West Ham v Arsenal LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Gunners move into second place
West Ham 2-5 Arsenal: Gunners go second in the table after a brilliant first-half performance in the capital
Arsenal beat West Ham United 5-2 at the London Stadium on Saturday evening thanks to a stunning 26-minute first-half attacking display.
The Gunners started off brilliantly, with a Gabriel header opening the scoring before a sublime team move put them 2-0 up.
And it only got better, with Martin Odegaard’s penalty and a Kai Havertz strike meaning they were 4-0 up on 36 minutes.
Miraculously, West Ham were soon back in it after Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson struck twice in as many minutes, though Bukayo Saka converted another penalty to make it 5-2 at half-time.
There was plenty of expectation ahead of the second half but it turned out to be a drab affair, with neither side having any chances of note as the visitors closed out the match to return to second in the Premier League table.
Follow updates from Arsenal v West Ham below.
Arteta: “Winning lifts the energy and confidence"
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Mikel Arteta said that he “doesn’t link character to winning”.
“This team showed unbelievable character against Inter and lost, they showed it against Chelsea and didn’t manage to win. The same players, the same intentions, being more efficient and winning matches - that’s the difference.
“Winning lifts the energy and confidence. They were two big wins and now it’s about consistency, getting that momentum, taking it even further against a good opponent on Saturday and trying to replicate the performances to win the game.”
He added that if Liverpool continue “with the numbers they’re producing and the amount of games they’re winning”, then his side need to be near perfect to win the title.
“But the focus is on us, maintaining the consistency of performances that will give us the right to win a lot of games. This is a long run,” he added.
Team news
Mikel Arteta has made just two changes to the side that beat Nottingham Forest last weekend.
In midfield, Jorginho comes in for Mikel Merino, while in attack, Kai Havertz returns in place of Gabriel Jesus.
Team news
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has named the same side that beat Newcastle 2-0 at the beginning of the week.
Michail Antonio leads the line, with Carlos Soler behind him Crysencio Summerville and Jarrod Bowen on the wings.
Lucas Paqueta and Tomas Soucek anchor midfield, with a back four of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman and Emerson.
Line-ups
West Ham XI: Fabianski, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Soler, Soucek, Paqueta; Bowen, Antonio, Summerville.
Subs: Areola, Coufal, Guilherme, Ings, Alvarez, Rodriguez, Irving, Scarles, Mayers.
Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Jorginho, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Trossard.
Subs: Neto, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Tierney, Nichols, Martinelli, Nwaneri, Sterling, Jesus.
Team news
The line-ups will be announced around 4.15pm, so here’s a reminder of the early team news.
The most notable omission for West Ham will be seen on the sidelines, with Lopetegui banned from the touchline after picking up his third booking of the season against Newcastle.
In a boost for the Hammers, Edson Alvarez returns from a recent suspension and his available for selection once again. Mohammed Kudus will meanwhile serve the last of his five-match ban.
Arsenal’s defensive injury woes may have been further exacerbated in midweek after Gabriel Magalhaes was forced off against Sporting with five minutes to play, with Arteta citing that the Brazilian was withdrawn after feeling ‘discomfort’.
This comes after Ben White underwent an operation to address a long-standing knee problem over the international break, which will leave him out of action for a number of months. Takehiro Tomiyasu is also unavailable due to a knee injury.
Match facts
West Ham have lost more Premier League games overall (36) and at home (15) against Arsenal than they have versus any other opponent in the competition.
The Gunners have lost just one of their last 16 Premier League away games against West Ham (W10 D5), and won this exact fixture 6-0 last season.
Head-to-head
This will be the 152nd meeting between the two sides (in their various forms), with the first dating back to a 1906 match between Woolwich Arsenal and West Ham United.
Overall, Arsenal have won 73 of these games, with the Hammer winning 41 and 37 ending as draws.
Last season, Arsenal lost 2-0 at the Emirates, though they won 6-0 in the reverse fixture.
Perhaps the most notable meeting between these two sides was the FA Cup final in 1980, which was West Ham’s last trophy win.
Arsenal’s December fixtures
Arteta’s comments regarding Arsenal’s need to be near perfect for the remainder of the season have certainly come at a pertinent time, with the busy December calendar beginning tomorrow.
Last season, the Gunner lost to Villa early in the month before back-to-back defeats to West Ham and Fulham on the 28th and New Year’s Eve respectively, with these results of course turning out to be vitally important come the end of the season.
So who do Arsenal face this winter, and when?
4 December – Arsenal vs Manchester United, 8pm
8 December – Fulham v Arsenal, 2pm
11 December – Arsenal v Monaco, 8pm
14 December – Arsenal v Everton, 3pm
18 December – Arsenal v Crystal Palace, 7.30pm
21 December –Crystal Palace v Arsenal, 5.30pm
27 December – Arsenal v Ipswich, 8.15pm
1 January 2025 – Brentford v Arsenal, 5.30pm
Mikel Arteta reveals what Arsenal need to do to win Premier League title
Mikel Arteta admits that Arsenal need to be near perfect if they are to topple leaders Liverpool and win the Premier League.
The Gunners, who travel to West Ham on Saturday, head into the weekend fourth in the table and trail Arne Slot’s side by nine points after a run of four league games without a win prior to beating Nottingham Forest last weekend.
The north London club have witnessed an upturn in performances in recent matches, with a 1-1 draw at Chelsea followed by the 3-0 home victory over Forest and a dominant 5-1 Champions League win over Sporting CP on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta reveals what Arsenal need to do to win Premier League title
The Gunners trail leaders Liverpool by nine points in the standings as they prepare for a trip to face West Ham
West Ham’s December fixtures
For any side facing potential relegation, December can be a key time to pick up points (or indeed fall further behind). So who will the Hammers be facing in the busy winter period?
3 December – Leicester City v West Ham, 8.15pm
9 December – West Ham v Wolves, 8pm
16 December – Bournemouth v West Ham, 8pm
21 December – West Ham v Brighton, 3pm
26 December – Southampton v West Ham, 3pm
29 December – West Ham v Liverpool, 5.15pm
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