Arsenal vs West Ham United

Unai Emery’s ghost haunts Arsenal as they rob West Ham

Arsenal 2 vs 1 West Ham

Premier League, Emirates Stadium, 19 September 2020, 8pm
Lacazette (24′) Nketiah (84′)                     Antonio (45′)

Arsenal put in an Unai-Emeryesque performance against West Ham but they ground out a result and took all 3 points from the Emirates.

Arsenal were slow to start and West Ham the better side for the opening exchanges, a theme that would dominate the game. Everything was just a little off for Arsenal until it wasn’t, which wasn’t very often.

With 24 minutes on the clock  Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang dinked a lovely chipped pass straight onto Alexandre Lacazette’s head. The Frenchman made no mistake with his 50th Arsenal goal and West Ham could consider themselves unlucky as they put in a much improved performance compared to their outing against Newcastle on the opening day.

Before the game even started, Arsenal lost Kieran Tierney to a hip problem, replaced by Sead Kolasinac in the starting lineup and his energy was badly missed.

As the break approached, Michail Antonio pulled West Ham level with just seconds left as Arsenal were caught on the counter.

Half-time at the Emirates – 1-1.

Arsenal came out brighter in the second half but it didn’t last and as we approached the hour mark, West Ham were starting to get on top, pushing Arsenal deeper as they won the battle in midfield.

As the Hammers stepped it up, we began to see the Arsenal defence show cracks that Mikel Arteta has only just begun to fill in. It was also clear why Arteta is so keen to get a new midfield in place.

The stench of Unai Emery’s 18 months began to rise up again from the pitch.

With just over five minutes on the clock, however, Arsenal found a way to absolutely rob West Ham of a result when Eddie Nketiah poked home.

Under Emery, there is no doubt we would have lost this game and then had to listen to him tell us how good West Ham are and how happy he is with the performance anyway.

There is no way that Arteta will be happy with that performance and still we won.

Two out of two and six out of six. Mikel Arteta’s reaction at the final whistle tells you all you need to know.

Video: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s reaction after the full-time whistle against West Ham. [Sky] #afc pic.twitter.com/APcd0DQBnX

— afcstuff (@afcstuff) September 19, 2020

He understands how important these points are while everyone focuses on the games against the top six.

Next up, Leicester in the Carabao Cup and Liverpool in the League.

🗣" A few months ago we would've drawn or lost that game and today we won it "

Mikel Arteta on Arsenal's win pic.twitter.com/fVW6QFgVLG

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 19, 2020

Arsenal lineups

Arsenal injuries

Played 143 – Arsenal wins 69 – West Ham wins 35 – Draws 39

Arsenal have won eight of their last 11 games against West Ham, drawing two and losing just one and scoring 25 goals while conceding 10. Arsenal have lost only two of their last 27 games against West Ham, one home and one away.

Arsenal have lost three games in a row to West Ham twice, once in a run between 8 March 1975 and 29 November 1975 (Cup, Division One, Division One) and then again between 1 February 2006 and 7 April 2007 (all Premier league), the first two when they were managed by Alan Pardew and the third under Alan Curbishley.

Arsenal and West Ham first played each other in January, 1906 when then-Woolwich Arsenal drew with the Hammers 1-1 in the FA Cup. James Sharp scored from the spot for the Gunners.

The Arsenal starting XI that day was: Jimmy Ashcroft, Archie Cross, James Sharp, Percy Sands, James Bigden, Andrew Ducat, Roddy McEachrane, Bobby Templeton, Billy Garbutt, Tim Coleman, and Tom Fitchie.

Arsenal won the replay 3-2 at West Ham five days later on 13 January with the exact same lineup apart from Tom Fitchie, who was replaced by Charlie Satterthwaite who got one of Arsenal’s goals. Garbutt and Ducat scored the others.