Unai Emery got his first win as Arsenal manager as the
Gunners beat West Ham 3-1 in the Premier League on Saturday.
West Ham may feel their performance deserved a point as they
went ahead in the 25th minute with Marko Arnautovic firing home from the edge
of the area.
Arsenal were level five minutes later as Nacho Monreal
slotted home before West Ham defender Issa Diop (70) saw the ball strike his
midriff from an Alexandre Lacazette cross and go in.
Danny Welbeck then sealed the result the second minute of
added time, given plenty of space to slot home from a Hector Bellerin delivery
as West Ham suffered three opening Premier League defeats for the second season
in a row.
Player ratings
Arsenal: Cech (7), Bellerin (6), Mustafi (6), Sokratis (6),
Monreal (7), Guendouzi (7), Xhaka (6), Mkhitaryan (6), Ramsey (8), Aubameyang
(7), Iwobi (6).
Subs used: Lacazette (7), Torreira (5), Welbeck (6).
West Ham: Fabianski (7), Fredericks (7), Balbuena (6), Diop
(5), Masuaku (6), Sanchez (5), Wilshere (6), Anderson (7), Snodgrass (7),
Antonio (7), Arnautovic (7).
Subs used: Hernandez (6), Perez (5), Yarmolenko (4).
Man of the match: Aaron Ramsey.
Arsenal thought they had taken an early lead in the 12th
minute, but Aaron Ramsey's header was ruled out for offside. The Welshman
picked out Bellerin on the right flank, before the defender cut back for
Henrikh Mkhitaryan. His effort was saved but Ramsey was there to head in the
rebound, but the offside flag was raised.
It was West Ham who made the breakthrough in the 25th
minute. Felipe Anderson strode down the field before playing a neat give-and-go
with Arnautovic at the top of the box. The striker then took a touch to get the
ball past Sokratis and fire home into the bottom corner.
Team news
Mesut Ozil was left out of the Arsenal matchday 18 after
suffering an illness with Aaron Ramsey replacing him. West Ham made four
changes with Ryan Fredericks, Carlos Sanchez, Issa Diop and Michail Antonio
coming into the XI. Jack Wilshere and Lukasz Fabianski also lined up against
their former side.
But the lead did not last for long as Arsenal equalised five
minutes later. Mkhitaryan picked out a superb run from Bellerin down the right
of the area and found Monreal, who had time to take a touch before sweeping past
goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
The second half began at a pace, with Fabianksi called into
action inside three minutes to keep out a Shkodran Mustafi header before
Arnautovic's half-volley from an Anderson cross was saved well by Petr Cech.
It was some bad West Ham luck that saw Arsenal take the lead
in the 70th minute. The Hammers failed to clear an Arsenal attack, allowing
Ramsey to head the ball back into the area. Lacazette held off Carlos Sanchez
before slotting the ball across - intended for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - but
Diop was ahead of the striker to see the ball unwittingly turned home off his
midriff.
Substitute Welbeck sealed the victory for Emery in the
second minute of added time after Bellerin put the ball into the area through
the legs of Arthur Masuaku, allowing the striker - in plenty of space - to slot
home and give Arsenal their first three points of the season.
Opta stats
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League London
derbies at the Emirates in, winning seven and drawing three.
West Ham United have lost their first three games of the
Premier League season for the third time this decade (also 2010-11 &
2017-18) after doing this just five times between 1920 and 2010.
West Ham attacker Marko Arnautovic has had a hand in 14
Premier League goals in 2018 (eight goals, 6 assists), second only to
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (22).
Issa Diop is only the eighth player to score an own-goal on
his Premier League debut and the first to do so for West Ham United in the
competition.
Man of the match - Aaron Ramsey
Ramsey was back in the starting XI after being dropped
against Chelsea, replacing Mesut Ozil, and it was a solid performance from the
Welshman in midfield. He was involved in plenty of the good, passing moves from
Arsenal and could even have nabbed a goal if he had not have been offside.
Should Ozil return for next weekend's game against Cardiff, Emery will have
some tough decisions to make.
