Arsenal smashed West Ham 5-2 at the London Stadium on Saturday to climb to second place in the English Premier League table.
The Gunners were ahead after just 10 minutes as centre-back Gabriel headed home Bukayo Saka’s corner at the near post after escaping his West Ham markers.
The lead was doubled in the 27th minute when Leandro Trossard finished a flowing Arsenal move from close range. Saka was again the provider, played in by a chipped Martin Odegaard through ball before squaring to Trossard to finish.
Four goals were then scored in six minutes, two by each team, started by Odegaard making it three shortly following the hour mark from the penalty spot after Saka was tripped in the area by Lucas Paqueta.
Arsenal went 4-0 up after 36 minutes when a long ball was missed by West Ham defender Max Kilman, allowing Kai Havertz to finish one-on-one past the exposed goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
West Ham responded when right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka scored his second goal in consecutive games with a near-post finish, before left-back Emerson reduced the arrears to 4-2 with a magnificent free-kick that crashed in off the crossbar.
Arsenal then restored their three-goal lead with a second penalty, this time netted by Saka for his first away league goal of the season after Fabianski accidentally punched Gabriel while trying to clear a corner.
This was only the fourth time in Premier League history that seven goals have been scored in the first half of a game – but there were none after the break as Arsenal comfortably saw out the win.
The win moves Mikel Arteta’s side six points behind leaders Liverpool, who face third-place Manchester City on Sunday.
West Ham remain 14th in the table, six points above the relegation zone.
