Arsenal moved to the top of the Premier League on Saturday and avoided the banana skin of a ‘new manager Bounce’ by breaking Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham United.
From fines to defons and injuries, here are our explorations of the Emirates.
Penalty palaver
Throw your thoughts back from six weeks or so, and there was enough chat Viktor (£ 9.1 million) who take over the control over penalties after his summer movement. His new manager, Mikel Arteta, even called him Arsenal’s best Nalator of Spot-Kicks. The record of Gyokeres supports that on: 20 taken in 2024/25, 20 scored.
A few days later, the Swede converted the place in the game week 2 win over Leeds United. That is arranged then – or so we thought.
On Saturday Arsenal won their last penalty, their second of the season. And stepped on … Bukayo from (£ 9.9 million). He scored and we are back.
Saka was not present when Gyokees appeared against Leeds, but both players were On the field against West Ham.
Is Saka still the first choice? It would be naive to assume that also, considering how Gul the winger was in the past with sharing responsibility. Arteta even repeated in the preseason that the players “solve it themselves” when a fine is awarded.
One thing that is worth mentioning is that was Saturday Saka’s 200th Premier League -performanceAnd the penalty raised its 100th goal involvement. Did he reach a rank because of the occasion?
Almost inevitably there was no question with a penalty theme thrown at Arteta or Saka in one of the post-match interviews or press conferences that we have seen.
We are still in the dark but one thing that we know now is that Gyokees does not have the monopoly on spot kicks.
Odegaard + Rice injury updates
A comfortable victory over the Hamers was marred by injuries Martin Odegaard (£ 7.9 million) and Declan Rice (6.5m).
Odegaard is probably the biggest concern, because in the first half he swung after a collision of knees and was later seen with a brace.
Follow reviews – and maybe some international recordings.
“I think he had a clash of knee-to-knee and he was immediately uncomfortable. I just spoke to him, he is not positive about it. He has a brace. We will have to wait from the doctors. But we have not been lucky with that either.” – Mikel Arteta on Martin Odegaard
“He is not good because he asked me to get rid of it, so that is a shame. He had a pain in his back and he could not continue, which is something very unusual for Declan, so we will have to judge him and see how he is.” – Mikel Arteta on Declan Rice
Away from injuries, Arteta made six changes to his starting XI. That mainly meant when returning the big guns after midweek breaths, but the banking of the influential Martin Zubimendi (£ 5.5 million) was a reminder that it is not always the UEFA Champions League, or the EFL Cup, where the most popular arsenal choices rest.
“Critical. We play every three days and with the intensity we play and the requirements of the opposition, it is impossible to keep the same players. So those who come, they have to increase the level, the intensity and help us win the game. – Mikel Arteta on rotation
Threat from everywhere
This game almost played out how most people expected that, with West Ham, who looked more stubborn under the Defense-first Nuno, their hosts frustrating for long periods, but ultimately surpassed.
The task of the Hamers was made all the more difficult because attacks came from every corner.
Jurrien Hout (£ 5.8 million) and a reversal Riccardo Calafuri (£ 5.7 million) bombed from full-back and collected six penalty box touches each. Both almost scored: the first to see a shot saved, the latter hit the post. Timber also won the punishment of Saka.
Rear seat (£ 7.6 million) and, as soon as Zubimendi came, Declan Rice (£ 6.5 million) Crashed the box, the last scored of a saved Eze attempt. Eze should have found it earlier earlier, burning from six meters.
Combined with the threat of the flanks, it was a ruthless and varied bombing.
Eight different Arsenal players had at least two shots:
All this suggests that Gyokees is not entirely the center and casual magnet that owners want him to be. Calafiori even has better minutes per shot average (37.3 V 38.5) in 2025/26!
Gyokees had opportunities for this, note: he almost clambered the ball home in the move that led to Eze’s Sitter, he stuck a good head chance and he was inches of connecting a rice cross. It would not have taken much before he ended the drought of six games.
His playing time is at least good: this was his fifth 90 minutes in seven game week.
Gabriel surpasses the Defcon Total last year
We expect clean sheets from Arsenal defenders, but, based on the proof of previous seasons, not a defensive contribution (Defcon) points.
Still, this year can be different? Gabriel Magalhaes (£ 6.2 million) delivered Defcon points for the third time this season on Saturday. That is already more than he has known in the whole of 2024/25!
| Gabriel in 2024/25 | Gabriel in 2025/26 | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts (Sub apps) | 28 (0) | 7 (0) |
| Defcon points | 4 | 6 |
| Clearance, blocks, interceptions + tackles (CBIT) per game | 5.68 | 9.43 |
Green shoots for West Ham?
West Ham’s target threat was almost impossible. There were only four shots all the game, with two set-piece headers in the 1st and 91st minutes closest.
Boven: West Ham’s Shot Map in Gameweek 7
But this match, against the tightest defense of the division, would never be about measuring attacking bravery. It was not a match to judge Jarrod Bowen‘s (£ 7.7 million) Fantasy potential for the coming favorable fixtures; He had almost as many details in his own half as Arsenal’s.
On the contrary, this would always be a measure of how less porous could make the pragmatic nuno the hammers, who have admitted more goals than any other Premier League team.
And the wax Better, defensive – not that it says a lot. There was an improvement with set pieces while Konstantinos Mavropanos (£ 4.4 million) ordered in the middle of half. It is three Defcon Returns in five starts for him, with the last added Saturday.
Nuno largely kept the same side, except to return AARON WAN-BISSAKA (£ 4.3 million) after injury. An interesting facet was his use of replacements, with two young people – midfielder Freddie Potts (£ 4.4 million) and striker Callum Marshall (£ 4.4 million) – delivered for more senior teammates. That is something to check in the coming weeks.
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