Arsenal Enter Top Four Following Assertive 2-0 Win Over West Ham

Arsenal leapfrogged West Ham to move into the top four with a convincing 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

Besieged by the unwanted drama Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s captaincy controversy brought in the build-up to the match, Arsenal eased past their Champions League-chasing visitors.

Pressing high, and particularly hard immediately after losing possession, Arsenal were on top in a well-fought but stop-start first half. Limiting West Ham to just three shots in the first 45 minutes, none on target, Arsenal’s superior territory began to develop into chances.

For his 600th Premier League match as a manager, David Moyes’ side sat deep, frustrating the Gunners as the navy shirts clogged a penalty area Bukayo Saka, chiefly, repeatedly made a beeline for.

Denied by increasingly last-ditch blocks as the first half wore on, Gabriel Martinelli speared through the right channel of West Ham’s backline three minutes after the interval. Darting onto Alexandre Lacazette’s perfectly-weighted pass, Martinelli classily rolled Arsenal into the lead.

The hosts more than merited their advantage but were given the chance to double it through controversial circumstances. Vladimir Coufal slid into a 50-50 with Lacazette, winning the ball but catching Arsenal’s stand-in skipper on the follow-through which earned him a second yellow card and the Gunners a penalty in the 67th minute.

Lacazette stepped up but Lukasz Fabianski denied his former employers with a save at full stretch, somewhat deflating Arsenal’s growing ascendency. West Ham crept out of their shell in search of the one goal that Arsenal’s profligacy ensured would earn a point.

Yet, as the game ticked towards its conclusion, Saka strode away into rare swathes of space that West Ham’s scattered and depleted ranks left while on the attack. Taking up the baton, substitute Emile Smith Rowe carried the ball to the edge of the box, dragging the game-sealing second goal into the bottom corner.

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