Hammer blow for Arsenal as West Ham progress to Carabao Cup quarters
HAMMER TIME: West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game. Photo credit: John Walton/PA Wire.
WEST HAM manager David Moyes eased his side into the quarter-finals of yet another cup competition as Arsenal suffered defeat for only the second time this season.
The experienced manager, who a vocal minority of fans here bizarrely still doubt, was rewarded for selecting an almost full-strength side against Arsenal's second string.
West Ham, united or otherwise, can now dream of a second season of trophy chasing in the League Cup following June's triumph over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final.
The home fans in the packed out London stadium celebrated with repeated rounds of 'Champions of Europe – we know what we are.'
Arsenal hit back using the same tune to sing ' Declan Rice – he left 'cos you're s*!t' as their €110m signing warmed up on the touchline in his first game here since helping to win that trophy West Ham hold so dear.
The Hammers had the last word on and off the pitch as they retorted 'You should have signed for a big club' before booing his every touch after Rice was sent on to vainly chase the match when it was already well lost.
A strange match; devoid of drama or consistent quality despite the emphatic nature of the home side's victory.
Less than ten minutes in and Arsenal, following consistent periods of possession nearly took the lead through the unlikely source of a Kai Havertz header.
He positioned himself well to take full advantage of a dipping Reiss Nelson free-kick and skillfully skimmed a header with his back to goal which former Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski tipped spectacularly over the bar.
Arsenal defender Ben White made no mistake with his near range header in the 16th minute – apart from the fact it was straight into his own net from a Jarrod Bowen corner.
It was a poor own goal by White but Arsenal were not helped by the fact recalled keeper Aaron Ramsdale was being held back by Tomas Soucek.
No VAR in the League Cup so Ramsdale's protests went unchecked. Hopefully off the pace man in black Simon Hooper did manage to spot Soucek showing his hand in Ramsdale's face when they competed at another cross soon after.
By then, White had almost made amends at the other end with a looping defender which Fabianski successfully tipped over his bar again.
Surely there would be more to come from this match. And it was only 20 seconds into the second half that Ramsdale was handed the chance to remind his detractors what a great keeper he can be when he denied Bowen a certain goal with a close-range save.
Remarkably, perhaps, for a team in front, it was their first attempt of any kind in the match so far.
Then followed a piece of skill worthy of winning any cup tie as Arsenal summer target Mohammed Kudus deftly brought down a 50-yard pass from Nayef Aguerd, took Zinchenko and Gabriel out of the game and scored o effectively win the match with 50 minutes on the clock.
Arteta responded by sending on Rice an d more of the A team followed but this was a rescue mission without any form of hope.
That matter was emphasised just ten minutes later when Bowen rattled in their third goal with the help of a deflection. The stadium was over half empty when Martin Odegaard tapped in a goal for Arsenal with 96 minutes on the clock.
It looked horrible for Ramsdale on his night back in the action for David Raya. Arsenal, somehow, have gone from having one very good goalkeeper to two nervy ones with Newcastle away to come on Saturday.
West Ham, meanwhile, are still living the dream.
Fabianski 7; Coufal 6, Mavropanos 6, Aguerd 7, Emerson 6, Alvarez 6, Soucek 6, Kudus 7 (Kehrer 89), Paqueta 7, Benrahma 6 (Ward-Prowse 81), Bowen 8.
Areola, Cresswell, Fornals, Antonio, Cornet, Ings, Ogbonna.
Ramsdale 5; White 5, Gabriel 5, Kiwior 5, Zinchenko 5 (Tomiyasu 57); Jorginho 6 (Rice 57), Vieira 5, Havertz 6; Nelson 6 (Saka 66), Nketiah 5 (Odegaard 80), Trossard 5 (Martinelli 66).
Hein, Cedric, Saliba, Elneny.
Simon Hooper 3.
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