Andy Carroll hammer blows leave the Gunners stunned

WEST Ham United striker Andy Carroll scored an eight-minute hat-trick, but Laurent Koscielny snatched a point for Arsenal in a memorable 3-3 Premier League draw yesterday.

Goals from Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez had Arsenal cruising, but Carroll scored twice late in the first half and his third seven minutes after the break looked like giving the hosts victory until Koscielny intervened.

For all the excitement, a point apiece did neither side much good, with West Ham still outside the top five and Arsenal now 10 points behind league leaders Leicester City with six games remaining.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger opted to play David Ospina in goal even though Petr Cech was back on the bench and fit after injury.

Carroll was handed a start up front by West Ham manager Slaven Bilic.

Arsenal opened the scoring 18 minutes in, with Ozil right on the offside line as he gathered a pass from Alex Iwobi before neatly beating West Ham goalkeeper Adrian.

The visiting Gunners looked in control after that, Ozil shooting straight at Adrian, and a second goal arrived in the 35th minute. Nigerian teen Iwobi was again the provider with a superb lofted pass to Sanchez, who easily steered a shot past Adrian.

At that stage it looked a question of how many goals Arsenal would win by, but West Ham turned the game on its head with a thrilling finale to the first half led by Carroll.

The former Newcastle United striker planted a fine header past Ospina from Aaron Cresswell’s left-wing cross on 44 minutes to get his side back in it. And then in first-half injury time, just 160 seconds later, Carroll levelled the match with a left-foot volley at the second attempt.

West Ham took the lead on 52 minutes, Carroll getting his hat-trick as he headed home at the far post from Michail Antonio’s cross.

Wenger brought on Aaron Ramsey for his first appearance in a month and the visitors were then denied by Manuel Lanzini’s goal-line block from Nacho Monreal’s powerful shot.

But Koscielny made it 3-3 on 70 minutes with a clever finish after Ozil’s cross from the right had been helped on by Danny Welbeck.

The hosts had the better chances to win it, with Ospina thwarting Dimitri Payet and Cresswell, while Winston Reid volleyed into the side netting from Payet’s corner. — AFP