It was sweet revenge for Arsenal as they meted out a 6-0 away thrashing to West Ham United on Sunday to stay in the chase for the Premier League title race, having obliterated their hosts even before halftime.
West Ham had beaten Mikel Arteta’s side twice this season but were 4-0 this time around ahead by half-time with goals from William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel and Leandro Trossard.
The ordeal persisted in the second half for the Hammers with Saka making it 5-0 before former West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, who had provided two assists in the opening period, slotted in his team’s sixth on a totally humiliating day for the hosts.
Incompressible though the debacle was to the Hammers, it was nonetheless a sublime display by Arsenal who are now sitting on 52 points alongside champions Manchester City, although they stay in third place courtesy of scoring fewer goals. Leaders Liverpool are on 54 points, with City still having a game in hand.
Defeated by West Ham in the League Cup, Arsenal had suffered an even bigger blow in their 2-0 home defeat in December when they were guilty of squandering numerous opportunities However, this time there was no room at all for remorse as they were absolutely lethal as they ruthlessly ripped eighth-placed West Ham apart at the London Stadium.
Even before halftime, the thousands of home fans who had disparagingly streamed out of the exits were spared the rest of West Ham’s worst home league defeat since an 8-2 loss to Blackburn Rovers in 1963.
An imperious Arteta side dominated proceedings in the opening exchanges with a ferocious Trossard volley tipped over by keeper Alphonse Areola and also a Martin Odegaard shot deflecting just wide. There was possibly a sense of deja-vu from the clash at the Emirates stadium on December 28 for away fans when Arsenal were stunned by West Ham, but this time they had absolutely no cause to worry.
West Ham had begun unravelling once Saliba was allowed a simple header from a Rice corner in the 32nd minute. Saka then wove his way through being being taken out by Areola, who was shown a yellow card, before England’s young trusty forward dispatched the penalty for his 50th goal for the club.
It was former Hammer Rice who then swung in a free kick that was met by Gabriel with another close-range header. As a fitting finale, Trossard casually curled a superb right-footed shot into the top corner to disoatch the Hammers to the abbatoir.
Understandably, Moyes and his disparate mob had already been booed off by their fans even at half-time and the exodus of home fans continued after the break.