Arsenal put up five-star first-half performance to thrash West Ham 5-2

Arsenal continued their recent resurgence with a 5-2 win over West Ham at the London Stadium to move up to second and cut the gap to leaders Liverpool to six points.

Mikel Arteta’s side made it 13 goals scored in three games as they followed up their wins over Nottingham Forest and Sporting with another rampant attacking display inspired by Bukayo Saka.

All of the game’s seven goals came in an extraordinary first period, the floodgates opening when defender Gabriel Magalhaes headed in his fourth of the season from Saka’s corner (10).

Leandro Trossard added a second with a tap-in after slick combination play between Saka and Martin Odegaard (27), with the latter then converting a third goal from the penalty spot after Lucas Paqueta was adjudged to have fouled Saka (34).

West Ham continued to capitulate as a simple ball over the top from Trossard released Kai Havertz to score Arsenal’s fourth (36), but the hosts briefly rallied when Aaron Wan-Bissaka scored his second goal in as many games (38) and Emerson Palmieri crashed a stunning free-kick in off the bar moments later (40).

Those West Ham goals briefly transformed the mood inside the ground, but the Gunners added a fifth when Lukasz Fabianski fouled Gabriel from a corner, with Saka this time stepping up to score the penalty (45+5).

With the suspended Julen Lopetegui watching on from the stands, West Ham tried to reduce the deficit again in the second half but couldn’t find a way through as they were brought back to earth following their 2-0 win at Newcastle on Monday.

The return of Martin Odegaard has certainly inspired Arsenal into the sort of form that saw The Gunners go close to Premier League title glory last term.

There’s work to be done at this juncture, but this latest win cuts the gap to the summit and cranks up the heat on Liverpool and Manchester City ahead of the clash between the leaders and the champions at Anfield on Sunday.

There was a brief lapse at the end of the first half, but overall this was Arsenal back to their free-scoring best – with 13 goals at home and abroad within a week – and a clear hunger for the job of hunting down Liverpool.