Arsenal’s Performance: A Display of Brilliance, Not West Ham’s Inadequacy

Premier League fixtures occasionally present unusual circumstances. The first half of the Arsenal versus West Ham match at London Stadium served as an example, with both teams adopting a style reminiscent of Ange Postecoglou. The occurrence of seven goals within the initial period was extraordinary. This 45-minute segment saw a deviation from typically structured, albeit sometimes less engaging, tactical systems and styles. Such a game could lead to a remarkable goal, like Emerson’s free-kick, being overshadowed and quickly forgotten amidst the overall intensity. Mikel Arteta appeared to implement tactical adjustments by half-time, guiding his team to a more controlled performance in the second half. This shift underscored that Arsenal, when performing well and with Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka displaying exceptional synergy, are a formidable force. West Ham had displayed strong organization against Newcastle earlier in the week. Consequently, the five goals scored by Arsenal in 45 minutes were attributed more to Arsenal’s exceptional performance than to any inadequacy from West Ham. Arsenal is regarded as the main contender against Liverpool this season, with the advantage of only one away match outside London in their next 12 fixtures. This schedule is particularly beneficial given the significant strain on teams during the festive period. Their upcoming league game is against Manchester United on Wednesday (20:15 GMT) at the Emirates, a match anticipated to assess the current positions of both clubs. It is suggested that Ruben Amorim’s new project at Manchester United might still be in its nascent phase. Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter Sandi Toksvig is joined by Gyles Brandreth, Lulu, Emmanuel Sonubi and Alan Davies Grab the mic for Queen, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Katy Perry and more… Ben Fogle and Kate Humble are back for the festivities at Longleat Safari Park From micro plastics in our air, soil, and waterways, to the extent of food waste at this time of year © 2024 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.