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Arsenal made their supporters worldwide proud after a stellar comeback in the London Derby on Boxing Day.
Premier League leaders Arsenal, welcomed West Ham to the Emirates stadium on Monday night, December 26, 2022 following the conclusion of the Qatar World Cup.
The hosts were hoping to build on stellar form before the break as they came up against a struggling West Ham side.
The hosts started brightly and thought they had opened the scoring in the 5th minute, after Bukayo Saka fired home from a pass from Eddie Nketiah.
But Saka saw his effort ruled out for offside courtesy of VAR, as the Hammers breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Arsenal continued to press but soon suffered a setback after Michael Oliver spotted a foul on Jared Bowen in the box after a tackle from William Saliba in the 25th minute.
Following a lengthy VAR check, a penalty was awarded to the visitors and Said Benrahma stepped up and slotted past Aaron Ramsdale two minutes later to give West Ham a 1-0 lead.
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Following West Ham’s opener, Arsenal struggled to really create clear cut chances before the break, with Michail Antonio coming close to doubling the visitor’s lead , only let down by poor finishing.
Arsenal thought they had an opportunity to get back into the game in the 45th after the ball was adjudged to be handled in the box.
But again, VAR intervened to cancel Michael Oliver’s penalty call with the Gunners going into the break trailing by a slender lead as Mikel Arteta’s men hoped for a comeback in the second half.
Second Half
The Gunners came out guns blazing in the second period as Bukayo Saka latched onto a pass from Martin Odeegard to fire home for the Gunners and roar back into the contest in the 53rd minute.
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The Gunners began asking serious questions of the visitors and soon completed the comeback after Gabriel Martinelli finished off brilliantly to put Arsenal 2-1 up, sending the Emirates Stadium into wild jubilation.
The Hammers struggled to cope with the pressure from the hosts and soon fell further behind once more after Eddie Nketiah found the back of the net in the 69th minute for Arsenal’s third of the match.
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With just over 15 minutes to go until stoppage time, it was one way traffic as the hosts continued to search for a fourth goal, with David Moyes’ men offering no real threat since the early stages of the restart.
In the 77th minute, Martin Odegaard tried his luck from mid-range but his effort went just wide of the left post.
Odegaard continued to impress for the Gunners dictating play on his terms in the second period and nearly grabbed a goal himself, but saw his effort blocked for a corner in the 85th minute.
The visitors had a chance in the 90th minute after Lucas Paqueta’s attempt was curled just over the post with four minutes of added time to be played.
The Hammers came close once more in added time after Pablo Fornals’ effort was saved by Aaron Ramsdale for a corner.
Ultimately, Arsenal held on for a 3-1 comeback win against West Ham on Monday night as Mikel Arteta’s men went seven points clear off second-placed Newcastle United and eight points clear off third-placed Manchester City on the Premier League summit.
Social Media Reactions
Following the comeback win for Arsenal against West Ham, here’s how fans have reacted. Screenshots below:
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