- Saliba took the lead, Saka extended his lead from the penalty spot.
- Magalhães and Trossard increased their lead to 4-0 before the half-time break.
- Saka found the back of the net again and Declan Rice made it 6-0 away.
- The only PR a manager can get is results… Erik ten Hag’s treatment of Marcus Rashford was a rare positive moment for a Manchester United manager – It’s All Kickoff Podcast
The scent of salvation here at the London Stadium was strong.
For those dressed in claret and blue, it was an unpleasant stench that would linger for some time yet.
In contrast, for those associated with Arsenal, the aroma was rather pleasant. The sweet scent of success. And revenge.
West Ham have beaten the Gunners twice this season. They first won the Carabao Cup in November, then the Premier League just after Christmas, winning 2-0.
2 out of 3 isn’t bad. At least that’s what manager David Moyes will tell himself after a punishing afternoon.
But this was the worst for West Ham, who were sent to the clean room by Arsenal’s fascinating display of attacking football.
It was a pretty comfortable day for Mikel Arteta, who scored four goals before half-time and saw his team powerfully avenge their previous two defeats.
It was here in East London last season that Arsenal’s title challenge began to take off.
West Ham held their London rivals to a 2-2 draw that afternoon after Bukayo Saka infamously missed a penalty. Saka later apologized on social media for failing to convert.
There was no need to say sorry this time. Indeed, Saka’s merciless conversion from the spot to ignite Arsenal’s current Championship attack and banish demons he may have harbored all season only added to the atmosphere of atonement. .
And then the piece of resistance arrived, the goal known as Declan Rice’s goal.
Rice faced long jeers from some of the home fans in the stadium he called home, but he responded with a decisive long-range thunderbolt that drew applause from those with short memories.
Typically, Rice refused the opportunity to pay homage and celebrate, shoving previous hatred down the throats of his supporters.
Of course, you wouldn’t expect anything from a midfielder. The class thrives on and off the pitch.
With his team leading 6-0, it was easy for Rice to gain the mental advantage. In fact, the fact that he was greeted with applause off the pitch when he was substituted symbolizes West Ham supporters’ true feelings towards their former captain.
But Rice’s contribution here was sideshow. The real story was Arsenal’s renewed title attack.
Arsenal followed up with a resounding fightback after a mid-winter slump with just one win in seven games that left their trophy eligibility under a cloud.
4 wins out of 4 games. In this period they scored 15 goals. It’s an eerie shape.
Time will tell whether they can continue to compete with Liverpool and Manchester City. But they’re there, lathering dangerously with their furry tails.
Whether Arsenal win their first Premier League title since 2004 means little to West Ham.
But it will be hard to shake off the embarrassment of being beaten in 90 minutes as Arsenal scored six goals away for the first time since 2009 – coincidentally against Moyes’ Everton.
Thousands of people could not bear the shame. A crowd of supporters headed out for Craig Pawson before half-time.
The remaining players booed the team heavily at halftime. Ironic, perhaps, considering they spent much of the opener heckling Rice.
It took both teams 22 minutes before they had a clear-cut chance. The 5ft 8in Leandro Trossard – playing as a false nine in the absence of Gabriel Jesus due to injury – jumped the highest and headed Bukayo Saka’s cross over the bar.
It was a sign of things to come. West Ham were compact and sturdy. Arsenal were struggling to find a solution early in the first half.
They finally worked it out pretty forcefully.
William Saliba opened the floodgates in the 32nd minute, scoring at the back post with a simple goal from Saka’s corner.
After Saka was brought down in the box by the Hammers goalkeeper in the 38th minute, Saka let Alphonse Arreola fly the wrong way and Gabriel Magalhães scored Arsenal’s third goal with a simple header from a Rice corner. .
Trossard’s sublime curling effort, which beat the hapless Areola in first-half stoppage time, was Arsenal’s 8,000th league goal.
By this point the stands were about half empty, much to the delight of Arsenal supporters.
The remaining teams conceded two more goals to Arsenal. Saka rooted Arreola with a powerful low drive before Rice capped off the return to East London with an unstoppable drive from 35 yards.
A credit to the West Ham supporters who stayed until the end. They may be gluttons seeking punishment, but at least they tried to follow the team.
Moyes and West Ham are still in talks over a new contract, and this outcome does not pre-empt any knee-jerk reaction to how the negotiations will unfold.
But those who think Moyes should be replaced by a younger visionary have further ammunition to support their case.
Arsenal’s biggest problem on Sunday was ammunition.
More to come…