Arsenal 3 West Ham 1
“One Arsène Wenger” was the chant that rang around the Emirates. Sitting up in the directors’ box the old master obliged with a wave. Gabriel Martinelli had just put Arsenal in front, some of the football was reminiscent of their glory years and, on his first visit since departing emotionally in 2018, the architect of those times would have been forgiven a sense that the good old days were coming back.
Perhaps they really are. Saïd Benrahma’s first-half penalty could have blown Arsenal off course here: maybe the Premier League’s hiatus had checked them in their stride and forced a more realistic view of their title credentials. Prompted by the brilliant Martin Ødegaard, they responded through Bukayo Saka and, after Martinelli’s pivotal strike, Eddie Nketiah, to maintain the idea that their place at the summit is no mere dalliance.
Before the opener there had been fleeting suggestions from West Ham that long, searching passes towards Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio might pay off. They had been on the back foot but there was space to attack behind Gabriel Magalhães and, when Antonio neatly held up and laid off one such ball from Vladimir Coufal, an onrushing Bowen was ready to attack it.
He was caught by William Saliba as he skipped into the box, efforts to stay on his feet coming to nought, and Arsenal’s complaints did not look justified. Gabriel tried his best to test Benrahma’s nerve as he placed the ball; perhaps an old hand from around these parts, Emiliano Martínez, might have proved useful in the circumstances. But Benrahma converted and, with 27 minutes played, Moyes’ players had something to grasp.
It was hardly the welcome Arsenal had hoped to give Wenger, although they had brought him to his feet within five minutes when Saka beat Lukasz Fabianski from an angle. The move had been reminiscent of a bygone era, Nketiah finding his team-mate with a back-heel after clever play from Ødegaard, but a raised flag intervened. Although it was tight, Nketiah had indeed been offside.
At times West Ham were defending through sheer force of numbers. Arsenal showed little sign of ring rust after six weeks off, beginning with their familiar rattling tempo even without the injured Gabriel Jesus’s presence to set the tone. Martinelli tormented Bowen into a foul and a booking, before almost being played through by an on-song Ødegaard. The Norwegian almost turned a Saka header past Fabianski and, although West Ham’s main avenue of potential joy had been signposted, their goal had not been coming.
After its arrival, Arsenal kept battering at the door. But clear chances were scarce, Craig Dawson getting his head on to more or less everything, and West Ham appeared to have reached the break without further alarm. Deep into added time they were left perplexed, though, when Michael Oliver awarded a penalty after Ødegaard’s first-time shot had cannoned off Aaron Cresswell. Once replays became available it was clear VAR would overturn the decision: while Cresswell had raised an arm, the ball had simply ricocheted off his head. West Ham survived; the right calls had been made on both spot-kick incidents.
Antonio glimpsed a second within 45 seconds of the restart but, sent away down the inside right, allowed Aaron Ramsdale to bat away as defenders closed down. The moment proved significant: another half sitting so deep would surely not serve the visitors well and, although Fabianski soon turned a Thomas Partey daisycutter around his left post, by the 69th minute they had been picked off clinically.
Saka kept a cool head after being found with half the penalty area to himself by Ødegaard, who may be tempted to claim one of the season’s more audacious assists. Ødegaard had checked on to his left foot 30 yards out and, in truth, appeared to scuff an attempted shot that fell perfectly for his lurking colleague. A more generous interpretation would be that he had fizzed him a firm, fully meant pass that demanded putting away; whatever the reality, Saka obliged with his fifth top-flight goal of the season.
Arsenal have form here for turning deficits around and it was no surprise to see them complete the job within five minutes. Martinelli’s goal came from one of the smooth crisply worked moves across the pitch that serve Arsenal so well. This one began when Saka got the better of Declan Rice in a challenge and let Ødegaard take over, the ball then found Martinelli via Granit Xhaka and, finding the one available spot inside Fabianski’s near post, the Brazilian drilled in low.
That was topped by Nketiah’s marvellous third, which saw a meticulous streak of passes come to life with a Ben White flick past Benrahma. Ødegaard subsequently played Nketiah in and, after spinning Thilo Kehrer, the striker finished clinically. Wenger will surely be back for more. – Guardian
