Before the match, you would have been seen as out of your mind if you predicted that scoreline. Especially considering West Ham have beaten Arsenal twice already this season.
From the first whistle to the last Arsenal were completely dominant in all aspects of play limiting the East London side to just one shot on target and a minimal 29% of the ball.
This is Arsenal's biggest away win in the Premier League era and unfortunately for David Moyes the second time he has conceded six to Arsenal. The last time was when the Scotsman was managing Everton for a 6-1 defeat in August 2009.
The Game
Arsenal flew out of the gates at the opening of the first half controlling proceedings under no real pressure from the hosts. Midfielder Edson Alvarez received a yellow card in the 8th minute for his 8th of the season.
In the opening 12 minutes a monstrous 90% of possession for Arsenal.
West Ham's best and only real chance of the game came 15th minute. Bukayo Saka got caught in possession, The irons progressed the ball onto their left-hand side. Ben Johnson drove with the ball and delivered a good ball into Arsenal's box. Jakub Kiwior managed to get the vital touch before it reached Kudus and put it out for a corner.
Arsenal then had two back-to-back chances that fell to Leandro Trossard. One was a 21st-minute header from a cross by Saka. Then in the 22nd minute, Trossard struck Martinelli’s cutback on the volley which resulted in a good reactionary save from Alphonso Areola.
Up until this match Arsenal had 10 goals from corners, the most in the league, they further added to this tally in the 31st minute. French international William Saliba out jumped booked-Alvarez to head home a corner taken by ex-West Ham man Declan Rice. Arsenal tried this routine a few times in the first half, with an emphasis on attacking the back post.
Academy graduate Saka missed a great chance in the 34th minute, Kiwior whipped a fantastic ball into Saka who couldn’t make more of his chance. Then in the 36th minute, Saka put it wide after a beautifully weighted ball from Odegaard.
In the 37th minute, Trossard played Saka in behind the opposition's backline which didn’t pick him up. The winger surged forward and smartly took it around Areola who took him out. A yellow card and a penalty were awarded. He who wins it takes it and for his 9th goal of the season, he sends the keeper the wrong way. The youngest player to score 50 goals for Arsenal. Up until this point Arsenal have had a 100% conversion rate from 6 penalties. Now 7.
To add to their positive first half Gabriel, in his 150th match for Arsenal, scored in the 43rd minute another excellent ball from Declan Rice this time from a free kick on Arsenal's left. This goal puts him as the the second highest scoring defender in Arsenal history overtaking Thomas Vermaelen with 13.
7 minutes of added time were played at the end of the first half. In the second minute of this Arsenal added even more misery to their London counterparts with a fourth goal. Captain Martin Odegaard found Leandro Trossard in the box who cuts onto his right and curls it in the top right-hand corner for Arsenal's 8,000th goal in their history.
As the whistle went to mark the end of the first half The London Stadium were drowned in boos from the home supporters and it's clear to see why. The hosts only had a 0.01 xg whilst the visitors had 3.38 xg.
The last game Arsenal was up 4-0 in the first half away from home was against Newcastle on February 5th 2011. The late Cheick Tiote scored a marvellous goal to finish the Magpies' comeback.
At the start of the second half, the hosts made a double substitution; Konstantinos Mavropanos for Kurt Zouma, who had a poor half, and booked Alvarez for Kalvin Phillips.
More of the same followed in the opening exchanges of the second half with Arsenal dictating proceedings until the 62nd minute when Bukayo Saka, for his tenth goal of the match, was allowed to cut inside and finish brilliantly past a shell-shocked Areola for their fifth of the afternoon.
Just two minutes later in the 64th minute, Ben white played a ball from the byline which was missed by both Trossard and Odegaard but Declan Rice ran onto it and hit it first time to score magnificently from a long way out.
Triple substitution in the 66th minute; goal scorer Rice came off for Mohammed Elneny, The last time the Egyptian international appeared was during Arsenals draw with PSV in December. Bukayo Saka came off for fellow academy graduate Reiss Nelson to end a good performance from him and finally, Eddie Nketiah came on for goalscorer Trossard.
Following this Arsenal took a back seat and dropped a gear. Ghanian Mohammed Kudus received a yellow in the 75th minute for what appeared to be an act of frustration and loss of composure as he fouled Martinelli.
Following this, both teams took the opportunity to make changes. West Ham took Emerson Palmieri off for Aaron Cresswell; Arsenal swapped Ben White with Cedric Soares and lastly took Brazilian Martinelli off and in his place Academy graduate and youngest-ever player in Premier League history Ethan Nwaneri.
The game continued to teeter out with Arsenal still dictating proceedings. The board was put up for three minutes of stoppage time and substitute Kalvin Phillips received a yellow card for a foul on Nelson.
Man of the Match - Declan Rice
Unfortunately for the hosts, their ex-captain has come back to haunt them. The 100 million pound man finished the game with a goal and two assists. Both assists came from great dead-ball deliveries to both Gabriel and Saliba.
The goal was taken similarly to the one he scored against Chelsea earlier in the season, coming onto the ball from deep and striking it with a laser-pointed accuracy.
With the goal contributions today, he is the only player in the Premier League with 4+ G/A's and a 90% pass accuracy. Excellence.
What now?
With the three points Arsenal keep in the title charge only two points behind leaders Liverpool who are on 54 points. Their next game in the league is against Burnley on Saturday the 17th of February at 3 pm local time.
This loss keeps West Ham in 8th place in the league in their hunt for European football next season. Their next game in the league is against Nottingham Forest on Saturday the 17th of February at 3 pm local time.
