West Ham 1-3 Arsenal: Three Gunners goals in nine minutes bring nine-match winless run to an end as Gabriel Martinelli, Nicolas Pepe and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang strikes give Freddie Ljungberg first win

  • Arsenal lost both full-backs Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney to injury at the London Stadium early on
  • Mesut Ozil missed a fine chance to give Arsenal the lead; heading over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's cross
  • West Ham went ahead on 38 minutes when Angelo Ogbonna's header deflected in off Ainsley Maitland-Niles
  • The Gunners leveled against the run of play on 60 minutes when Gabriel Martinelli found the bottom corner
  • Freddie Ljungberg's men took the lead just six minutes later when Nicolas Pepe curled into the top corner
  • The visitors scored their third goal in nine minutes when Aubameyang acrobatically volleyed into the net 

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For nine minutes Arsenal looked a little more like Arsenal and as it turned out that was all that was required to end a grim winless sequence of nine games.

It was a transformation which came without the slightest warning. For the first hour of the game, they had offered a poor impersonation of the famous old club.

There was the traditional yellow change strip, a cannon on their chest and Freddie Ljungberg on the touchline but nothing in their actual their football.

Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates in front of the travelling supporters after scoring his side's third goal

Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates in front of the travelling supporters after scoring his side's third goal

Aubameyang anticipates Nicolas Pepe's intelligent cross before acrobatically volleying into the bottom corner

Aubameyang anticipates Nicolas Pepe's intelligent cross before acrobatically volleying into the bottom corner

Pepe salutes the Gunners fans behind the goal after scoring his fourth goal for the club against West Ham on Monday night

Pepe salutes the Gunners fans behind the goal after scoring his fourth goal for the club against West Ham on Monday night

The Ivorian winger watches on as his left-footed effort curls towards the top corner to give Arsenal the lead on 66 minutes

The Ivorian winger watches on as his left-footed effort curls towards the top corner to give Arsenal the lead on 66 minutes

West Ham held the lead from a goal scored by Angelo Ogbonna with the help of a huge deflection and fate seemed to be conspiring against the luckless interim manager, who lost two full-backs to injury inside half an hour, one of them before kick-off.


Arsenal were disjointed, seemingly dispirited and devoid of urgency. They lacked creativity in attack, were brittle at the back and had goalkeeper Bernd Leno to thank for keeping the score down before Gabriel Martinelli pounced to score the equaliser.

Martinelli supplied a clinical finish from a cross by Sead Kolasinac who had not even been on the original team-sheet handed in by Ljungberg.

Hector Bellerin was injured in the warm-up and Ainsley Maitland-Niles promoted from substitute to right-back. Kolasinac was summoned to take his place on the bench and sent on when Kieran Tierney hurt his shoulder in a tangle with Michail Antonio.

Here he was helping to rescue the situation with Brazilian teenager Martinelli, who was preferred by Ljungberg to Alexandre Lacazette.

Gabriel Martinelli celebrates after his exceptional low strike pulled Arsenal level on 60 minutes against the run of play

Gabriel Martinelli celebrates after his exceptional low strike pulled Arsenal level on 60 minutes against the run of play

The 18-year-old Brazilian latched onto Sead Kolasinac's incisive pass before scoring his first Premier league goal

The 18-year-old Brazilian latched onto Sead Kolasinac's incisive pass before scoring his first Premier league goal

MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS

WEST HAM: Martin 5.5, Fredericks 6, Balbuena 5.5, Ogbonna 6.5, Cresswell 6.5 (Masuaku 51 - 5), Snodgrass 6.5 (Holland 78), Noble 7, Rice 6.5, Fornals 6.5, Felipe Anderson 5.5 (Haller 70 - 5), Antonio 6.5

Subs not used: Zabaleta, Jiménez, Sánchez, Diop

Booked: Snodgrass, Cresswell

Goals: Ogbonna (38)

Manager: Manuel Pellegrini - 5.5 

ARSENAL: Leno 6.5, Maitland-Niles 6, Chambers 6, Sokratis 6, Tierney 5 (Kolasinac 29 - 6.5), Xhaka 5.5 (Guendouzi 86), Torreira 7, Pépé 7.5 (Nelson 88), Özil 6, Martinelli 7, Aubameyang 7

Subs not used: Lacazette, David Luiz,, Martínez, Saka

Booked: None

Goals: Martinelli (60), Pepe (66), Aubameyang (69)

Manager: Freddie Ljungberg - 7 

Referee: Mike Dean

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From this point, Arsenal flourished. Nicolas Pepe curled in a fabulous second to give them the lead and created the third for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to smash into the net on the volley.

