Saka sparkles as five-star Arsenal move second with victory at West Ham | Premier League

If Manchester City’s wobbles hearten for Arsenal, Liverpool’s blindside run to the top has maintained the margin for error. Will Mikel Arteta end up counting the cost of Martin Ødegaard’s absence? Nobody can doubt the playmaker’s importance and the improvement his return has brought even if this London derby win may be best recalled for the proficiency of Arsenal’s set pieces.

West Ham’s manner of defeat, particularly in a goal-deluged first half, puts the pressure back on Julen Lopetegui. Victory at Newcastle had been well-executed, in the nick of the time, but public opinion now swings back against him. Those seeking creativity, freedom of expression and enjoyment may be better advised to attend the Abba Arena shown elsewhere on the Stratford campus. Or watching Arsenal. And if Hammers fans have always appreciated shows grit, it was only briefly in evidence.

Arsenal ran in five half-time goals against an opponent foxed by both set-piece sophistication and speed of movement, the telling damage wreaked by three goals in nine short minutes. If that was followed by a brief flicker of Hammers revival, the home fans rumbled in either discontent or stone silence from then on.

The breakthrough in a first half to remember, featuring seven goals, came after 10 minutes. It was another personal triumph for Nicolas Jover, the special teams coach. As Bukayo Saka shaped, Arsenal’s players decamped to the far end of the penalty box then rushed to the ball in a pre-rehearsed move resembling an NFL linebackers’ blitz. Michail Antonio, asked to man-mark Gabriel Magalhães, was blocked, and the defender nodded in his fourth of the season, the 20th Arsenal goal from a corner since the start of last season.

Stockley Park’s VAR team next confirmed that Crysencio Summerville had been offside from Jarrod Bowen’s pass. An equaliser would have been against the run of play. Arsenal were exerting dominance in midfield and defence, feeling the benefit of a settled squad, injury problems abated for now, beyond the long-term absence of Ben White. Saka might have put the Gunners two up when Ødegaard surged forward.

The corner routine – newly introduced for the occasion – was repeated, only for Lukasz Fabianski to save from Jurriën Timber. Instead, Arsenal’s second came from open play, the old firm of Saka and Ødegaard laying on a tap-in for Leandro Trossard, with Kai Havertz also waiting in the queue.

East End agonies were furthered by Arsenal’s third, from a penalty where Emerson Palmieri and Lucas Paquetá combined to bring down Saka. By the 36th minute, Havertz had slotted a fourth, Paquetá surrendering possession, Maximilian Kilman making a vain, clumsy attempt to stop Trossard’s looped pass. Farcical stuff that sent Hammers fans to the sanctuary of the concourse.

Those drowning sorrows missed the sight of Aaron Wan-Bissaka scoring a second goal in a week to reduce the deficit, Arsenal’s defenders, previously dominant, holding an inquest afterwards.

Next, Emerson gave fleeting belief to home fans by dipping and swerving in a beauty of a free-kick. Were Arsenal about to repeat City’s collapse against Feyenoord? Arteta, arms folded, began to pace the sidelines. Lopetegui, banished to the executive boxes, was by now barking instructions down his headset.

A frankly ridiculous half ended fully in the younger Basque’s hands. Fabianski was penalised for punching Gabriel after another corner – a rarely seen offence considering the antics of other goalkeepers. Saka this time elected to take the penalty, doing so successfully.

Gabriel did not return for the second half, replaced by Jakub Kiwior. Riccardo Calafiori stepped across to centre-back and without its main man, the Arsenal corner routines were abandoned for orthodox crosses into the box. Arsenal meanwhile resumed their dominance of possession as many Hammers fans were slow to return to their seats, some having missed three goals. The half-time introduction of Edson Álvarez for Summerville by Lopetegui did not immediately slow the direction of traffic but Antonio did have a shot deflected wide as the midfield became busier, less open for Arsenal to strut their stuff.

There were concerns when Saka went down with injury, though he was soon able to resume. When Ødegaard straight after clutched his foot in pain there were yet deeper concerns. The strength of Arsenal’s ambitions lies in the fragile physical condition of those players and there was relief that both came through minor emergencies, with news awaited on Gabriel.

The second-half highlights of a contest long decided probably came in the cameo appearance of teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri.

The visiting Gunners fans could enjoy an evening of certainty in a season where the script has been ripped up.