Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice go on rampage as Arsenal defeat woeful West Ham | first division

It was an afternoon when the West Ham fans couldn't bear to watch. Many of them didn't. They lost four to nil in first-half stoppage time, and their team was as abject as Arsenal As claimed, there was a notable scene on the concourses outside the London Stadium: a group of thousands of home fans, who seemed in no hurry to return.

Some of them did, little by little as the second half wore on and there was a moment (after what must have been a lot of soul searching) when the ground didn't seem also empty. That would change.

It had to be Declan Rice. The former West Ham hero had set up goals with free kicks for William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães (numbers one and three, to be precise) when Ben White returned the ball and Leandro Trossard and Martin Ødegaard left it to each other. Enter rice.

The midfielder's shot from outside the box deflected off Alphonse Areola to find the far corner and the sound heard was that of seats clicking back and people running for the exits. Rice did not celebrate and when he was substituted immediately afterwards, there was generous applause from the West Ham fans who had remained.

For Arsenal, it is four wins out of four since the winter break, a result that backs up last Sunday's. great against Liverpool. It was the burial of a ghost, because it was in this match last season (a 2-2 draw from 2-0 up, Bukayo Saka also missed a penalty at 2-1) that began the unraveling of their fight for the title. qualification.

But the story, equally, was about West Ham's humiliation: how, after Saka scored 2-0 from the penalty spot, they calmed down to such an extent that television cameras captured the club's owner, David Sullivan, and they wondered what he might do next with the manager, David Moyes.

western ham beat Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on December 28, a result that seemed taken from another life. They haven't won since then. It was Arsenal's biggest win in an away league match and one shy of their all-time record: the 7-0 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup victory over Standard Liege in 1993.

Mikel Arteta didn't deviate too much from what had gotten his team this far, although there was a twist in Gabriel Jesus' continued injury absence: Trossard as a false nine. Arteta had omitted Jorginho despite his man-of-the-match performance against Liverpool, and Kai Havertz returned to midfield. No one could say that the director didn't get his approach completely right.

Arsenal were patient at first, laying the foundation for their control. They did not panic when Trossard missed a direct header from Saka's cross. He never seemed to want to score. This is what happens when you're missing a real number 9, it seemed like people might say. That plot would be pretty outdated.

The same goes for the Arsenal man trying to score the perfect goal. They almost did it when Ødegaard released Gabriel Martinelli with a beautiful ball over the top. When Martinelli cut in from the left, Ødegaard almost caught him, as he did not stay to admire the pass. He didn't get there. The same old Arsenal?

By then, Trossard had made a reflex save from Areola with a strong volley from a Martinelli cross, but everything would change – abruptly – when Rice scored a free kick from the inside left and Saliba was simply too strong for Edson Álvarez, too full. From the wish.

There was no secret about what Moyes wanted to do: stay compact, give away possession, hit hard and fast on the counter-attack; ideally after pinching the ball high. West Ham did none of that. His performance in the first half was an abdication; It was no exaggeration to say that Arsenal could have had a 7-0 lead at the end.

West Ham crumbled after the penalty, which was awarded when Saka caught a long ball from Trossard, rounded Areola, felt contact and went down. Saka had missed a couple of opportunities: a free header after a cross from Jakub Kiwior, an overcooked shot after a push from Odegaard. That it happened here last season It had to have been on his mind too. She didn't show it.

The home crowd had booed Rice from the start, without any real venom; more because it seemed like something they should probably do. There was some applause for him when he went into an early corner. But the boos after the half-time whistle towards Moyes and his players had feeling, of course.

West Ham had conceded the third when Rice sent in another free-kick and Gabriel, having retreated from an offside position, timed his movement forward for an easy header. They were Arsenal's 16^th Goal of the season from set pieces, excluding penalties: a league high. The fourth, meanwhile, was even easier, West Ham's powder of resistance. Álvarez lost possession and then it was Havertz, Ødegaard and Trossard, who came in, without pressure, to guide towards the far corner.

The second part was nothing more than a contractual obligation. Trossard fired high and Areola denied Saka before Saka exploded inside to drill one into the near corner. Then came Rice and the exodus. By the time they arrived full-time, only the most resilient souls remained. “Thank you for your support, have a safe trip home,” the stadium announcer snapped.