. Arsenal, on the other hand, had 24 shots, with 12 on target.
Moyes baffled by West Ham’s collapse
West Ham manager David Moyes was at a loss to explain his side’s collapse in their worst home defeat in the Premier League. The Hammers, who were fourth in the table before the game, dropped to sixth after the humiliating loss.
“I don’t know what happened. We were completely outplayed, outclassed and outfought by Arsenal. They were better than us in every department. We had no energy, no intensity, no quality. It was a very bad day for us and I apologise to the fans for this performance,” Moyes said after the game.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was delighted with his team’s performance and praised their attacking flair and defensive solidity. The Spaniard said his team was motivated by the challenge of catching up with Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
“We played with a lot of confidence, creativity and courage. We scored some fantastic goals and we defended very well. We knew we had to win this game to keep the pressure on Liverpool and we did it in style. We are very happy with the result and the performance,” Arteta said after the game.
Arsenal will face Liverpool at Anfield on February 25 in a potential title decider. West Ham will try to bounce back from their heavy defeat when they visit Manchester United on February 18.
