Premier League 2024-25: Arsenal routs West Ham 5-2; Kluivert sets record with hat-trick of penalties

Premier League 2024-25: Arsenal routs West Ham 5-2; Kluivert sets record with hat-trick of penalties

Inspired by Bukayo Saka, Arsenal scored five goals in a wild first half at West Ham before settling for a 5-2 win that lifted the team into second place in the English Premier League in its bid to chase down Liverpool.

Saka was one of five different scorers for Arsenal at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday and also had a hand in three goals, by Gabriel, Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard. Kai Havertz netted the other goal for Arsenal in its biggest league victory this season.

Since returning from the international break, Arsenal has beaten Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League, Sporting Lisbon 5-1 in the Champions League and put another five goals past West Ham. The prolific run has coincided with the return to fitness of Odegaard, Arsenal’s playmaker and captain who missed two months with an ankle injury.

Arsenal trimmed the gap to Liverpool to six points ahead of the leader’s home match against beleaguered Manchester City on Sunday. Arsenal has been beaten to the title by City in each of the last two seasons, but might be wanting Pep Guardiola ‘s team to pull off a victory at Anfield.

Saka, especially, is benefitting from Odegaard’s presence. The England winger already has 10 assists for the campaign — having played 12 of Arsenal’s 13 games — along with five goals.

“I am taking a lot of pleasure from creating and scoring but the greatest pleasure is to win,” Saka said. “Let’s keep this form going. Definitely the last three games we have been back.”

All of the goals in the match were in the first half. It’s just the fourth time since the Premier League began in 1992 that seven goals were scored in a game before half-time.

Some history was made when Justin Kluivert converted a trio of penalties — in the third, 18th and 74th minutes — for Bournemouth in its 4-2 win at Wolverhampton. That had never been achieved before in a league game.

Justin, son of former Ajax and Netherlands striker Patrick Kluivert, said it was “amazing” to go into the history books but he was almost denied the opportunity.

“I was not completely sure I should allow him to take the third one,” Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola said. “It is difficult I suppose, every time you shoot the first one, you give information to the ‘keeper.”

Evanilson won each of the three penalties converted by Justin — and that was also a first in the Premier League.