Arsenal 0-2 West Ham United
Premier League, Emirates Stadium, Thursday 28 December 2023
Tomáš Souček and Dinos Mavropanos scored the goals as West Ham United produced a stunning team effort to close 2023 with a memorable 2-0 win at Arsenal.
The Hammers pair struck either side of the break to give their team full value for a wonderfully resilient display – one which refused to let Mikel Arteta’s title-chasers through them.
Souček finished a move which involved Lucas Paquetá, Emerson and Jarrod Bowen to give the Hammers a 13th minute lead, then one-time Arsenal defender Mavropanos rose highest to double the advantage ten minutes after the interval.
Saïd Benrahma could have made it three in stoppage time from the spot, but even David Raya’s save could not spoil a thrilling night in north London.
There were lionhearted performances all over the pitch, from 35-year-old Angelo Ogbonna at the back, to the sheer doggedness of the midfield trio in refusing to bend, and the front three in providing an outlet.
Victory gives West Ham 33 points at the half-way stage of the campaign – our highest figure at this stage of a Premier League season – and completes a December to remember, which included wins over Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and the Gunners.
The game fell into an early rhythm of Arsenal controlling the ball and West Ham holding their shape with discipline and looking to spring on the counter.
And it was from one of those counters that the Irons took a 13th minute lead. Lucas Paquetá did superbly to keep hold of possession in the Arsenal half, just long enough for Emerson to make an incisive run down the left flank.
Paquetá found his teammate and Gunners pair Gabriel and Oleksandr Zinchenko made a hash of clearing the left-back’s low cross. The ball fell kindly for Jarrod Bowen, and he laid it back for Tomáš Souček to lash home from close range.
VAR Craig Pawson had to take a close look to determine whether Bowen had kept the ball in at the by-line, but with no conclusive evidence to overturn Michael Oliver’s on-field decision, the goal stood and West Ham led.
The early strike seemed to stall Arsenal’s momentum, although West Ham were dealt a blow themselves just after the half-hour when Paquetá, who seemed to suffer an issue in the pre-match warm-up, was forced to leave the action with a knock.
The home pressure ramped up as the opening period came to a conclusion, with Bukayo Saka forcing a sharp save from Alphonse Areola with a close-range header, before Ben White flicked a header of his own wide following a well-worked short corner.
Saka then went closest of all, shooting against the base of the near post after being slipped in down the right-hand side of the penalty area, but Souček’s strike was the difference at the break.
The second period started in almost exactly the same fashion as the first, Arsenal putting the squeeze on but being made to rue their visitors’ greater ruthlessness.
There were 55 minutes on the clock when an Emerson cross was knocked behind by White, and James Ward-Prowse’s inswinging corner was met by a towering header from former Gunner Mavropanos, which struck the underside of the crossbar on its way over the line.
The sense it was going to be West Ham’s night was beginning to take hold, and the feeling was only magnified five minutes past the hour when Martin Ødegaard stood up an inviting cross to the far post, where Gabriel Jesus only managed to head over.
Alphonse Areola saved with his legs when Leandro Trossard turned sharply in the box, while the Frenchman plunged low to his right to grab a Saka shot and flew to his left to push one from Ødegaard around the post.
But the Irons just would not be beaten and saw out the 90 minutes without their goal being breached to seal a famous victory.
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko (Nelson 64), Rice, Ødegaard ©, Trossard (Smith Rowe 79), Martinelli (Nketiah 64), Saka, Jesus
Subs: Ramsdale (GK), Cédric, Kiwior, Jorginho, Nwaneri, Elneny
Booked: Nelson, Jesus
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Ogbonna ©, Mavropanos, Emerson, Álvarez, Souček, Paquetá (Benrahma 33), Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Bowen
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Johnson, Cresswell, Kehrer, Fornals, Cornet, Ings, Mubama
Goals: Souček 13, Mavropanos 55
Referee: Michael Oliver
Attendance: 60,261
