Saka shines as Arsenal thrash West Ham in seven-goal thriller

Arsenal continued their impressive resurgence with a thrilling 5-2 victory over West Ham United at London Stadium, moving up to second place in the Premier League to reduce Liverpool lead to six points.

The match was a goal fest, with seven goals scored in the first half alone, showcasing a rampant attacking display from Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side. The victory marked a third consecutive win for the Gunners, following their dominant wins over Nottingham Forest and Sporting Lisbon.

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Arsenal took an early lead in the 10th minute when Gabriel flicked in a corner from Bukayo Saka at the near post, capitalising on loose marking from the West Ham defence. The Gunners doubled their lead in the 27th minute with a well-worked goal from Leandro Trossard, who finished a slick move started by Martin Ødegaard’s chipped ball and a clever square pass from Saka.

A frenetic six-minute spell followed, featuring four goals. Arsenal’s Ødegaard made it 3-0 with a penalty after Saka was fouled in the box by Lucas Paquetá. Moments later, Arsenal went 4-0 up after Kai Havertz latched onto a misjudged long ball by West Ham’s Max Kilman and slotted past goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański.

West Ham responded with two quick goals. Aaron Wan-Bissaka scored a near-post finish to pull one back, and Emerson produced a stunning free-kick that rattled the crossbar and found the back of the net, reducing the deficit to 4-2.

However, Arsenal restored their three-goal advantage with a second penalty, converted by Saka, after Fabiański punched Gabriel while attempting to clear a corner. That made it 5-2, marking Saka’s first away league goal of the season.

In a rare feat, seven goals were scored in the first half, making it only the fourth instance in Premier League history to see such a high-scoring opening 45 minutes. The second half saw no further goals, with Arsenal managing the game comfortably to secure all three points.

With the victory, Arsenal leapfrogged Manchester City into second place, now just six points behind Liverpool, who face City in a crucial clash on Sunday. Meanwhile, West Ham remain in 14th place, six points above the relegation zone.