'We are staying up' chorused the fans in the away end. At least they have not lost their sense of humour during the club's worst run of form since 1977.

This was their first win in the Premier League for more than two months, the first away from home since the opening day of the season.

Suddenly it was Manuel Pellegrini - with one win from their last 11 attempts – who started to shift uneasily in his seat.

This game was there for West Ham's taking. They had deserved their lead and it might easily have been more comfortable. They lost their focus, lost a game they controlled for 60 minutes and defeat leaves them perilously close to the relegation zone.

They go to Southampton next and then do not play until Boxing Day because the fixture against Liverpool is postponed because the Premier League leaders will be in Qatar to take part in FIFA's Club World Cup.

Pellegrini sought for solace in the positive elements of the first half when his team dominated Arsenal, driven on by Mark Noble on his 500th senior appearance, which leaves him a mere 299 behind club record holder Billy Bonds.

Pablo Fornals forced the first save of the night from Leno. Then Antonio burst past Sokratis and tested the 'keeper from a tight angle and the pressure told.

West Ham players celebrate taking the lead over Arsenal after a lengthy VAR review at the the London Stadium

West Ham players celebrate taking the lead over Arsenal after a lengthy VAR review at the the London Stadium

The ball appeared to hit Angelo Ogbonna's shoulder before deflecting off Ainsley Maitland-Niles and into the net

The ball appeared to hit Angelo Ogbonna's shoulder before deflecting off Ainsley Maitland-Niles and into the net

Hammers goalkeeper David Martin celebrates on his own as his side take the lead during his latest Premier League start

Hammers goalkeeper David Martin celebrates on his own as his side take the lead during his latest Premier League start

A corner was partially cleared and recycled by Declan Rice, out to the right. Ogbonna threw himself into the cross from Fornals and his header flashed into the net via a heavy deflected from the head of Maitland-Niles.

The VAR checked the replays. It was not a clean header, appearing to strike centre-half Ogbonna near his ear and may have involved his shoulder. But the officials were satisfied it was not handball, gave a goal and West Ham deserved to be ahead.

Arsenal reacted and improved with more controlled possession either side of the interval although they could easily have conceded the next goal. 

Robert Snodgrass went close with a shot which clipped Sokratis and spun narrowly wide and Rice with a crisp strike from distance forced another save from Leno.

Perhaps Pellegrini's team had written off the visitors as an attacking threat and switched off because the equaliser on the hour was a soft goal to concede. 

Hammers left-back Aaron Cresswell commits to a crunching challenge on Arsenal forward Pepe during the contest

Hammers left-back Aaron Cresswell commits to a crunching challenge on Arsenal forward Pepe during the contest

Mesut Ozil missed an excellent opportunity to give the visitors the lead; heading over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's cross

Mesut Ozil missed an excellent opportunity to give the visitors the lead; heading over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's cross

Kolasinac scurried down the left and dragged a low pass towards Martinelli, untracked as he arrived into the penalty area and guided the ball past David Martin with the assurance of a natural finisher.

Six minutes later and Arsenal were ahead and again West Ham's defensive unit offered very little resistance. Aubameyang held up the ball, turned and rolled a pass to the right.

Pepe picked it up, cut inside onto left foot and unleashed a fierce curling shot into the top corner. It was a fabulous goal from the club's £72million record signing. 'He will fall asleep with a smile,' said Ljungberg, desperate for this comeback to inspire confidence.

Pepe and Aubameyang linked up for the third. This time it was Pepe's cross converted on the volley by Aubameyang. 

Kieran Tierney uses his Arsenal shirt as an improvised sling as he hobbles off with an injury during the first half

Kieran Tierney uses his Arsenal shirt as an improvised sling as he hobbles off with an injury during the first half

West Ham's Robert Snodgrass wins a free-kick after being tripped by Arsenal full-back Tierney before injury struck

West Ham's Robert Snodgrass wins a free-kick after being tripped by Arsenal full-back Tierney before injury struck

Hector Bellerin (right) was initially selected to start in east London but he appeared to suffer a hamstring injury in the warm up

Hector Bellerin (right) was initially selected to start in east London but he appeared to suffer a hamstring injury in the warm up

Ljungberg clenched his fist and gave the air a little punch as the final whistle confirmed his first win and led his nine-minute wonders to celebrate with their supporters.

Arsenal were hoping the popular Swede might buy them time to identify a permanent successor for Unai Emery, or even prove a capable candidate for the job.

It did not start well but these three points are an enormous relief and lift them to within seven points of the top four but the problems are not about to vanish. There is work for Ljungberg to do and Manchester City are at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Arsenal will need to perform for 90 minutes to take something against the champions.