Arteta and Saka mark Arsenal milestones with victory over West Ham
In his 200th Premier League game, Bukayo Saka put Arsenal up 2-0 against West Ham from the penalty spot. It was his 100th Premier League goal involvement. Pic: John Walton/PA Wire.
MIKEL ARTÉTA celebrated the milestone of his 300th match as Arsenal manager by watching Bukayo Saka join in the numbers game by marking his 200th Premier League match with his 100th top-flight goal involvement. A party for the Arsenal boss, players and fans. England forward Saka’s second half penalty, following a first half Declan Rice goal, was his 55th goal to go with his 45 assists. Not bad for a player who turned 24 only last month.
Not so enjoyable for visiting manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who set up his side to defend and can now be without any doubt his new role is very much a relegation battle going into the latest international break after only two matches since replacing the sacked Graham Potter.
Arsenal, rising high after only seven matches, look well set to go the distance in the title race having negotiated a testing run of fixtures at the start of the new season. This, arguably, was the least demanding of their matches to date in a relatively insipid London derby.
West Ham, with a couple of players wearing gloves on a sunny October afternoon, nearly snatched an early lead when Niclas Fullkrug headed over under pressure.
That preceded a big miss for Eberechi Eze who got into the perfect poacher’s position as the ball bobbled around six yards out with time and space to pick his spot, but he failed to get over the ball and blazed it over the bar.
The West Ham fans and players celebrated every blocked shot, clearance, and failed Arsenal attack like a goal, betraying the limits of their expectations on a pitch where they had won the previous two seasons.
West Ham’s defence-first style frustrated Arsenal’s attacking intentions and they were further disrupted after 29 minutes when captain Martin Odegaard, only just back from a shoulder injury, hobbled off with a knee problem he had spent a while trying to run off after an early mistimed tackle.
In doing so, he became the first player in Premier League history to be substituted before half-time in three consecutive Premier League starts. There is every chance the midfielder will now be withdrawn from international duty and miss Norway’s match against Israel on Thursday night.
Rice, who also hobbled off before the end, finally fired Arsenal into a deserved lead seven minutes before half-time. Eze finished off a good move with a shot which Alphonse Areola parried straight to the former West Ham midfield maestro, who scored with a confident right foot half volley.
He stared at but did not celebrate in front of the massed bank of West Ham fans behind the goal, who had been abusing him on and off since before kick-off. ‘Declan Rice – we got him half price’ chanted the Arsenal fans of their €100million-plus signing.
Areola was beaten again deep into first-half injury time and nearly made it an own goal when Riccardo Calafiori’s shot whizzed past him, bounced off a post and nearly rebounded into the net off his back.
West Ham were no more aspirational after the break as Viktor Gyokeres continued his less-than-convincing run in front of goal with a couple of more near misses.
Saka netted Arsenal’s second in the 67th minute after Jurrien Timber was hauled down by El Hadji Diouf.
Raya 6, Timber 7, Saliba 6, Gabriel 6, Calafiori 7 (Lewis-Skelly 74), Rice 7 (Merino 79), Odegaard 6 (Zubimendi 30), Eze 6 (Martinelli 79), Saka 6, Trossard 6 (Nwaneri 74), Gyokeres 5. Subs: Arrizabalaga, Norgaard, Mosquera, White.
Areola 6, Wan-Bissaka 6 (Walker-Peters 79), Kilman 6, Mavropanos 6, Diouf 6, Magassa 5 (Potts 61), Paqueta 5, Fernandes 5, Summerville 6, Bowen 6, Fullkrug 5 (Marshall 61). Subs: Hermansen, Scarles, Julio, Wilson, Guilherme, Rodriguez.
John Brooks 6
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