Arsenal secured their biggest Premier League away win with a ruthless dismantling of West Ham to move back to within two points of leaders Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta’s side stay third but are now behind second-placed Manchester City only on goals scored after wiping out a six-goal deficit on a stunning afternoon at the London Stadium.
It is West Ham’s heaviest home Premier League defeat and joint-heaviest of all time, along with an 8-2 loss against Blackburn in 1963-64.
The Gunners raced into a 4-0 lead in an extraordinary first half thanks to goals from William Saliba, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard, leaving the home side stunned.
Saka waltzed through a static Hammers defence to score his second after the break, before Declan Rice made it 6-0 with a rocket of a shot from distance against his former club.
Arsenal cruise to stunning victory
After the jubilation of last weekend’s win over Liverpool, Arsenal produced another statement performance to restate their title credentials.
It is their joint-biggest margin of victory in an away league match and their first since a 7-1 win over Aston Villa in December 1935.
Their previous record away win in the Premier League was 6-1 against Middlesbrough in 1999 and Everton in 2009.
They had to wait 32 minutes to break the deadlock, when Saliba rose highest at the far post from Rice’s corner to nod home from close range.
West Ham had been defensively disciplined to that point, but completely lost their shape as Arsenal ran in three more goals before the break.
The second came from the penalty spot when Saka ran on to a ball over the top and was fouled by goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. The England international, who missed from the spot against West Ham last season, converted this time for his 50th Arsenal goal.
Gabriel made it 3-0 with another close-range header from Rice’s free-kick, before Trossard curled superbly into the top corner in first-half stoppage time.
The pace of the game dropped after the break but Arsenal’s dominance remained, with Saka collecting Martin Odegaard’s pass inside the area before rifling into the near post.
Rice then fired in a superb sixth from distance, though the England midfielder refused to celebrate on what was his second appearance back at his old club since his £100m summer move.
