Rice delivers a thunderclap as Arsenal strike like lightning
Hapless Hammers are blown away by irresistible Gunners
THE whiff of redemption was potent. For those in claret and blue it was a repugnant stench that will linger for some time. But for those who bleed Arsenal red, the scent was rather more pleasant. The sweet smell of success. And revenge.
Reprisal for the previous two losses against West Ham this season. Retribution for Bukayo Saka, whose penalty miss here in April sparked a spiral into mediocrity that led to Arsenal conceding the title.
And f i nally, vengeance f or Declan Rice — who was inexplicably booed on his first Premier League return to the ground he’d called home for so long.
Of course, two out of three ain’t bad. At least that’s what David Moyes will be telling himself after a chastening afternoon.
West Ham’s victory in the Carabao Cup in November, coupled with a 2-0 win at the Emirates just after Christmas, will rank as highlights of the season regardless of how it ends.
But taken in i solation, this performance and result were as bad as it gets for West Ham, who were taken to the cleaners by an irresistible display of attacking football from Arsenal.
The visitors were four goals up before half-time. Six by the final whistle. It all made for a rather comfortable day for Mikel Arteta as he watched his side emphatically right some previous wrongs.
The symbolism of where it all unfolded wouldn’t have been lost on Arteta. It was here in east London last season where the wheels started coming off Arsenal’s title challenge, West Ham holding the Gunners to a 2-2 draw in April.
Saka took to social media afterwards to apologise for his failure to convert from the spot.
No such apology this time. It simply added to the air of atonement that Saka ruthlessly converted f rom the spot to reinforce Arsenal’s current championship assault and banish any demons he might have harboured from last season. Then arrived the piece de resist
ance — or what should become known as THAT Rice goal.
Those who felt compelledompelled to jeer Rice have short memories. That,, or they are just una-nashamedly ungrateful.
He responded in categorical fashion, his long range thunderbolt had those booing suddenly applaudingg in admiration.
Typically, Ricece was r espectful — declining the opportu-ortunity to celebrate andnd ram the earlier hate down sup-supporters’ throats.
You’d expect nothing less from the midfielder, of course. An allround class act.
With his team 6-0 ahead, it was easy for Rice to take the moral high ground. The fact that he was given a rapturous ovation as he was substituted represents a porters’port of truertr WestW reflection Ham f eelings supcaptain. towardstowar their former Yet his contributioncon here was a mere sideshow. The real story was the re - i gnition of Arsenal’s title challenge. After a midwinter slump of one victory in seven matches, they have delivered a resounding riposte. It is four wins from four. They have scored 15 goals in that period. That is ominous form. Time will tell i f they can continue to go toe-to-toe with Liverpool and Manchester City. But they are there, level on points and two behind leaders Liverpool. Whether or not Arsenal win their first title since 2004 will mean very little to West Ham. But the embarrassment of a bludgeoning 90 minutes will be hard to shake as Arsenal scored six away from home for the first time in the league since 2009 — coincidentally against Moyes’ Everton. Thousands couldn’t stomach the shame of it all; droves of supporters headed for the exits before Craig Pawson had even blown for half-time.
Those who stayed vehemently booed their team off at half-time; ironic, considering they’d spent much of the opening period jeering Rice.
It took 22 minutes for either side to muster anything that resembled a clear- cut opportunity, 5ft 8in Leandro Trossard — deployed as a false nine as Gabriel Jesus missed his latest game through injury — jumping highest to head Saka’s cross over the bar. It was a sign of things to come. West Ham were compact and sturdy, Arsenal for the opening part of the first half stuttered in finding a solution.
They worked it out in the end, rather emphatically.
William Saliba opened the floodgates in the 32nd minute, nodding home at the back post to score a simple goal from Rice’s corner.
Saka sent Alphonse Areola the wrong way from the spot in the 41st minute after being felled in the box by the Hammers goalkeeper, before Gabriel notched the third with a header from Rice’s inswinging corner.
Trossard’s sublime curling effort beyond a hapless Areola in firsthalf stoppage time was Arsenal’s 8,000th league goal. By this point the stands were emptying rapidly, much to the Arsenal fans’ glee.
Those who stayed were subjected to two more Arsenal goals — Saka leaving Areola rooted with a fierce low drive before Rice capped his return with an unstoppable drive from 25 yards.
Credit to the West Ham supporters who stayed. Gluttons for punishment they may be but they tried to stick with their team.
Moyes and West Ham remain in talks over a new contract and this result shouldn’t trigger any kneejerk reactions as to how those discussions develop.
But those who feel Moyes should be replaced with a younger visionary have further ammunition to back up their arguments.
Arsenal’s ammunition was their biggest problem yesterday.
WEST HAM (4-3-3): Areola 3; Coufal 4, Zouma 4 (Mavropanos 46min, 4), Aguerd 5, Emerson 4 (Cresswell 76); Soucek 3, Ward-Prowse 5, Alvarez 4 (Phillips 46, 5); Kudus 5, Bowen 5, Johnson 4. Booked: Areola, Alvarez, Phillips, Kudus. Manager: David Moyes 4. ARSENAL (4-3-3): Raya 6.5; White 7 (Soares 77), Saliba 7.5, Gabriel 7.5, Kiwior 7; Odegaard 8, RICE 8.5 (Elneny 67, 6), Havertz 7; Saka 8 (Nelson 67, 6), Trossard 7.5 (Nketiah 67, 6), Martinelli 7 (Nwaneri 77). Scorers: Saliba 32, Saka 41 (pen), 63, Gabriel 44, Trossard 45+2, Rice 65. Booked: None. Manager: Mikel Arteta 8. Referee: Craig Pawson 8. Attendance: 62,474.