Arsenal played at the London Stadium for the first time this season on Saturday and the way the game panned out, it seems that their hosts were overly excited about their arrival. And one could see the graciousness of the hosts as they time and again kept it giving back to their opponents.
Calamitous defending and clinical finishing contributed to a massively one-sided game and the Hammers can have no complaints about their miserable performance. The Gunners seemed more prepared and more up for the game than their London neighbours and at times, the teams seemed miles apart, especially when Arsenal broke forward.
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Goals from Sanchez, Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sandwiched the Andy Carroll goal, which in the end turned out to be inconsequential to the result.
#1 Scurrying Sanchez scores and shines at the London Stadium
Before the game, an image of Alexis Sanchez scurrying back to the dressing room in pre-match warm up must have been a cause of concern for all the watching viewers. However, that turned out to be a false alarm as Sanchez’s name appeared in the starting line-up.
The Chilean’s contribution to this Gunners side cannot be underestimated and Sanchez was at it again from the first blast of the whistle. Sanchez harried his opponents and ferreted around snapping at the Hammers defence causing them to constantly look over their shoulders.
For a team with aspirations to win the league, Sanchez is the embodiment of everything that is right with Arsenal. And the Chilean once again reposed the faith of his manager, as he was on hand to score his first hat-trick of the season.
The Chilean has already scored 13 goals and nine assists from 19 matches in all competitions this season. And his contribution to the team is unquestionable from an attacking perspective as he has been directly involved in six of Arsenal's past eight Premier League goals (five goals, one assist).
Along the way, he also had a leg in setting up Ozil’s opener. His performance left a beaming Arsene Wenger at the press conference and when questioned about the Chilean’s performance, the Frenchman hummed, “He has a killer instinct. You don't find many players like him. He can always surprise you. He also has great technique as well.”
#2 Injuries cannot mar a poor Hammers performance
The Hammers were without a host of important players before the game and their list of injury woes grows longer as Jack Collins hobbled off in the 7th minute. The Hammers remain without a win in the league since their home victory over Sunderland in the month of October and things are not looking up as expected for Slaven Bilic, the manager.
Michail Antonio, Aaron Cresswell, Cheikhou Kouyaté and Diafra Sakho were all unavailable for West Ham but that still doesn’t explain the lack of concentration. Bilic termed the performance as the most humiliating result he has ever had to endure as the Hammers manager and straight talking Croat made no excuses for the poor performance.
Bilic gravely apologised for his team’s performance and one hopes that this result will be a wake-up call as they continue to hover over the relegation zone. Summing up the game, Bilic stated, “I am not looking for excuses. Yes, we had injuries and mistakes, but we were not good enough.”
Irrespective of that, Carroll’s well-taken goal was indicative of the positive play being rewarded and the Hammers would do well to remember that there was a period in the game in which they dominated the Gunners before being outrun and outgunned.
#3 Gunners – Professional and Ruthless on the night
At the start of the second-half, there was a period in which it seemed that the Gunners might crack under the pressure of the Hammers. That period of play could have been the beginning of the slump for the Gunners side which seems to have ailed Arsene’s sides for a while now. But that was not to be as Sanchez broke the deadlock to latch onto a booming Shkodran Mustafi pass from deep to turn Masuaku before planting a finish past Randolph to extend the Gunners lead.
One of the most notable changes in Arsenal this season has been the mental resilience shown by the Gunners in times of adversity. Be it in the Champion’s League games against PSG and Ludogrets or the Premier League, the Gunners have shown a propensity to not crumble under pressure this season.
And the results are there for all to see. Arsene Wenger summed up the performance by rightly stating, “We had a convincing performance and strong result. We created many chances and you could see West Ham are not a confident team at home. On top of that, we had a strong performance. I believe we are on a strong run and it's down to us to be mentally ready to maintain that run.”
#4 Bilic needs more “intensity” in order to avoid relegation cat-fight
One of the positives for the Hammers in the London derby was the goal-scoring return of Andy Carroll, albeit an inconsequential one, given the way the game ended. The form of West Ham continues to be woeful and their latest defeat leaves the side only a point above the relegation zone.
Having picked up a mere 12 points from their first 14 fixtures, the Hammers prepare for a trip to Anfield next weekend. Slaven Bilic has been under immense pressure and the Croat has publicly stated his intention of being puzzled about his team’s poor performance.
Summing his side’s defeat as humiliating the Croatian also stated, “I have to be honest and say we don't have the intensity. We don't have it the same as last season, even in training. We were in a serious situation before this game, which we don't like. The players know that, but it’s not only about know. It's about sacrificing and dedication for the game."
Not a healthy reaction one expects from the person supposed to lead the side. The Hammers finished seventh in the league last season but have won only three games since leaving Upton Park for London Stadium. However, Bilic still believes he can turn around his team’s performance only if they are dedicated stating, “We can do it because these players have done it, but the dedication to the cause is missing."
The Hammers next few fixtures are scheduled against Liverpool, Burnley, Hull, Swansea and Leicester. Liverpool aside, the rest of the teams is around the same periphery of points that the Hammers currently possess. If the Hammers are to ensure Premier League football at the London stadium next season, the next few weeks are going to be crucial.
#5 Wenger’s side on the rise
The month of November saw Arsenal pick up 5 points from a possible 9 but most importantly they managed to avoid losses against the top four contenders. And the Gunners have been growing in confidence over the course of this season.
While injuries to key players such as Bellerin and Cazorla continue to trouble Arsenal, it is the performances of other squad members in their absence that has helped Arsenal maintain this run of impressive form. Gabriel deputised at right back in the place of Bellerin and although playing out of position he did a commendable job of protecting his side’s goal.
And with games against Manchester City and Everton being the only games which can be deemed as difficult in the next 9 fixtures, the Gunners have a real chance to pull away from the chasing pack. If Chelsea also continues their current form, then the February 4th fixture at Stamford Bridge may well turn out to be a pivotal fixture.
Arsenal has quietly risen up to second place in the League and if they are within touching distance of the league leaders. If they can continue in this same vein of form, then it won’t be too surprising to find the Gunners are in the thick of things when it comes to the League.
