Arsenal Vs West Ham United: Recap, Highlights And Analysis

Arsenal travelled across London to face West Ham United on Saturday. Here’s the full recap, all the highlights and analysis from the 5-1 win.

Arsenal were emphatic in their victory over West Ham United. It was very much the Alexis Sanchez show, wrapping up a sensational hat-trick, playing magnificently throughout the 90 minutes and terrorising a Hammers’ defence that could not deal with his relentless movement.

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The first half started in a very encouraging manner. After an early injury to James Collins forced Slaven Bilic to bring Alvaro Arbeloa on and shift to a back-four from his initial back-three system, Arsene Wenger’s side began to dominate the game, especially down the West Ham right, Arsenal left.

The overlapping Nacho Monreal caused all sorts of issues, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain looked dangerous, while Alexis Sanchez and Granit Xhaka, when drifting out to that wing were able to find the runs forward. The Gunners, though, could not take advantage of their superiority, continually failing to find their men in the penalty area when they were able to get in behind.

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Just as the stereotypical failings of the team were in a position to ruin their game once more, with West Ham growing in the game, the pressing of Alexis Sanchez, his equally gracious unselfishness and the individual error of Angelo Ogbonna all conspired to bring the breakthrough. The goal was thanks to a very simple Mesut Ozil tap-in and while Arsenal continued to dominate much of the game, they were unable to extend their lead before half-time.

The second half started in similar fashion with Arsenal again winning the battle of possession, creating space for themselves in the attacking third but not being clinical enough in the tighter spaces, with poor decision making letting them down on numerous occasions.

Theo Walcott deflected a header just over the bar, he then failed to sort his feet out when nearly played through one-on-one and Sanchez continued to threaten with his relentless movement, both in drifting deep and looking to spin in behind.

However, Arsenal stopped pressing high up the pitch, backed off of their opponents and allowed them a foothold in the game. West Ham created a few half chances, a speculative effort from Ashley Fletcher, a couple of lovely pieces of skill from Dimitri Payet. However, as they pushed for the equaliser, it was Arsenal who all but ended the match.

With a rare sight of the ball in the second half, Shkodran Mustafi fired a low, forward pass into the feet of Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean then, with a truly magnificent touch, spun, accelerated viciously, swerved down the outside of Ogbonna, dummied the shot, shifted the ball wide once more and then rifled in a terrific, across-the-goal low shot that gave Darren Randolph little chance.

The third goal came soon after, and it was once again the Chilean centre-forward. With Ozil and Granit Xhaka probing down the left-hand side, the ball squirms off a rogue Xhaka leg, ricocheted out towards Sanchez, who lets the ball bounce across his body, and fires it into the opposite bottom corner. Another tremendous finish that all but ended the game.

Andy Caroll, after coming off the bench, converted a stooping header after Payet’s free kick struck the post to give the Hammers a glimmer of hope before it was very quickly snatched away from them again. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got in on the goalscoring action with a thunderous strike from the edge of the area before teeing up Sanchez to complete his hat-trick with the Chilean dummying the shot, sitting Randolph down and then delightfully dinking the ball over his outstretched hand.

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After a November in which Arsenal were well below their scintillating best on numerous occasions, Saturday saw them put in one of their best performances of the season. Sanchez, in particular, was utterly incredible and will have to be kept fit and firing if the side’s title aspirations are to have any relevance come May.

Highlights

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