The accusation of the title of the Premier League of Arsenal continued on Saturday afternoon, the Gunners rushing to a 2-0 comfortable victory against a West Ham team in difficulty in the Emirates.
For all the difference in form and momentum between the two teams, the hosts may have feared another shift against the Hammers, even Graham Potter having supervised a victory over the Northern Londoners for visitors last season.
Fortunately, there should not be repeated performance there this time, with Declan Rice goals – again haunting his former team – and the colleague of England Bukayo Saka, proving enough during a serene day for Mikel Arteta and Co.
This couple of three lions remains at the heart of everything that is good in the artillerymen, although there is a new competitor emerging quietly to be the most coherent artist of the club.
How Saka & Rice stole the show against West Ham
Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Arteta gleaned in memory of the deployment of a teenage saka on the left back all these years ago, on Saturday having marked the 200th appearance of the Premier League of Hale End for the club.
The youngest Saka was brilliant and exciting even behind, although the current version was a completely different proposal. There is simply no need to stop it when it is at its best.
Having managed to do well against Olympiakos in the middle of the week, the 24 -year -old is again on the fact after having converted from the penalty point to conclude the three points, the Wideman presenting himself on the plate before the summer signature of Viktor Gyokertes.
This strike in the second half had come following Rice’s effort before the break, the marald midfielder pulling home on the rebound against his previous employers for his 17th goal for the club during his 113rd outing. Remarkably, he only scored 15 times in 245 games for irons.
It was not only this objective that was not impressive either of the performance of English, with Rice who was also approaching this gyoker man, following a touch of trade that extends on the left.
|
Saka & Rice vs West Ham |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
Of |
Rice |
|
Minutes played |
90 |
79 |
|
Touch |
49 |
81 |
|
Precision |
78% |
92% |
|
Goals |
1 |
1 |
|
Aid |
0 |
0 |
|
Key passes |
2 |
3 |
|
Duels have won |
5/13 |
2/3 |
|
Successful dribbles |
0/3 |
2/3 |
|
Statistics via Sofascore |
||
It was one of the three key passes he provided in all, according to Sofascore, before the Saka count of two, the compatriots again presenting their importance for this quality outfit.
Arsenal’s candidate for the player of the season
The injuries hampered the impact of Saka so far in 2025/26, while the shot on Saturday marked the first in Rice’s campaign, unable to reproduce the summits of this night against Real Madrid last season.
None of the two men was entirely at his best in the first weeks of the season, although a man achieved a stellar performance after stellar performance is Jurrien Timber, with Dutchman simply a monster on the right back.
The man who obtained the penalty which allowed Saka to convert when he left the stage, the former defender of Ajax was a constant exit on this right flank, accumulating 72 keys in total, while providing a key pass when he sought to have an impact on the procedure in the last third.
Also involved in the accumulation of Ricardo Calafiori’s strike in the first half, having combined well with SAKA inside the area, wood represents the perfect versatile, having long excess Ben White in this role of right back.
Adept in attack but also a defensively warrior, the Dutch international again gave a short washing to the avant-garde line of West Ham, winning eight of his disputed duels, in particular by performing six plated.
A key cog in an arsenal background line which simply likes to defend itself above all, it is not surprising that the Gunners now seek to extend his contract, after having already obtained the future of William Saliba this week.
As Simon Collings of Standard noted, which made a match note 8/10, it was another “performance” of the 38 million pound sterling man, after starting the six championship games since the victory of the opening weekend against Manchester United.
Loud by the Podcastor Adam Keys as having “quietly become one of the most important players in Arsenal”, the wood must surely be close to the top of the pile to think so far about the Gunners season.
