Arsenal leapfrogged Manchester City to go second in the Premier League table after beating West Ham 5-2 in East London.
It was a chaotic match in the capital, particularly in the first half.
Seven goals were scored, with the Gunners going 4-0 up inside the first 25 minutes.
Goals from Gabriel, Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz put the visitors in the driving 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 given their second penalty of the match in stoppage time of the first-half, with Bukayo Saka tucking it away.
West Ham firmed up after the break, but could not get themselves back into the match and Mikel Arteta’s men took the three points back to North London.
Read on to discover the full story of the match.
A dominant London derby win ⚡ pic.twitter.com/Kufu1PjMbO
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 30, 2024
How it happened
It took just 10 minutes for Gabriel to head home the opener from Bukayo Saka’s pinpoint corner.
The Brazilian’s 17th Premier League goal highlighted his consistent threat from set-pieces.
West Ham struggled to gain a foothold, 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, earning a penalty after being brought down by Lucas Paqueta.
Odegaard converted with precision to make it 3-0 after 34 minutes. Moments later, Kai Havertz added Arsenal’s fourth, latching onto Trossard’s incisive pass and firing past a helpless Lukasz Fabianski.
The first player in Europe’s big five leagues to reach 10 assists. Bukayo Saka. 🪄 pic.twitter.com/Q7y73POGQu
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 30, 2024
West Ham rallied briefly to reduce the deficit.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s well-timed run and clinical finish made it 4-1. Emerson then delivered a moment of magic, curling a stunning free-kick into the top corner, bringing the score to 4-2.
Arsenal, however, ended the half on a high when Fabianski conceded a second penalty after fouling Gabriel. Saka’s spot-kick squeezed under the goalkeeper, making it 5-2 at the break.
After the chaos of the first half, Arsenal adopted a more conservative approach.
Despite early pressure, including William Saliba’s key intervention to deny Danny Ings, the Gunners’ defence held firm.
West Ham’s substitutes, including Vladimir Coufal and Ings, injected some urgency, but they failed to carve out clear chances.
Bukayo Saka stole the show on the night with two assists, a goal, and another crucial contribution to win a penalty.
