Report: Arsenal 2-0 West Ham United

Bukayo Saka marked his 200th Premier League appearance in style by scoring in our victory against West Ham United, which took us to the top of the table after seven matches.

We made easy work of this clash, going ahead on 38 minutes when Declan Rice neatly tucked home after Eberechi Eze saw a shot saved, and then midway through the second half Saka drove home a penalty after Jurrien Timber had been felled inside the box.

That was enough to allow Mikel Arteta to enjoy his own landmark afternoon as he took charge of us for the 300th occasion, and as he toasts that this evening, he’ll also be delighted that despite a tricky seven-game start, we’re yet again amongst the league’s leading pack.

Rice’s reunion goal

The Hammers arrived in N5 looking to become only the second side to win three successive Premier League away games against us, and they nearly made a dream start 40 seconds in when, aided by a swirling wind, Niclas Fullkrug headed a corner from inside the six-yard box over.

We responded when Jurrien Timber got in behind the visitors’ backline but could only shoot straight at Alphonse Areola from a tight angle, and then we saw a massive chance go begging on 12 minutes when Bukayo Saka centred for Gyokeres, who ended up colliding with Areola. The ball was up for grabs and pinballed around before dropping to Eze six yards out, but he somehow fired over the crossbar.

The opening half was a stop-start affair with a plethora of stoppages denying the game of any flow, and after Saka slipped the ball past Areola but an offside flag correctly curtailed his celebrations, for the third time this season, Martin Odegaard was forced off early. A clash of knees with Crysencio Summerville was the cause this time, and after trying to run it off, our skipper finally relented on the half-hour.

Martin Zubimendi took his place and soon was in the thick of things, and seven minutes after his introduction, the Spanish playmaker started the move that saw us get in front.

He slipped in an inch-perfect ball for Eze to chase down, and he flashed an excellent shot towards the bottom corner that Areola did well to push away. However the ball fell into Rice’s path, and his controlled shot found the net to score against his former club for the second time as a Gunner.

100 in 200

And just before the half-time whistle blew, we were so close to going into the changing rooms with a two-goal lead when Riccardo Calafiori took aim inside the D and thumped the post, but saw the ball strike the back of Areola and trickle towards the line but West Ham managed to scramble it to safety and escape into the break still in touch.

Having won all of their last 10 points on the road, the east-enders were showcasing why they wouldn’t be swatted aside, albeit without troubling David Raya at the other end. Another bitty, punctuated start to the second half saw them continue to hang in the contest, but that changed on 67 minutes when they fell further behind.

Zubimendi clipped another fine pass into Timber who was clumsily bundled into by El-Hadji Malick Diouf and we were awarded a penalty. Saka seized the responsibility, and he made no mistake by sending Areola the wrong way to mark his double century in style, and reach 100 goal involvements in that time.

With a two-goal margin between the sides, the game petered out somewhat with the visitors seemingly resigned to the fact they wouldn’t be leaving Emirates Stadium with anything to show for their efforts.

Mikel Merino nudged a couple of headers wide of the target after coming off the bench, while young Irons striker Callum Marshall did the same from a stoppage-time corner on a rare foray forward for his team.

But ultimately, enough had been done to end our Hammers hoodoo, and ensure Saka and Arteta could enjoy their big days with everything they wished heading into it.

Facts and stats

Mikel Arteta picked up his 177th win as Arsenal manager in his 300th game. Only three managers have ever won more of their first 300 in charge of a top-flight English club – Pep Guardiola with Man City (219), José Mourinho with Chelsea (196 across two spells) and Kenny Dalglish with Liverpool (185).

Bukayo Saka’s penalty was his 100th goal involvement in the Premier League (55 goals, 45 assists), the eighth Gunner to reach that milestone and third Englishman after Ian Wright (123) and Theo Walcott (108).

West Ham’s four points from their opening seven games is their joint-worst return at this stage of a Premier League campaign, also having four in 2016/17 and 2022/23.

Declan Rice has been involved in four Premier League goals against his former side West Ham (2 goals, 2 assists) – only against Bournemouth (5) has he had a hand in more.

Bukayo Saka became the seventh youngest player to reach 100 goal involvements in the Premier League (24y 29d), and the youngest overall in the competition since Romelu Lukaku in February 2017 (23y 267d).

West Ham have faced more shots on target than any other side in the Premier League this season (34, including a further five today). Meanwhile, this was the first time the Hammers failed to register a shot on target in a league match themselves since January against Crystal Palace.

What’s next

We now go into the second international break for the next fortnight, before we’re back in action against Fulham on Saturday, October 18. Then we host Atletico Madrid in the Champions League the following Wednesday, before Crystal Palace cross the capital for another London derby on Sunday, October 26.