Arsenal Secures Victory In Seven-Goal Thriller Against West Ham, Says Arteta

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In a thrilling encounter at the London Stadium, Arsenal triumphed over West Ham with a 5-2 victory. The match featured an astonishing seven goals in the first half alone. Arsenal's early dominance saw them net four goals within 36 minutes, thanks to Gabriel, Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard, and Kai Havertz. West Ham responded quickly with two goals before Bukayo Saka sealed the half with a penalty.

This match marked a milestone for Arsenal as it was the first time they scored two penalties in the first half of a Premier League game. Arteta expressed satisfaction with the team's attacking prowess but acknowledged defensive lapses. "We made it crazy, we played so well at the start of the game," he told BBC MOTD. "We have to manage the game - we did that really well."

Arsenal's performance this year has been remarkable, scoring five or more goals in five away games across all competitions in 2024. This achievement equals records set by Sunderland in 1892 and Manchester City in 1937. Additionally, Arsenal became the first team to score over 60 away goals against a single opponent in Premier League history.

Bukayo Saka was instrumental in Arsenal's victory, contributing one goal and two assists. His tally now stands at 10 assists in just 13 Premier League matches this season. Only Harry Kane, Cesc Fabregas, and Mesut Ozil have reached double figures faster in previous campaigns.

Saka shared his thoughts on his performance: "I am taking a lot of pleasure from creating and scoring, but the greatest pleasure is to win." He has been involved in 15 Premier League goals this season, second only to Mohamed Salah.

West Ham's Defensive Struggles

Julen Lopetegui watched from the stands due to suspension as West Ham conceded five goals. This result means they have allowed more goals than any other Premier League team in 2024, totalling 68. Lopetegui expressed frustration: "Overall, I am frustrated with the first half. We deserved two goals, but they didn't deserve five."

The match between West Ham and Arsenal joined an exclusive list of Premier League games featuring seven first-half goals. Previous instances include Blackburn vs Leeds (1997), Bradford vs Derby (2000), and Reading vs Man Utd (2012).

Mikel Arteta reflected on his team's performance: "I was happier with the first 30 minutes rather than the last 15 minutes of the first half." He praised their positive start but noted defensive errors after their fourth goal.

Arteta appreciated Saka's consistency: "[Saka] has been really consistent with scoring, assisting and always being available for us so, really good." The young player's contributions have been crucial for Arsenal this season.