Arsenal got their Premier League title bid firmly back on track with a 5-2 win over West Ham United on Saturday.
The Gunners were ruthless in the first half, as goals from Gabriel Magalhaes, Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, and Bukayo Saka put the game out of reach for the Hammers.
After the break, Mikel Arteta’s side sat back to see out the game, and the manager was able to rotate and rest some of his key players ahead of Arsenal’s upcoming clash with Manchester United.
This result took the North London club up to second in the Premier League table, ahead of Manchester City and just six points behind Liverpool.
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However, that picture will shift again later today, as the league leaders are set to host the reigning champions at Anfield.
All eyes will be on this fixture in the north west, which could have huge ramifications for the Premier League title race, even at this stage in the campaign.
Arteta will be amongst those watching on, as he confirmed in his press conference – as quoted by Football.London – after his side thrashed West Ham.
The Spanish coach said: “Winning consecutive matches against three opponents is great and we’re going to enjoy tonight and watch a beautiful game of football tomorrow.”
However, Arteta won’t just be putting his feet up on Sunday, as he revealed that he and the Arsenal coaching staff will also review the team’s performance at the London Stadium: “We can analyse a lot of things to improve today, again tomorrow.”
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The Gunners are gaining momentum, and after some inconsistent form earlier in the campaign, they clearly mean business now.
Saka sent a warning to Manchester United ahead of the two sides meeting later this week, and the North Londoners will be favourites heading into that fixture at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal were tipped to become champions this season, and despite Liverpool’s current lead, few would now rule Arteta’s side out of the race.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 8 | 16 | 31 |
| 2 |  ArsenalArsenal | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 26 | 14 | 12 | 25 |
| 3 |  BrightonBrighton | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 23 |
| 4 |  Man CityManchester City | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 23 |
| 5 |  ChelseaChelsea | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 22 |
However, the Gunners do still need the Reds to drop points. However, they won’t be keen to see Manchester City’s confidence boosted by victory after some dismal form of their own either.
Arteta will likely be hoping for a draw when Liverpool host the Cityzens. Whatever the outcome, though, Arsenal have done their job this weekend and Arteta must ensure that his players’ focus remains fixed on their own task.
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