Arsenal will spend the next couple of hours - at least - at the top of the Premier League table thanks to a comfortable 2-0 win over West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium.

The Hammers at home was Arsenal's kryptonite during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 Premier League seasons, but the early dominance displayed by Mikel Arteta's side suggested they would avoid a hat-trick of successive defeats.

Eberechi Eze passed up a golden chance to give the Gunners the lead, but the England international partially made amends towards the end of the first half, as his shot was parried into Declan Rice's path for Arsenal's opener.

Amid all of Arsenal's relentless attacking, though, Arteta was forced to bring off Martin Odegaard yet again due to another knee blow, one that saw him become the first-ever Premier League player to be taken off in the first half of three consecutive starts.

The captain's absence did not prove fatal, however, as Bukayo Saka doubled the hosts' lead with a milestone goal from the penalty spot, and Arsenal coasted to victory from thereon in.

The hosts' success means that they have opened up a one-point lead over Liverpool at the Premier League summit before the Reds' 5.30pm kickoff against Chelsea.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

Whether Arsenal will still be leading the way by the close of play this evening is another question entirely, but for now, Arteta's men can put their feet up after a job well done.

For all of their goal-laden displays at the London Stadium of late, Arsenal had an aversion to scoring against West Ham at home over the past two seasons, but this never felt like one of those days for the Gunners.

Arteta took the handbrake off from the start with an attack-minded midfield of Odegaard, Rice and Eze, although the former two being taken off with issues only continues the Gunners' luckless trend with injuries; there is hope that neither man has sustained anything serious, though.

Just like against Olympiacos in midweek, however, the Gunners could and probably should have scored more; the less said about Viktor Gyokeres's anonymous and wasteful display the better.

West Ham never looked like threatening the title-chasing hosts, though, and while defeat at the Emirates is by no means disastrous, a new centre-forward must be top of the agenda for Nuno Espirito Santo's side in January.

ARSENAL VS. WEST HAM HIGHLIGHTS

38th min: Arsenal 1-0 West Ham (Declan Rice)

Well, it just had to be him didn't it?

Martin Zubimendi slips a delicate ball through to Eze, whose shot is well-saved by Alphonse Areola, but Rice is on hand to fire the rebound into the roof of the net.

No celebration from the former Hammer, although he does appear to peer over to the away supporters a few times...

67th min: Arsenal 2-0 West Ham (Bukayo Saka)

A landmark goal on a landmark appearance!

Referee John Brooks points to the spot after Jurrien Timber is taken out by El Hadji Malick Diouf - it is a close call, but the contact is deemed to have taken place inside the area.

Saka steps up and hammers the penalty into the net on his 200th Premier League appearance, joining Thierry Henry as the only other Arsenal player to score in that landmark game, and he now has 100 direct involvements in the top flight too.

MAN OF THE MATCH - BUKAYO SAKA

One hundred Premier League goal contributions, 200 Premier League appearances, starboy Saka continues to hit new heights in the red and white and was unplayable all afternoon.

Not just crashing a lethal penalty into the bottom corner, the 24-year-old created two chances, fired four shots in total and drew three fouls from an exasperated West Ham side, who will not be the last team to succumb to his excellence.

ARSENAL VS. WEST HAM MATCH STATS

Possession: Arsenal 68%-32% West Ham

Shots: Arsenal 21-4 West Ham

Shots on target: Arsenal 5-0 West Ham

Corners: Arsenal 8-3 West Ham

Fouls: Arsenal 14-14 West Ham

BEST STATS

3 - Martin Ødegaard is the first player in Premier League history to be substituted before half time in three consecutive Premier League starts. Prone. pic.twitter.com/4QxqPn9zKq

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 4, 2025

? Premier League goals and assists for Bukayo Saka ? pic.twitter.com/Bp2cLhjjFD

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 4, 2025

24y 29d - At 24 years and 29 days, Arsenal's Bukayo Saka is the seventh-youngest player in Premier League history to reach 100 goal involvements and the youngest since Romelu Lukaku in February 2017 (23y 267d). Star. pic.twitter.com/IidoaD1ft4

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 4, 2025

WHAT NEXT?

For the next couple of hours, Arsenal will put their feet up and watch how Liverpool get on at Chelsea, before meeting Fulham at Craven Cottage in their first game back on October 18.

Likewise, West Ham also have a London derby on the agenda for when they return from the international break, as Santo's side host Brentford on October 20.

Written by
Ben Knapton