Arsenal delivered a commanding performance in a high-scoring Premier League match, defeating West Ham United 5-2 at the London Stadium on Saturday.
All seven goals came before half-time as Mikel Arteta's team climbed to second in the table, showcasing impressive attacking football. The victory sent a clear message to league leaders Liverpool.
Other London clubs also impressed, with Brentford thrashing Leicester City 4-1 to move into seventh place, and Bournemouth securing a 4-2 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Justin Kluivert made Premier League history in Bournemouth's win by scoring a hat-trick of penalties. Nottingham Forest edged past Ipswich Town 1-0, thanks to Chris Wood’s penalty, placing them sixth in the standings. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace salvaged a late 1-1 draw against Newcastle United to stay above the relegation zone.
Arsenal’s resurgence follows a shaky spell earlier this month when they went four games without a win. With captain Martin Ødegaard back from injury, the Gunners have now scored 13 goals in their last three matches. Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka were pivotal in dismantling West Ham, with Saka contributing a goal and an assist. Manager Mikel Arteta praised the team’s response and called the thrilling first half “spectacular.”
Saka set up Gabriel for Arsenal’s opener before combining with Ødegaard to assist Leandro Trossard. Ødegaard then converted a penalty, and Kai Havertz added a fourth moments later. West Ham responded with goals from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson, but Saka’s second-half penalty secured Arsenal's victory, taking him to five league goals this season.
In other matches, Brentford's Kevin Schade scored a hat-trick as they overwhelmed Leicester City, watched by new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy. Bournemouth’s Kluivert expressed delight over his historic penalty hat-trick, while Crystal Palace’s Daniel Muñoz netted a stoppage-time equaliser to rescue a point against Newcastle.
Forest’s win over Ipswich saw Chris Wood become the club's joint-record Premier League scorer, tying with Bryan Roy at 24 goals. Forest now sit sixth with 22 points.
Attention shifts to Sunday’s key fixtures, including Liverpool hosting Manchester City at Anfield. A win for Liverpool would extend their lead over the reigning champions to 11 points. Other matches include Chelsea facing Aston Villa, Manchester United hosting Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur taking on Fulham.
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