Authority and assurance: Rice and Saka power Arsenal past West Ham on Arteta’s 300th

Arsenal marked Mikel Arteta’s 300th match with a composed 2-0 victory that put them top of the Premier League. Declan Rice poached the opener after Alphonse Areola spilled Eberechi Eze’s shot, and Bukayo Saka buried a penalty to confirm a win built on territory, tempo and control.

The afternoon also brought a jolt of worry. Martin Ødegaard departed before half-time with a knee problem and Rice later signalled back pain, but in between those setbacks Arsenal’s structure and intensity left West Ham chasing shadows.

Handbrake off, control on

Arteta refused to be conservative. Rice started at the base with Ødegaard and Eze ahead, while Riccardo Calafiori stepped into midfield to help dominate central spaces. From the opening exchanges, Saka repeatedly targeted the raw El Hadji Malick Diouf and Arsenal forced the visitors into their own third.

Ødegaard’s knee-to-knee clash with Crysencio Summerville forced a rethink, but Martín Zubimendi’s introduction restored fluency and pushed Rice higher. The chances stacked up: Eze ballooned a gilt-edged opening, Viktor Gyökeres glanced just out of reach of a superb Saka delivery and later was inches from turning in Leandro Trossard’s cross.

The former Hammer and the ever-present winger

Rice, booed by portions of the away support, answered with timing and calm. When Areola parried Eze’s drive, the midfielder followed in to guide home before offering only a restrained look back towards the travelling fans. He later asked to come off with back pain, a rare interruption to his ironman reputation.

Saka supplied the cushion. After John Brookes deemed Diouf’s foul on Timber to be inside the box, the winger stroked home on his 200th Premier League appearance. His ledger now stands at 55 goals and 45 assists—a milestone contribution that matched the authority of Arsenal’s display.

Pressure, patterns and the low block solved

There is greater bite to Arsenal’s attacking this season. Calafiori’s low effort kissed the post and bounced against Areola, Saka battled Diouf relentlessly, and Zubimendi zipped passes through seams that West Ham’s low block could not close. Even with 16% of Arteta-era league goals coming from set pieces, this was about open-play craft—and composure from the spot.

The control never really loosened. West Ham’s only notable moment came from a first-minute Füllkrug header. After that, Arsenal’s counterpress smothered transitions and the visitors were pinned back, rarely escaping their half.

Setbacks and depth, then the view from the top

Ødegaard’s premature exit—his third straight league start curtailed before half-time—casts uncertainty, with Arteta noting a knee brace and a cautious outlook. Rice’s back issue is another worry, but the team absorbed both blows through structure and squad depth. Zubimendi was excellent in relief, while Ethan Nwaneri and Mikel Merino arrived late to underline the breadth of options.

Beyond the blemishes, this was a statement of control that scrubs away talk of bogey grounds and lingering scars. Arsenal’s excellent start continues with only one league defeat to date, and this performance, as much as the points, suggests a side increasingly adept at dismantling low blocks on their terms.