Arsenal enjoyed a comfortable afternoon at the Emirates as Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka guided the Gunners to a routine 2-0 victory over West Ham, piling more pressure on Liverpool in the Premier League title race.
While some might criticise the hosts for not blowing West Ham away, Mikel Arteta‘s robust defence kept the Hammers at bay with ease and gave Nuno Espirito Santo plenty to ponder as he continues to work out how to get his team ticking in attack.
The Gunners head into the international break in top spot in the Premier League table thanks to Chelsea‘s last-gasp win against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, with Arne Slot‘s champions slipping up again after a third successive loss in all competitions.
MORE INJURY WOE FOR ODEGAARD
The big question pre-match was: will Eberechi Eze or Martin Odegaard start?
Both started together in midfield, to the surprise of many, yet it was the injury to Odegaard which reflected the dismal luck of a man who just cannot catch a break.
He had already suffered two separate injuries to his right shoulder this season — against Nottingham Forest and Leeds — before his start against Olympiacos in midweek where the Norwegian put in a man-of-the-match display.
Martin Odegaard’s dismal luck with injury continued as he hobbled off again against West Ham
Bukayo Saka (above) and Declan Rice steered Arsenal to a comfortable 2-0 win at the Emirates
Mikel Arteta admitted the Norwegian was ‘not positive’ about the injury after coming off
He stole the show in midfield that night, gliding around at will and playing through a series of clever through balls to unlock his team-mates.
It was the kind of performance that amounted to a page being turned, the start of a revival to kickstart a new chapter and nudge Arsenal into an extra gear.
It is why Odegaard looked so dejected upon kicking the ball out on 20 minutes before lying on the ground waiting for medical assistance. He soldiered on, constantly feeling his left knee as he gingerly ambled around, before being substituted for Martin Zubimendi on 30 minutes.
His face reflected his mood, one of sorrow and despair. It later transpired that he required a knee brace. The captain has now been forced off injured before half-time in all three games he has started at the Emirates this season.
On the injury, boss Mikel Arteta said: ‘I think he had a clash knee-to-knee, and immediately he was uncomfortable.
‘I just spoke to him, he’s not positive about it, he’s got a brace on. We’ll have to wait and see from the doctors, but we haven’t been very lucky with that either.
‘We haven’t had him since the start of the season for one reason or the other, the shoulder twice and then this injury. He’s our captain and a player that gives us a completely different dimension with the things that he can do, especially in attack. Let’s wait, and hopefully it’s not that bad.’
Despite all their options, Odegaard is key to Arsenal’s midfield. The Gunners will be praying for a quick return.
Eberechi Eze has covered in Odegaard’s role during his injury and that is now set to continue
Man fans were surprised to see both Eze and Odegaard in the starting lineup against West Ham
THE ROAD AHEAD IS OPEN FOR ARSENAL
A glance at Arsenal’s upcoming league fixtures and a real opening — on paper, that is — appears.
Arteta will view the next month as a prime opportunity for his team to distance themselves from Liverpool at the top of the table.
Their upcoming games look far more straightforward than their opening run, with Fulham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sunderland all lying in wait.
In that period, Liverpool have Manchester United, Brentford, Aston Villa and Manchester City to deal with.
The north London club’s 1-0 away wins at Old Trafford and St James’ Park now look even more impressive, and have set the foundations.
It was Arsenal’s dropping of points against the likes of Everton and Fulham in December last season which slowly built pressure on them.
In fact, the Gunners had previously suffered back-to-back home losses against West Ham; a 2-0 defeat in December 2023 and a 1-0 reverse in February of this year.
They’ve not made the same mistake this time, Arsenal winning in Arteta’s 300th game in charge.
Mikel Arteta will hope to open a gap over Liverpool this month with a favourable run of games
Estevao’s late winner for Chelsea consigned Liverpool to a third defeat in all competitions
TROSSARD COMES IN FROM THE COLD
Leandro Trossard had initially been earmarked as an Arsenal squad player this season. A man who, aged 30, had fallen down the Gunners’ long attacking pecking order.
After starting on the bench for the north London club’s first four league matches of this campaign, Arteta has brought him in from the cold.
He started the previous two league matches against Man City and Newcastle, difficult opposition which reflected the trust Arteta has in him.
Gabriel Martinelli has come off the bench twice this season to score pivotal goals — one to kickstart a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, and another to rescue a point against Man City.
Though it is Trossard who Arteta is steadfast on. The Belgian secured a pay rise in August to his existing contract which expires in 2027, pointing to how he still has an important role to play at the club.
The diminutive Belgian does have his moments, his dribbling ability in tight areas and pace an asset on the left wing.
He does go missing at times, however, the manager’s insistence on him an interesting one. Against West Ham, he made a few in-roads forward, with Arsenal enjoying the lion share of possession.
Trossard had the confidence to take his man on and look for those incisive passes forward, but didn’t create much or be involved in chances of note.
Leandro Trossard has fallen down the pecking order but is still playing a key role for Arsenal
Nuno Espirito Santo has plenty to chew over after suffering his first defeat as West Ham boss
Martinelli, who has forced himself into fifth gear when given a chance after being dropped to the bench, will see the left wing as an area he reclaim.
For now, there is no nailed-on starter for the position; it’s a healthy conundrum for Arteta.
