West Ham 3-1 Arsenal: What Were The Key Talking Points As The Gunners Suffer A Major EFL Cup Upset At The London Stadium?

With London bragging rights up for grabs on Wednesday night, West Ham sprung a real EFL Cup upset as they claimed a thumping 3-1 victory against Arsenal.

While the Hammers might have opened their midweek showdown in the midst of a three-match losing rut, David Moyes’ men certainly deserve a string of plaudits for a stellar performance in east London here.

Watching England international Ben White turn the ball into his own net after just 16 minutes, West Ham really pounced on a golden opportunity as they enjoyed a second-half romp.

With summer recruit Mohamed Kudus producing a wonderful finish to double the Hammers’ lead just five minutes after returning from the half-time interval, it was then the red-hot Jarrod Bowen who dragged Moyes’ side out of sight as the former Hull starlet notched his seventh strike of the season.

While second-half substitute Martin Odeegard might have notched a minor consolation strike in the dying seconds, Arteta would have been hugely frustrated by another downbeat performance away from the Emirates.

Missing out on what they had billed as a real chance to get their hands on another piece of silverware this season, Arteta’s fringe stars showed just why they have not been handed an abundance of first-team chances.

In what was an action-packed EFL Cup affair from the London Stadium on Wednesday night, we have taken a look at the key talking points.

West Ham claim a heavyweight boost in east London

While the Hammers might have come flying out of the traps when opening up the 2023/24 campaign and gaining a string of plaudits, it is fair to say that Moyes’ men have struggled to find a similar level since returning from October’s international break.

Opening Wednesday’s showdown at the London Stadium in the midst of a three-match losing run across all competitions and still reeling from Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at home against Everton, West Ham certainly had plenty of pressure on their shoulders here.

However, while some sections around the London Stadium might have made it clear that they were not impressed by Moyes’ pragmatic approach, the reigning Europa Conference League champions certainly claimed a heavyweight response here.

Punching their EFL Cup quarter-final ticket and clinching just a second victory against Arsenal in east London since way back in 2006, the Hammers have given themselves a major platform to build on.

Looking to mount another genuine European charge this season, West Ham will be relishing a trip to Anfield on December 19th as they chance to collect another heavyweight EFL Cup scalp.

Arsenal’s reserves miss out on their golden chance

With Arteta arriving at the London Stadium and making six changes on Wednesday night, much of the attention was focused on how Arenal’s fringe options would cope with their big opportunity.

Watching the likes of Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli all have to settle for a spot on the bench here, Arteta would have been concerned by the lack of impact that his reserves offered in east London.

Struggling to find any kind of fluidity and with the look of a team that had not spent much time together, Arsenal’s fringe squad players will all know that they missed out on a golden chance.

With the likes of summer recruit and former Chelsea ace Kai Havertz enduring another night to forget at the London Stadium, Arteta will be concerned by the rather drastic drop in quality once he has replaced some of his established first-team stars.

Turning their attention back to Premier League duties this weekend when they travel to a high-flying Newcastle, it is hard to find anyone in Wednesday’s starting XI that staked a claim to keep their spot at St. James’ Park.

Bowen shows what he can do leading the line

With West Ham struggling to find much of a clinical edge when returning from October’s international break, the Hammers certainly clicked back into gear on Wednesday night.

With Michail Antonio failing to find the net in any of his previous nine appearances across all competitions, many fans around the London Stadium have been calling for Moyes to find another option to lead his charge.

Although the former Manchester United boss might have previously hinted that Bowen could be deployed as an out-and-out centre forward, Moyes had been reluctant to let the ex-Hull starlet spearhead his attack from the start.

However, handed his chance here and causing Arsenal a string of problems on either side of the half-time break, Bowen has certainly underlined his credentials as a genuine striking option.

Notching West Ham’s third goal on Wednesday night thanks to a sublime drive effort from the edge of the box, Bowen has now notched seven domestic strikes since opening up the new campaign and could be set for a long-term run in leading Moyes’ charge.

Match Report

West Ham: Fabianski, Coufal, Mavropanos, Aguerd, Emerson, Soucek, Alvarez, Kudus, Benrahma, Paqueta, Bowen

Subs: Kehrer, Ward-Prowse

Arsenal: Ramsdale, White, Kiwior, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Havertz, Jorginho, Vieira, Nelson, Nketiah, Trossard

Subs: Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka, Rice, Tomiyasu

Goals: West Ham: White OG (16’), Kudus (50’), Bowen (60’) – Arsenal: Odegaard (90+6’)

Yellow Cards: N/A

Red Cards: N/A

Referee: Simon Hooper