FA Premier League
ARSENAL 2 (Rice 38, Saka p 67)
WEST HAM UNITED 0 
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MIKEL Arteta marked his 300th game in charge of Arsenal this afternoon (Saturday) with a comfortable 2–0 win over West Ham United here at the Emirates Stadium, a result that sent the Gunners to the top of the Premier League table.

It came at a cost with captain Martin Ødegaard limping off injured in the first half, but once again the loss of a key player through misfortune never looked like derailing the Gunners. The powerhouse substitutes benches that have been assembled for each fixture are really making a difference and Arteta called on Martin Zubimendi, who had been having a nice rest after his early season efforts, to run the midfield instead.

West Ham might have scored in the opening minutes had Niclas Füllkrug been more adept at treating an in-swinging corner. The striker struggled to get any change out of William Saliba all day; the Arsenal centre back looking typically composed days after signing a new five year contract to keep him in north London amid interest from Real Madrid.

It could be said that Saliba is one of Arsenal’s own ‘Galacticos’ now – and the man who got the breakthrough goal could also now lay claim to such a label.

Bukayo Saka had seen a goal ruled out for a narrow offside and Eberechi Eze had blasted a great opportunity over the bar, before Rice made sure on the 38th minute. His celebrations were muted off course, and he must be sad to see his old club looking so lost in the Premier League right now.

Zubimendi had played a neat pass into Eze, whose low shot was parried by Alphonse Francis Areola . Rice reacted quickest to lash the rebound into the roof of the net.

It had seemed inevitable that Arsenal would go ahead and there could have been more. Riccardo Calafiori almost doubled the lead just before the interval, his 20-yard strike clipping the outside of the post as the visitors’ defence continued to creak under pressure.

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The Irons’ attempts to regroup after the break were half-hearted at best. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side rarely ventured forward with conviction and failed to register a single shot on target all afternoon. Arsenal, by contrast, remained composed and methodical, probing patiently until their control brought further reward.

Midway through the second period, Jurrien Timber burst into the box from the left but was halted by Malick Diouf’s mistimed challenge. From the naked eye, it seemed like it might have been debatable whether the foul occurred inside the box or not, but, after the controversy at Newcastle last week, VAR wasn’t going to take another penalty away from Arsenal.

Bukayo Saka took responsibility from the spot and, sending the keeper the wrong way for a 2-0 advantage.

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From there, Arsenal managed proceedings with ease. The fans probably had more interest in more goals than the players, but there is a seriousness underlining everything the club is trying to do to finally win the league.

The only cloud on an otherwise bright afternoon was Ødegaard’s injury.  He has already missed spells this season, left the field clutching his knee and was later seen wearing a brace. Early reports suggest medial collateral ligament damage.

Rice too was withdrawn late on as a precaution after appearing to tweak his back, though the midfielder was optimistic afterward that it was “nothing serious.”

Afterwardas, Arteta praised his team’s control and mentality on a landmark day for him personally, calling it “a performance that showed maturity and focus.”

ARSENAL: Raya, Timber, Calafiori (Lewis-Skelly 75), Saliba, Timber, Rice (Merino 79), Odegaard (Zubimendi 30), Eze (Martinelli 79), Trossard (Nwarneri 75), Saka, Gyokeres
SUBS NOT USED: Arrizabalaga, White, Mosquera, Norgaard,
WEST HAM UNITED: Areola, Wan-Bissaka (Walker-Peters 79), Diouf, Kilman, Mavropanos, Magassa (Potts 61), Fernandes, Paqueta, Summerville, Bowen, Fullkrug (Marshall 61)
SUBS NOT USED: Hermansen, Igor, Luis Guilherme, Rodriguez, Scarles, Wilson