Arsenal secured an impressive 5-2 victory over West Ham United on Saturday evening during the 13th round of the English Premier League.
Arsenal’s goals came from Gabriel Magalhaes in the 10th minute, Leandro Trossard in the 27th, Martin Ødegaard via a penalty in the 34th, Kai Havertz in the 36th, and Bukayo Saka with another penalty in the 45th+5.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka scored West Ham’s opening goal in the 38th minute, followed by Emerson Palmieri’s strike in the 40th.
Arsenal temporarily climbed to second place in the Premier League standings with 25 points, six points behind leaders Liverpool, who are set to face Manchester City (23 points) in a highly anticipated clash on Sunday evening. Meanwhile, West Ham remained in 15th place with 15 points.
The match began with Arsenal taking an early lead in the 10th minute. Bukayo Saka delivered a precise corner kick that Gabriel Magalhães met with a powerful header, finding the back of the net.
West Ham thought they had equalized in the 16th minute when Somerville scored, but the assistant referee ruled it out for offside.
Arsenal continued to apply pressure, with Martin Ødegaard exploiting West Ham’s defensive lapses to set up Saka on the right flank. However, Saka’s shot sailed over the crossbar in the 21st minute.
In the 25th minute, Arsenal came close again when full-back Jurriën Timber rose to meet a free kick with a header, but goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański made a crucial save to deny him.
Arsenal doubled their lead in the 27th minute when Leandro Trossard capitalized on a well-placed pass from Bukayo Saka, finishing off a beautiful combination involving Saka and Martin Ødegaard to slot the ball into the net.
The Gunners quickly extended their advantage in the 34th minute. After Saka was fouled inside the penalty area by Lucas Paquetá, the referee awarded a penalty, which Ødegaard confidently converted to make it 3-0.
Just two minutes later, Arsenal struck again with their fourth goal. Kai Havertz latched onto a precise through ball from Trossard, broke free of the defence, and calmly finished past the goalkeeper.
West Ham responded swiftly, pulling one back in the 38th minute. Aaron Wan-Bissaka received a clever pass from Carles Soler on the right side and fired the ball into the net.
The visitors continued their fightback, narrowing the gap further in the 40th minute. Italian defender Emerson Palmieri scored with a stunning direct free kick that grazed the crossbar before settling into the goal.
Arsenal, however, closed the first half on a high note. In stoppage time (45+5), they were awarded a second penalty after goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański struck Gabriel Magalhães in the face. Saka stepped up and confidently converted the spot kick, securing a 5-2 lead for the Gunners at halftime.
The second half began at a slower pace, following the substitution of Jacob Kiwior into the Arsenal lineup to replace the injured Gabriel Magalhães.
Ten minutes into the half, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made another change, introducing Oleksandr Zinchenko instead of Riccardo Calafiori.
Arsenal came close to adding another goal in the 60th minute when Martin Ødegaard unleashed a powerful shot, but West Ham goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański made an excellent save. Moments later, Bukayo Saka’s attempt was deflected by the defence.
West Ham tried to boost their attacking options by bringing on Danny Ings to replace Michail Antonio, but the move failed to yield results.
Arsenal responded with a double substitution, introducing Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus for Saka and Ødegaard.
In the 76th minute, Arsenal’s defence struggled to clear a set piece from Carles Soler, which fell to Tomas Soucek. However, Soucek’s weak effort sailed over the crossbar.
With five minutes remaining regular time, Ethan Nwaneri entered the fray, replacing Leandro Trossard. Sterling then came close twice—first with a shot from a tight angle that hit the side netting in the 86th minute, and later with a free kick in the 89th minute that narrowly missed the right post.
The remaining minutes saw no further breakthroughs, and Arsenal secured all three points with a commanding 5-2 victory.
