- Arsenal secure three points in frantic London derby
- First half saw seven goals for fourth time in Premier League history
- Gunners left sweating over handful of fitness issues
Arsenal roared to an emphatic 5-2 win over West Ham United on Saturday evening.
The Gunners were 4-0 up after 35 minutes thanks to goals from Gabriel, Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, before Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson netted in quick succession to stop the stream of West Ham fans heading for the exit.
Bukayo Saka would convert from the penalty spot in the dying embers of the first half, however, ensuring there would be no fight-back from the home side after the break.
How the match unfolded
Arsenal boasted over 80% possession as the game reached the ten-minute mark and they deservedly found themselves ahead in familiar fashion. Saka's corner landed on the head of Gabriel, who pulled out his new Viktor Gyokeres-inspired celebration as he wheeled away.
Crysencio Summerville finished off a delightful lob soon after as West Ham tried to counter their way back into the game, but the offside flag was quickly raised and a VAR check duly provided confirmation.
Saka bent wide from inside the box when he perhaps should have at least tested Lukasz Fabianski, who did well to deny Jurrien Timber from a corner as Arsenal's relentless possession threatened to lead to an embarrassing scoreline for the hosts.
With 27 minutes on the clock, Trossard added a second. Saka got through on goal after a one-two with Odegaard and squared for the Belgian, who could hardly miss from inside the six-yard box. Saka won a penalty just five minutes later following a clumsy challenge from Lucas Paqueta. Up stepped Odegaard, who stroked the ball into the bottom corner to end this contest before half-time.
Immediately following the restart, it was 4-0. Arsenal won back possession and Trossard's excellent long ball sent Havertz charging through on goal, and he flashed his composure to bend beyond Fabianski.
Many home fans began flooding towards the exit and were quickly made to regret it. Aaron Wan-Bissaka slotted home shortly after, before Emerson bent in a glorious free kick to give West Ham the unlikeliest of lifelines.
Unfortunately for the Hammers, there was still enough time to concede another before the half-time interval. Fabianski was punished for clattering into Gabriel from another corner, and Saka joined Odegaard in finding the back of the net from the penalty spot to bring a truly unbelievable first half to a close.
The unsustainable tempo dropped significantly in the second half. Arsenal stepped back and allowed West Ham to look competitive, but neither side really looked interested in adding to the scoreline in the second half.
First half madness
Make no mistake about it, West Ham were objectively awful for the first 36 minutes of this game. Arsenal romped into a four-goal lead which they thoroughly deserved, only for West Ham to finally decide to turn up after that.
Wan-Bissaka and Emerson both found the back of the net inside a frenzied two-minute spell, with West Ham quickly learning that showing some form of attacking desire isn't the terrifying concept they feared it would be.
Arsenal still found time for a fifth goal, marking the fourth time in Premier League history - and the first in 12 years - that a first half saw seven goals.
Set pieces make the difference
Before Arsenal's corners in the first half, Gabriel made a point of organising a quick meeting with the taker, be that Saka or Declan Rice. Whatever he said, it clearly worked.
The sight of Arsenal scoring from a corner is nothing new but it has perhaps never been as animated as it was here as the Gunners appeared to make a point out of flaunting their penchant for set-piece antics. Saka and Odegaard both took turns gatekeeping the penalty spot before handing the ball to the other, while Jorginho was staring down Fabianksi to try and block the West Ham stopper from a free kick.
West Ham enjoyed their own moment of set-piece magic - a glorious Emerson free kick - to cap off the perfect evening for the dead-ball aficionados.
Defensive injury scares for Arsenal
Gabriel was, once again, a monstrous presence in the air for Arsenal. He scored the opener and won the penalty for his side's fifth, but did not emerge from the incident unscathed.
Clearly rocked after being caught in the head by Fabianski, Gabriel did not return for the second half, sparking fears of a head injury. While it did not look like anything serious, any head injury for Gabriel could force him into a period on the sidelines - beginning with the visit from Manchester United in midweek.
Ten minutes later, Riccardo Calafiori made the slow walk to the sidelines to be replaced by Oleksandr Zinchenko, The Italian appeared to point towards his groin as he left the field, sparking concerns of another injury at the back.
Rice's mixed reception
Former West Ham favourite Rice was immediately booed when he got on the ball in the early stages, and it seemed as though his former fans were set to make life incredibly hard for the Gunners midfielder on his return.
However, it seemed as though the home fans caught wind of the attempt to chastise Rice as, when he trotted over towards them to take a corner, he was met with a pleasant round of applause from a large number of supporters who clearly wanted to try change the narrative.
