Arsenal leapfrogged Manchester City into second in the Premier League table after beating West Ham 5-2 in East London.
It was a chaotic match in the capital, especially in the first half.
Seven goals were scored, with the Gunners leading 4-0 inside the first 25 minutes.
Goals from Gabriel, Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz put the visitors in the driver’s seat in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment.
But a rally from the Hammers saw Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson pull two back.
The Gunners were awarded their second penalty of the match in first-half stoppage time, with Bukayo Saka putting it away.
West Ham steadied themselves after the break but could not get back into the match and Mikel Arteta’s men took the three points back in North London.
Read on to discover the full story of the match.
A dominant London derby win âš¡ pic.twitter.com/Kufu1PjMbO
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 30, 2024
How did it happen?
It took just 10 minutes for Gabriel to open the scoring from Bukayo Saka’s precise corner.
The Brazilian’s 17th Premier League goal highlighted his constant threat from set-pieces.
West Ham struggled to gain ground and Arsenal soon doubled their lead through a flowing team move.
Saka’s clever interplay with Martin Odegaard set up Leandro Trossard for a simple finish in the six-yard box.
Saka’s brilliance continued, winning a penalty after being brought down by Lucas Paqueta.
Odegaard made it 3-0 with precision after 34 minutes. Moments later, Kai Havertz added Arsenal’s fourth, latching on to Trossard’s impressive pass and firing past a helpless Lukasz Fabianski.
The first player in Europe’s five major leagues to reach 10 assists. Bucayo Saka. 🪄 pic.twitter.com/Q7y73POGQu
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 30, 2024
West Ham briefly rallied to reduce the deficit.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s well-timed run and clinical finish made it 4-1. Emerson then produced a moment of magic, winning a stunning free-kick into the top corner to make it 4-2.
Arsenal, however, ended the half on a high when Fabianski conceded a second penalty after a foul on Gabriel. Saka’s spot-kick curled under the keeper, making it 5-2 at the break.
After the chaos of the first half, Arsenal adopted a more conservative approach.
Despite early pressure, including a key intervention from William Saliba to deny Danny Ings, the Gunners’ defense held firm.
West Ham’s substitutes, including Vladimir Koufal and Ings, showed some urgency but failed to carve out clear-cut chances.
Bukayo Saka stole the show on the night with two assists, a goal and another crucial contribution in winning a penalty.
