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Gunning to get into the top four, Arsenal welcomed West Ham United to the Emirates Stadium for their Premier League matchday 17 clash on Wednesday night.
Before kick-off, captain-turned-outcast Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang dominated the headlines, with the Gabon international getting stripped of his captaincy. and Arsenal were desperate to change the conversation with a notable win. Thanks to goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe, the Gunners attained their goal, breaking into the top four for the first time this season.
Mikel Arteta’s side were coming into the match on the back of a convincing 3-0 win over Southampton. The coach made no changes to his starting XI, but the team looked even more cohesive and aggressive. Their pressing was on point and they hardly allowed West Ham United to get into threatening areas. Arsenal did not hit the back of the net in the first half, but they were thoroughly the better team.
Just three minutes after the restart, Martinelli latched on to Alexandre Lacazette’s through ball and put Arsenal in front. Lacazette then won and missed a penalty with 20 minutes left to play. Finally, substitute Smith Rowe joined the party and sealed the win with a confident 87th-minute strike.
The Gunners functioned like a well-oiled unit against West Ham, who played the last 30 minutes with 10 men following Vladimir Coufal's sending off. Here are the five Arsenal players who impressed in their 2-0 win over the Hammers on Wednesday night:
#5 Emile Smith Rowe
Mikel Arteta started with Emile Smith Rowe on the bench against West Ham United. The 21-year-old waited patiently on the wings for his opportunity and made a telling impact when he finally got it.
Smith Rowe slid into little pockets of space and looked to make things happen with his ambitious passes. Most of those passes failed to trouble West Ham as much as he would have liked, but he did not let up.
In the 87th minute, the youngster finally got his moment to shine after being played through on goal by Bukayo Saka. He dispatched a convincing strike to hit the bottom-right corner of West Ham’s goal.
#4 Kieran Tierney
Arsenal's full-backs were not overly adventurous against West Ham on Wednesday, especially in the first half. They were focused on keeping the Hammers contained and only charged forward during clear-cut chances.
In the closing minutes of the first half, Tierney found himself in a favorable position inside the West Ham box to try his luck. His thunderous attempt called visiting keeper Lukasz Fabianski into action, who tipped Tierney’s shot onto the crossbar.
The left-back became a tad more adventurous in the second half and took up more advanced positions. His transition allowed Martinelli to move up and eventually hit the back of the net.
#3 Bukayo Saka
Since their inception, Arsenal have had an eye for developing young footballers such as Aaron Ramsey and Robin van Persie among others. The north London outfit love to nurture youngsters and teach them the ethics and values of football. At Arsenal, it is not just about getting the results, it is about getting them the right way.
Arsenal graduate Bukayo Saka is what you would call a model alumnus. He rose through the Arsenal academy, impressing his peers and superiors, and is now emerging as one of the top talents in the Premier League. Against West Ham, Saka once again played the right brand of football, keeping the defenders guessing all night long.
The Englishman dominated the right-flank against West Ham despite being heavily outnumbered time and again. His dribbling, pace and decision-making were spot on against the Hammers, leaving the home crowd spellbound.
Having played an outstanding game, Saka’s most telling contribution came in the 87th minute. After Said Benrahma lost possession in the middle, Saka pounced on the opportunity and quickly found Smith Rowe on the right. The 21-year-old kept his shot low and hard to put Arsenal 2-0 up.
#2 Gabriel Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli ran the show on the left flank against West Ham United. He was quick, sharp and read the game brilliantly to help Arsenal to a convincing 2-0 win. The Brazilian was also a blessing to Arsenal defenders and never missed an opportunity to track back during a West Ham attack.
Martinelli’s moment of the match came in the 48th minute when he chased down Lacazette’s through ball from deep. He went for placement over power and slotted the ball calmly into the bottom right corner to give Arsenal a much-deserved lead.
#1 Alexandre Lacazette
With Aubameyang sanctioned by the club, Arteta chose Lacazette to lead the Arsenal attack against West Ham. The Frenchman embraced the opportunity with open arms and put in an invaluable shift.
In typical fashion, Lacazette did not stick to his centre-forward role up top. He dropped deep regularly to collect the ball from the middle and carried it expertly into the West Ham box. His pass to set up Martinelli’s 48th-minute opener was exquisite, showing exactly how good he can be on his day.
The first-time Arsenal captain even won himself a penalty in the 66th minute. Unfortunately, Fabianski read his approach and expertly dived to the left to deny him. That penalty aside, it was an excellent performance by the former Lyon star, and Arsenal will be praying for more in the coming weeks.
