Arsenal came from three goals down to share the spoils with West Ham United in an entertaining English Premier League (EPL) derby at the London Stadium on Sunday.
The Hammers, looking for their second win over Arsenal in 11 EPL encounters, scored thrice through Jesse Lingard, Jared Bowen and Tomas Soucek in a dominating 35-minute display.
Arsenal, however, came back through Soucek and Craig Dawson’s own goals before Alexandre Lacazette’s late leveller.
Mikel Arteta’s men, fresh from losing 0-1 to Olympiakos in midweek, were in disarray from the start and Lingard capitalised for West Ham on 15 minutes, lashing in from 25 yards for his fifth Hammers goal since his loan move.
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Bernd Leno, the Arsenal goalkeeper, allowed Bowen’s shot past him two minutes later while Soucek’s toe directed Michael Antonio’s cross into the net for a surprise but well-deserved three-goal lead.
Arsenal came alive and luckily pulled one back through Soucek’s own goal. The Czech midfielder diverted Lacazette’s shot beyond his goalkeeper to become the first West Ham player to score at both ends in the same match since 1998.
The Gunners scored twice more in an end-to-end second period. Dawson scored his second own goal in successive matches to buoy the visitors. Antonio hit the bar for West Ham but Lacazette had the final word eight minutes from time with a powerful header from Nicolas Pepe’s cross for his 11th league goal this season.
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Arsenal became the third team to come from three goals down in the EPL this season, joining Chelsea and West Ham’s feat at West Bromwich Albion and Tottenham respectively.
West Ham remain fifth on the EPL table with 49 points while Arsenal are ninth with 42 points.
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