West Ham United 0-6 Arsenal: The Gunners will be looking for a win to close the gap at the top of the table.

Arsenal brutally crushed West Ham to claim their biggest away win in the Premier League, dropping to within two points of leaders Liverpool.

It was West Ham's heaviest home Premier League defeat and, along with the 8-2 defeat at Blackburn in 1963-64, their heaviest ever.

The Gunners stunned the home side in the first half with goals from William Saliba, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard as they took a 4-0 lead.

Saka waltzed through a static Hammers defense to score his second goal after the break. Declan Rice then hit a long-range shot against his old club to make it 6-0.

Arsenal cruise to stunning victory

After last weekend's revelry, win against liverpoolArsenal produced another statement performance to reiterate their title credentials.

This was their biggest away league victory since December 1935, when they beat Aston Villa 7-1.

They had to wait 32 minutes to break the deadlock, when Saliba rose highest at the far post from a Rice corner kick and scored from close range.

West Ham had been defensively disciplined up until this stage, but lost their form completely as Arsenal scored a further three goals before the break.

The second goal came from the penalty spot, when Saka ran onto the ball and was fouled by goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. The England international, who missed out on goal against West Ham last season, scored his 50th goal for Arsenal this time.

Gabriel made it 3-0 with a close-range header from Rice's free kick, and in first-half stoppage time, Trossard brilliantly slotted the ball into the top corner.

The pace of the game slowed after the break, but Arsenal remained in the ascendancy, with Saka collecting Martin Odegaard's pass inside the area and firing it home at the near post.

Rice then scored a superb sixth goal with a long-range shot, but the England midfielder refused to celebrate his second return to his old club since his £100m summer transfer.

West Ham's slump continues

West Ham fans being streamed from the London Stadium before half-time will be a worrying sight for manager David Moyes, who has been under pressure from sections of the fan base this season.

The Hammers won 3-1 at home in the EFL Cup in November and then won 2-0 at the Emirates the following month, aiming to become the first team in 99 years to beat Arsenal three times in the same season.

But the Hammers have yet to win since that December night in north London. That means they have started the calendar year without a win in their first seven games for the first time since 1997.

The game ended in a disastrous defeat in the 15 minutes before half-time as West Ham's previously stubborn defense collapsed and they were unable to mount any kind of response during the half-time break.

Moyes' contract expires at the end of the season, so the consequences of such a lackluster performance will only heighten the uncertainty over his future.

The Scotsman will be hoping that West Ham's next four games are against teams currently seventh in the bottom of the table, giving them an opportunity to start a sluggish season.

player of match

riceDeclan Rice