Arsenal vs West Ham LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Eddie Nketiah goal completes comeback
Arsenal 3-1 West Ham: The Gunners extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to seven points after a second-half comeback at the Emirates
Arsenal moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table after goals from Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah completed a second-half comeback against West Ham.
The Premier League leaders were missing the injured Gabriel Jesus for the first time this season and trailed at half time after Said Benrahma converted a first-half penalty.
But in the absence of Jesus, Arsenal’s other forwards stepped up when Saka and Martinelli scored in the space of five minutes to flip the Boxing Day fixture on its head, with Nketiah adding a third with a brilliant turn and finish shortly afterwards.
The win was Arsenal’s fourth in a row, moving them seven points clear of Newcastle and eight ahead of Manchester City, and came as former manager Arsene Wenger returned to the club for the first time since his exit in 2018.
Follow all the reaction from the final Premier League outing on Boxing Day below
Arsenal 0-0 West Ham
20 mins: West Ham will be happy that the game is still level. Arsenal have piled on the pressure but have lacked a ruthless edge in front of goal.
Aaron Cresswell swings a corner into the box that gets cleared as far as Said Benrahma. He cuts to the right and fizzes and right-footed effort at goal that doesn’t cause too many problems for Aaron Ramsdale.
Arsenal 0-0 West Ham
17 mins: An Arsenal corner comes swinging into the box and Fabianski is quickly off his line to boot the punch the ball away.
Partey is first to it outside the box and nods it back into the middle but Antonio clears the danger before West Ham are awarded a free kick.
Arsenal 0-0 West Ham
14 mins: Arsenal don’t seem to have lost any of their edge due to the World Cup break. Martin Odegaard slips a dainty pass into the box for Granit Xhaka’s deep run but Xhaka’s first touch knocks the ball too close to Lukasz Fabianski who scoops up the ball.
Arsenal 0-0 West Ham
11 mins: Close! A lovely diagonal ball comes over to Michail Antonio who may not be fully fit just yet. He makes a run in between Ben White and William Saliba before cutting back onto his right foot.
The first touch is a little heavy and White manages to get across and boot the ball clear.
Arsenal 0-0 West Ham
8 mins: Arsenal are starting to take control of proceedings. They win a free kick deep in the West Ham final third but Gabriel Martinelli’s delivery is heading out by Michail Antonio.
It doesn’t get far though and Thomas Partey collects the loose ball to keep the pressure on West Ham.
Arsenal 0-0 West Ham
5 mins: Disallowed goal! Bukayo Saka meets a backheel from Eddie Nketiah inside the box and blasts one into the back of the net but the offside flag is up immediately and the goal gets chalked off.
Warning sign for West Ham.
Arsenal 0-0 West Ham
3 mins: Arsenal have seen more of the ball during these opening minutes with West Ham confident enough to show some physicality and desire to win it back in the middle of the pitch.
Kick off: Arsenal 0-0 West Ham
West Ham get the match underway and boot the ball over to the right wing but Arsenal win the aerial ball and take control.
Martin Odegaard receives a pass in midfield then spins towards goal and floats one over to Gabriel Martinelli who fails to keep it in play.
Arsenal vs West Ham
The players head out onto the pitch at the Emirates Stadium. Newcastle’s victory over Leicester earlier in the day means that the Gunners only have a four point lead going in to tonight’s match.
They can push that up to seven with a win though.
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