West Ham United 0-6 Arsenal: Gunners romp to emphatic win to close gap on leaders

Arsenal secured their biggest Premier League away win with a ruthless dismantling of West Ham to move back to within two points of leaders Liverpool.

It is West Ham’s heaviest home Premier League defeat and joint-heaviest of all time, along with an 8-2 loss against Blackburn in 1963-64.

The Gunners raced into a 4-0 lead in an extraordinary first half thanks to goals from William Saliba, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard, leaving the home side stunned.

Saka waltzed through a static Hammers defence to score his second after the break, before Declan Rice made it 6-0 with a rocket of a shot from distance against his former club.

Arsenal cruise to stunning victory

After the jubilation of last weekend’s win over Liverpool, Arsenal produced another statement performance to restate their title credentials.

It is their joint-biggest margin of victory in an away league match and their first since a 7-1 win over Aston Villa in December 1935.

Their previous record away win in the Premier League was 6-1 against Middlesbrough in 1999 and Everton in 2009.

They had to wait 32 minutes to break the deadlock, when Saliba rose highest at the far post from Rice’s corner to nod home from close range.

West Ham had been defensively disciplined to that point, but completely lost their shape as Arsenal ran in three more goals before the break.

The second came from the penalty spot when Saka ran on to a ball over the top and was fouled by goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. The England international, who missed from the spot against West Ham last season, converted this time for his 50th Arsenal goal.

Gabriel made it 3-0 with another close-range header from Rice’s free-kick, before Trossard curled superbly into the top corner in first-half stoppage time.

The pace of the game dropped after the break but Arsenal’s dominance remained, with Saka collecting Martin Odegaard’s pass inside the area before rifling into the near post.

Rice then fired in a superb sixth from distance, though the England midfielder refused to celebrate on what was his second appearance back at his old club since his £100m summer move.

West Ham slump continues

West Ham fans streaming out of the London Stadium before half-time will be a worrying sight for David Moyes, who has come under pressure from some sections of the fanbase this season.

The Hammers were looking to beat Arsenal three times in the same season for the first time in 99 years, after winning 3-1 at home in the EFL Cup in November and then 2-0 at the Emirates the following month.

But the Hammers have yet to win since that December night in north London, meaning they have begun a calendar year winless in their first seven games for the first time since 1997.

This game was lost in a disastrous 15-minute spell before half-time as West Ham’s previously stubborn defence disintegrated, with the half-time break failing to inspire any sort of response.

With Moyes’ contract expiring at the end of the season, a result from a limp performance like this will only add to the uncertainty about his future.

The Scot will be hoping West Ham’s next four games, all against sides currently in the bottom seven, offer an opportunity to kick-start their faltering season.

Player of the match

RiceDeclan Rice

with an average of 8.57

West Ham United

1. Squad number11Player namePhillips

   Average rating

   4.13

2. Squad number23Player nameAreola

   Average rating

   3.88

3. Squad number20Player nameBowen

   Average rating

   3.84

4. Squad number14Player nameKudus

   Average rating

   3.51

5. Squad number7Player nameWard-Prowse

   Average rating

   3.44

6. Squad number19Player nameÁlvarez

   Average rating

   3.35

7. Squad number2Player nameJohnson

   Average rating

   3.32

8. Squad number5Player nameCoufal

   Average rating

   3.32

9. Squad number15Player nameMavropanos

   Average rating

   3.23

10. Squad number3Player nameCresswell

    Average rating

    3.19

11. Squad number33Player nameEmerson

    Average rating

    3.15

12. Squad number27Player nameAguerd

    Average rating

    3.08

13. Squad number28Player nameSoucek

    Average rating

    2.96

14. Squad number4Player nameZouma

    Average rating

    2.85

Arsenal

1. Squad number41Player nameRice

   Average rating

   8.57

2. Squad number7Player nameSaka

   Average rating

   8.44

3. Squad number8Player nameØdegaard

   Average rating

   8.37

4. Squad number19Player nameTrossard

   Average rating

   8.27

5. Squad number2Player nameSaliba

   Average rating

   8.14

6. Squad number6Player nameGabriel Magalhães

   Average rating

   8.04

7. Squad number11Player nameGabriel Martinelli

   Average rating

   7.74

8. Squad number4Player nameWhite

   Average rating

   7.66

9. Squad number29Player nameHavertz

   Average rating

   7.51

10. Squad number15Player nameKiwior

    Average rating

    7.50

11. Squad number63Player nameNwaneri

    Average rating

    7.38

12. Squad number22Player nameRaya

    Average rating

    7.06

13. Squad number25Player nameMohamed Elneny

    Average rating

    6.86

14. Squad number24Player nameNelson

    Average rating

    6.73

15. Squad number14Player nameNketiah

    Average rating

    6.66

16. Squad number17Player nameCédric Soares

    Average rating

    6.53