- Ozil puts Gunners ahead
- Hat trick, assist for Alexis
- Arsenal on 31 points
- Carroll pulls one back
Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain helped Arsenal to a 5-1 road win at West Ham United on Saturday.
The win boosts Arsenal into second, three points back of Chelsea, though Liverpool can pass the Gunners with a point on Sunday.
Andy Carroll added a goal for the Irons when Dimitri Payet’s free kick rebounded off the cross bar and directly to the big man’s noggin.
The Irons continue to disappoint, now just a point above the drop zone in 17th. Hull would shove West Ham into 17th with a win over Middlesbrough on Monday.
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An early injury to James Collins threatening to plague West Ham’s chances of a win, and the Gunners definitely had the better of the play.
Arsenal’s breakthrough came when West Ham’s Angelo Ogbonna made a big mistake, his pass blocked into the path of Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean worked Winston Reid quickly before passing across to Ozil for an easy tap-in.
The damage was limited into the break, although Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hit a good chance woefully wide of the goal.
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Can't make mistakes like this against @Arsenal. #PLonNBC https://t.co/5f3VBQmuHw
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 3, 2016
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West Ham’s second half started well, with both Dimitri Payet and Ashley Fletcher ripping shots toward the Arsenal goal.
The Irons kept up the pressure, with Ogbonna thwarting an Arsenal threat against the run of play by Theo Walcott.
Arsenal was countering for the second half’s first half hour, quite effectively. Darren Randolph was soon called upon to stop a pair of Gunner chances.
Turns out those counters were indicative of a change in control, and Sanchez scored a wonderful goal in the 72nd minute. Randolph was too deep in his goal, and the Chilean beat him far post.
He’d add another across the body of a sliding Randolph with 10 minutes to go, and this one was essentially over. Carroll, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Sanchez scored goals in the final 10 minutes.
Sanchez’s was a cute little dink over Randolph in the 87th minute.
14:29 - There were just 14 minutes & 29 seconds between Alexis Sanchez's 1st and 3rd goals in this game for Arsenal. Wonder.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 3, 2016