The Arsenal are back - Big time! But, we still need a world-class striker (like Toney) to take us to the next level in my opinion despite bagging five goals against dreadful West Ham.

Arsenal's Statement of Intent
This emphatic win serves as a statement from Arsenal that we can be genuine contenders for a top two finish this season. The confidence and drive the lads showed for the most of last season has been restored thanks to the cooperation between important players like Saka and Ødegaard and a strong defence.

The Gunners have rediscovered our attacking flair, and with the squad regaining fitness, Arteta's side appears poised to challenge at the top end of the table. Keeping up this momentum will be very important as we get through a busy December which will hopefully include a few Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea slipups.

Much Needed Hope for Us Dreamers
If we can go on a run then, despite being so far ahead, Liverpool had better watch out. Arsenal's display against West Ham was not just about the goals but the manner in which they were scored. The team exhibited creativity, cohesion, and a ruthless edge in front of goal. If we can sustain this level of performance, the title race could become even more intriguing in the weeks to come.

With a 5-2 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium, Arsenal moved into second place in the Premier League. The Gunners scored all five goals in a stunning first half, showing how good they are at attacking. The Hammers were stunned. Arsenal closed the gap on league leaders Liverpool thanks in large part to Bukayo Saka, who scored a goal, set up two others, and won a penalty.

Dominance in the First Half: Arsenal's Early Attack - The Gunners went into the game wanting to move up the table, and they wasted no time making their dominance clear. From the start, Arsenal had a lot of the ball, which pushed West Ham back and put them under early pressure.

Gabriel's Goal:The first goal came from Gabriel Magalhães's header in the 10th minute, after Bukayo Saka had delivered a perfect corner. Gabriel scored his fourth goal of the season, all of which came from set pieces. This shows how dangerous Arsenal can be when the ball is dead.

Trossard Doubles the Lead: Arsenal's fluid attack kept West Ham on the defensive. The second goal was scored by Leandro Trossard after Saka and Martin Ødegaard played a nice pass. Odegaard's beautiful lofted pass found Saka inside the box, and the defender kindly squared the ball for Trossard to finish.

Ødegaard from the Spot:The constant pressure led to a penalty when Lucas Paquetá tripped Saka. Saka had the ball at first, but he gave the penalty kick to captain Martin Ødegaard. He calmly put it low into the corner for his first goal of the season.

Havertz Adds a Fourth:The party wasn't even over yet when Kai Havertz added a fourth. From deep in his own half, Trossard sent a great through ball that got past the West Ham defence. Havertz jumped on it quickly and calmly beat Łukasz Fabiański in goal, ending a remarkable nine-minute stretch in which Arsenal scored three goals.

A short comeback for West Ham - West Ham put up a strong fight right when it looked like Arsenal would easily win.

Wan-Bissaka's Strike: Aaron Wan-Bissaka got one back for the Hammers by taking advantage of Carlos Soler's pass that split the defence. Once Wan-Bissaka scored, David Raya had no chance. This gave the home team a small bit of hope.

Emerson's Free-Kick Mastery: Outclassed West Ham was then given a free kick just outside the Arsenal area. Emerson Palmieri stepped up and hit a beautiful shot into the top corner, giving Raya no chance. When the score changed to 4–2, the London Stadium went crazy, and West Ham briefly had the upper hand.

Before halftime, Arsenal took back control.
West Ham didn't have a chance to make a comeback as the first half came to a close.

Saka converted the second penalty.In extra time, another Saka corner caused chaos in the West Ham box. When Fabiański tried to punch the ball clear, he hit Gabriel in the head instead. The referee pointed to the spot, and this time Saka took the penalty himself. He confidently converted it, making the score 5-2 in favour of Arsenal.
This goal was the first time in Premier League history that Arsenal scored two penalties in the first half of a game. Seven goals were scored in the first half, which is only the fourth time in the history of the league that this has happened.

Second Half: Controlling the game and playing strong defence
The first half was very fast-paced, but the second half was much slower. Arsenal made changes. Gabriel was replaced by Jakub Kiwior, and Oleksandr Zinchenko came on to make the defence stronger.

Controlled Performance:Both teams had chances, but the Gunners were happy to keep control of the game by keeping possession and stopping West Ham from making any big gains.

West Ham's Efforts:The home team tried to make a comeback. Michail Antonio missed a goal, and substitute Raheem Sterling occasionally posed a threat. But Arsenal's defence held strong, and David Raya, the custodian, easily stopped any shots that were on goal.

Important Tekkers: Saka Bright shines
Hi, Bukayo Saka. There was a huge effect that Saka had on the game. With his goal and two assists, he has now helped set up 15 goals in just 13 Premier League games this season. He was very creative and clever at making defenders work hard, which is why he was named Player of the Match.

Martin Ødegaard:The captain's return from injury has given Arsenal's midfield a new lease on life. His passing and vision, as shown by the high assist to Saka, were very important in breaking down West Ham's defence.

Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz: Both players made big contributions. Trossard scored and set up another goal, and Havertz scored his second league goal for the club.

Statistical Milestones and Record-Setting Goals: Mighty Arsenal have scored five or more goals in five different away games in all competitions this year, which is the same number of games as Sunderland (1892) and Manchester City (1937).

Saka has 10 assists in 13 league games, putting him in a very small group of players with this many assists. Only Mesut Özil, Cesc Fàbregas, and Harry Kane have scored 10 goals in fewer games.

Set-piece experts:Gabriel's goal continued Arsenal's trend of scoring from corners. They have scored 20 corners-based goals since the beginning of last season, which is the most in the league during that time.

What the manager and players thought
Mikel Arteta: The Arsenal manager was happy with how his team played, especially how quickly they got going. "We started incredibly well, so positive, so much energy and a lot of quality," he noted. Arteta also talked about how important it is for the team to have multiple goal-scoring threats, which makes them "much more unpredictable."

When Saka thought about his own performance: He put the team's success ahead of his own praise. "I am taking a lot of pleasure from creating and scoring but the greatest pleasure is to win," he said.

Julen Lopetegui: The West Ham manager was angry about defensive mistakes and decisions that were questioned. As he pointed to the first goal, he said that his team wasn't making good defensive decisions and suggested that there had been a foul in the buildup.

What it means for the Premier League standings
With their win, Arsenal moves into second place, six points behind Liverpool in first. With Liverpool facing Manchester City, the Gunners have intensified the pressure on both title rivals. Arsenal has been playing very well lately, with three wins in a row and 13 goals scored. This shows that they want to stay in the title race.

Fixtures Coming Soon
Arsenal: Their next Premier League game is at home against Manchester United. Then they play Fulham in another London derby. The busy schedule in December will test their team's depth and consistency.