Arsenal completed a stunning second-half comeback to defeat West Ham 3-1 at Emirates Stadium. By extending their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points. Said Benrahma stunned the league leaders by scoring from the penalty spot following William Saliba’s foul on Jarrod Bowen. But after Arsenal had a penalty award overturned by VAR in first-half stoppage time, Mikel Arteta’s men responded emphatically. Bukayo Saka equalized in the 53rd minute by coolly converting Martin Odegaard’s mishit shot. Gabriel Martinelli scored six minutes later at the near post.
Arsenal vs West Ham final score
Eddie Nketiah, who started at centre-forward in Gabriel Jesus’ absence due to injury. Spun Thilo Kehrer to score a fantastic third and put Newcastle in second place. Champions Manchester City, who play Leeds on Wednesday, trail the Gunners by eight points with a game in hand. Saka carried on from his three-goal World Cup performance for England, but his fourth-minute strike was ruled out because Odegaard’s pass clipped him on the heel before running to Nketiah in an offside position.
Saka’s celebrations were cut short when the return pass was dispatched beyond Fabianski with aplomb. West Ham’s only offensive success had come from direct balls down Arsenal’s left flank, and the penalty came from one of those situations. Jarrod Bowen pounced on Michail Antonio’s pass and, while there was little contact from William Saliba, his rash challenge clearly hampered the West Ham forward.
Benrahma’s finish was anything but rash. When Aaron Cresswell blocked Odegaard’s shot, Arsenal thought they had a chance to get back into the game, but replays showed the ball struck his head rather than his hands, and Michael Oliver overturned his penalty decision. That incident appeared to deflate the hosts for a brief moment, and Antonio had a chance to make it 2-0 early in the second half.
But Saka showed off his improved finishing skills once more, and they never looked back. Martinelli thumped home after a flowing move involving Saka, Odegaard, and Granit Xhaka, though Fabianski should have done better. West Ham’s No.1 had no chance as his team lost for the fourth time in a row, with Nketiah clipping a fine finish beyond him to cap a move that included a marauding Ben White and the excellent Odegaard.
