The opening period at London Stadium was nothing short of spectacular, with Arsenal racing to a 4-0 lead in just 36 minutes, thanks to goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard, and Kai Havertz.
West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson responded quickly, igniting hopes of a comeback. However, Bukayo Saka, who also contributed two assists, dashed those hopes by scoring Arsenal’s fifth just before halftime.
This match marked only the fourth instance in Premier League history where seven goals were scored in a single half. Following the break, Arsenal adopted a more controlled approach, ensuring that the game remained settled without any further excitement.
Arsenal climbed to second place in the Premier League following a thrilling win against West Ham at the London Stadium, where an astonishing seven goals were netted in the first half.
The Gunners opened the scoring just 10 minutes into the match when center-back Gabriel capitalized on a poorly defended corner from Bukayo Saka, flicking the ball home at the near post. They doubled their advantage in the 27th minute with a close-range finish from Leandro Trossard, who was set up by Saka after receiving a delicate pass from Martin Odegaard.
The game then erupted into a whirlwind of action, with four goals scored in just six minutes. Odegaard extended Arsenal’s lead to three shortly after the hour mark, converting a penalty awarded after Saka was fouled by Lucas Paqueta in the box.
Arsenal’s fourth goal came in the 36th minute when a long ball was mishandled by West Ham defender Max Kilman, allowing Kai Havertz to slot the ball past the struggling goalkeeper, Lukasz Fabianski, in a one-on-one situation.
West Ham managed to respond when Aaron Wan-Bissaka found the net with a near-post finish, marking his second goal in as many games. Left-back Emerson then scored a stunning free-kick that struck the crossbar and bounced in, narrowing the gap to 4-2.
However, Arsenal quickly restored their three-goal lead with another penalty, converted by Saka for his first away league goal this season, after Fabianski inadvertently collided with Gabriel while attempting to clear a corner.
This match marked only the fourth occasion in Premier League history where seven goals were scored in the first half, yet the second half saw no further goals as Arsenal maintained control to secure the win. This victory leaves Mikel Arteta’s team six points behind league leaders Liverpool, who are set to play against third-placed Manchester City on Sunday.
West Ham remains in 14th place, sitting six points clear of the relegation zone. While Arteta’s squad is celebrated for their fluid play, their effectiveness from set-pieces this season has been crucial, as demonstrated by Gabriel’s goal, which was the result of strategic discussions with Saka prior to the corner.
Gabriel’s goal was his third in the Premier League this season, tying him for second among Arsenal’s scorers in the league. Having scored against Sporting in the Champions League earlier in the week, Arteta would have been pleased to see him recover from a minor injury that had forced his substitution in Portugal. However, he might have been concerned about the need to replace Gabriel at halftime after he was involved in a collision with Fabianski, as well as the lapses in defense that allowed West Ham to score twice in quick succession. Such defensive errors could threaten their aspirations of challenging Liverpool for the title. Nevertheless, the team’s finishing was commendable, as they ended a streak of four away league games without a win.
Currently, Arsenal sits six points behind league leaders Liverpool, who are set to face Manchester City in a crucial match on Sunday, while West Ham holds steady in 14th place.
