Arsenal gave West Ham a hellish defeat in London classic and warned they will fight for Premier League: Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka show

Winners Liverpool AND Manchester City Saturday, Arsenal He responded with all the ambition and strength that his deserved candidate status for premier league with a powerful exhibition on West Hamwhich he devoured with four goals in the last quarter of the first half, extended an unappealable 0-6 after 90 minutes.

Bukayo Sakascorer of two goals, he was unstoppable; Declan riceprotagonist of the 0-6 and passer of the 0-1 and 0-3, he bordered on perfection; Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaesthe two central defenders, both scorers this Sunday, hardly cared about their essential mission and Davide Raya He was just another spectator in the visitors’ goal until the 82nd minute, the only time they attempted this at the London Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s team needed him, spared as a guest – he had won in one of the last four outings -, he took revenge against the opponent – he had beaten him in the two previous games this season -, winner of four consecutive duels at ‘start of a year for the first time since 1935 and, above all, seeking the leadership of Liverpool, two points. Arsenal are third. Manchester City, second.

An unsustainable 0-6 in a classic for most of the local fans. A significant number of fans left the stadium to “escape” such a humiliating result, already with the score at 0-4 at half-time. The image of the match at the Olympic Stadium in London, which was a huge hit. There were still many who digested the inevitable defeat firsthand.

More than surprising the result, more than unexpected the difference, it was not the starting point of the duel, thus defined, within the expected parameters, in the style that distinguishes two different conceptions of football, faced for half an hour.

Because West Ham is generally a stressful rival. It was also this Sunday until the sensational fall that casts doubt on the entire club. In the concentration of the players around their most precious territory, their own goal, the difficulty of overcoming such a compact wall is an exercise in precision, overflow and, above all, patience, even more so when Areola responded as he did to the volley . From Leandro Trossardo.

An incredible save with which he flew to maintain the 0-0 in the 22nd minute, against the Arsenal attack, meter after meter, moment after moment, insisting again and again, to transfer all the action into the local area, without possibility nor to neglect his own defense, even if every departure from West Ham was already an inhospitable adventure.

Until Arsenal destroyed it. The turning point was 0-1. The match stopped after half an hour. A corner kicked by Rice, against the team from which he was transferred this summer for 116 million euros, Led the way. Saliba’s header to the far post, unreachable in the jump and in the battle with Edson Álvarez (replaced at half-time by Kalvin Phillips), closed the action by beating Areola and creating another completely different match. Even unexpected.

When there are spaces, Bukayo Saka is unstoppable. You feel like you’re in paradise. First of all, he forgave a failed header. Later he didn’t find a partner when he chipped the ball in front of the goalkeeper. And then, already in the 38th minute, just six after the 0-1, he runs behind the West Ham defense to reach Trossard’s cross. Areola knocked him out. A clear penalty that allowed only doubts from the winger’s starting position. VAR confirmed its legality.

Saka himself successfully scored the penalty, on the opposite side of Areola’s shot. His twelfth goal, plus eleven assists, this season. West Ham’s end, overcome in a disastrous sequence, when Arsenal overwhelmed, lashed and KO’d them even before the break, with two more almost consecutive blows.

The 0-2 is in the 41st minute, the 0-3 by Gabriel Magalhaes, header on another perfect cross directed by Rice from a set piece, in the 43rd minute, the 0-4, by Trossard, with a right-footed shot into the area in the corner, two minutes of injury time had passed, still in the first half, even though the local wall, unbeaten at home in six games until Sunday’s blow, hadn’t even conceded the second goal. When he did it, there was no other choice.

Trossard, signed from Brighton for 24 million euros, He started less than half of Arsenal’s games (24 out of 50). He is a necessary player for Arteta. He scored ten goals and made twelve more. He averages a goal or an assist every 98 minutes in the Premier League. Only Thierry Henry had done it before in the club’s history: one in every 86.

Arsenal go no further as Areola excels on a new shot from Saka. Despite conceding six goals, the worst win of his career and of his 182 defeats for all his clubs and countries, the goalkeeper was West Ham’s best, unable to oppose Saka’s 0-5 on the hour mark. The permissiveness he enjoyed in the area was unheard of.

The intervention doesn’t stop there yet: Rice makes it 0-6 with a right-footed shot from outside the area. He didn’t celebrate it. He asked for forgiveness. Respect for his former team, a few moments before leaving amidst applause. Saka also left. The work has been done. He had already scored six goals against Lens this season (6-0) in the Champions League. He was at his house. As a visitor, he hasn’t done so since 2021 at West Bromwich Albion. Arsenal want more.

Source: EFE