Declan Rice netted his first goal of the season before Bukayo Saka added a second as Arsenal beat West Ham in manager Mikel Arteta’s 300th game in charge.
Arteta named a midfield trio of Rice, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze as he utilised the options in his squad after a £250m spend in the summer.
However, that trio did not last for long with captain Odegaard substituted due to an injury, the third Premier League home game in a row that he has been withdrawn early.
Martin Zubimendi was brought on and Rice was then pushed into a more advanced role, after which the former West Ham midfielder was on hand to finish smartly after Eze’s shot was pushed back into the area by Alphonse Areola.
The Gunners dominated the majority of the game with West Ham restricted to speculative efforts whenever they got the rare chance to attack.
The hosts sealed the victory in the second half when Jurrien Timber was brought down by El Hadji Malick Diouf and Saka slotted the penalty smartly into the corner.
It was a great way for the English winger to mark his 200th Premier League appearance and means that his impressive record now stands at 55 goals and 45 assists.
The win moves Arsenal to the top of the Premier League while Nuno Espírito Santo’s wait for his first West Ham win goes on.
