LONDON, United Kingdom — Arsenal is back in the Premier League's top four for the first time since October 2020. For a club of this calibre, it is not the be-all and end-all, and what matters most to Mikel Arteta is where they are in May, not December. However, Wednesday's 2-0 triumph over West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium was a huge step forward in difficult circumstances.
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Off the field, it's been a tumultuous week. Arsenal has performed admirably in this regard. Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's successor as captain, was the cool head to balance out the blazing fire of the youthful strikers surrounding him. Emile Smith and Gabriel Martinelli Rowe scored two goals in the second half, a fitting reward for a performance in which they were clearly the superior team.
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Arteta advises that being in the top four right now doesn't signify anything. "This league will conclude in May. It's a lot better than it was before, and we aim to get even better. We need to find a way to be consistent. We are aware of this league's level of ruthlessness. What is done now will be different tomorrow."
Being in the top four, on the other hand, is clearly preferable than not being in the top four. A year ago, Arteta's team was in the midst of a losing skid that threatened to end their league season. They are now strongly in the mix as the midway point approaches. This was a major result for Arteta's squad, as it was the first time they had beaten a team that had been regarded their equal before to the match.
Any observer of the Premier League's top three would have been sceptical that this was a match between the competition's fourth and fifth-best sides, with Manchester City's or Liverpool's technical brilliance substituting for West Ham's jittery ball progression under pressure and Arsenal's early reluctance to kick the ball toward goal. They ultimately got over it and were by far the more dominant force in the first half.
Arsenal could have been expected to lay back on their fragile advantage only a week ago. After his players blew leads against Manchester United and Everton, Arteta stated that this was not his objective, and it definitely wasn't how they tackled their mission for the next 42 minutes. The West Ham goal was frequently tested, but they had every reason to be enraged when Anthony Taylor gave the hosts a penalty and Coufal a second yellow card.
"Vladimir could have gotten more of the ball if he had kicked it out for a throw in or made a block tackle for it. It's up to the referee to make the call. We gave him the option of picking one." Whether or whether Lacazette's attempt was saved by Fabianski, West Ham's task became even more difficult with one man fewer.
There was no one in the Emirates Stadium who needed persuasion to believe in these young players. The words "Saka and Emile Smith Rowe" reverberated across the area. They may need to come up with a new chant to fit Martinelli in sooner or later.