Premier League: Arsenal present their title credentials
Arsenal did just that against a West Ham team who were initially obstinate, then opportunistic, and ultimately outmatched.
Eddie Nketiah was one of the star performers for Arsenal.The performance was from a side with a good chance to win the Premier League title.
Even during the first half, which concluded with Arsenal behind by a goal and not playing at their best, the feeling was that Mikel Arteta's side will turn the game around.
They continued to play smoothly. Despite needing to get over the rust from the World Cup, they were still the superior team.
Given the flow they'd discovered in the early part of the season, Arsenal had more cause than most teams to dislike that break, but it didn't take long for it to return.
Many little frustrations marked the first half with the final pass that didn't quite work and a significant irritation with William Saliba's uncharacteristically sloppy and unnecessary lunge at Jarrod Bowen, allowing West Ham the opportunity from the spot.
Then, in the second half, they were simply outstanding. Early in the second half, Michail Antonio had a chance to make it 2-0. He proved unsuccessful, and the Hammers were swiftly outplayed in the game.
One could almost be tempted to argue that Martin Odegaard's general string-pulling all day was so cunning that the shanked shot that transformed into a precise assist for Bukayo Saka's equaliser was purposeful. Almost.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Arsenal's perfect league record at the Emirates this season remains intact 👀<br><br>👕 Played: 7<br>✅ Won: 7<br>⚽️ Scored: 22<br>🧤 Conceded: 8<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Arsenal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Arsenal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WHUFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WHUFC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PremierLeague?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PremierLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/tgTgb7I2cg">pic.twitter.com/tgTgb7I2cg</a></p>— DR Sports (@drsportsmedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/drsportsmedia/status/1607499395909427202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It wasn't, of course, but Saka's touch and finish were exquisite, and there's always something enjoyable about a guy who is two yards onside but ends up in such a ridiculously free position that even he feels forced to give the linesman a quick peek to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
Eddie Nketiah's ability to spin his defender and blast across Fabianski to make it 3-1 was unavoidably evocative of a Certain Previous Arsenal Number 14. This play could be crucial for Arsenal in the coming weeks.