Skip to content

Arsenal 0-2 West Ham: Cheikhou Kouyate and Mauro Zarate secure shock win

Petr Cech fails to punch the ball clear as Cheikhou Kouyate of heads in the opening goal at the Emirates
Image: Petr Cech fails to punch the ball clear as Cheikhou Kouyate of heads in the opening goal at the Emirates

Goalkeeper Petr Cech endured a nightmare debut as Arsenal were beaten 2-0 at home by West Ham in their Premier League opener.

Cheikhou Kouyate put the Hammers ahead late in the first half when he beat Cech to a free-kick and headed into the empty net.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Slaven Bilic says it is a 'proud day' for him as the new West Ham manager claimed all three points at the Emirates

Cech, a summer signing from Chelsea, was beaten again in the 57th minute when he was wrong-footed and unable to keep out Mauro Zarate's shot from outside the box.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness discuss whether Petr Cech was at fault for West Ham's second goal during the 2-0 defeat on his Arsenal debut

The Gunners hardly threatened a comeback as the visitors, for whom 16-year-old Reece Oxford started in midfield, held out to secure all three points in Slaven Bilic's first top-flight match in charge.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger shakes hands with West Ham boss Slaven Bilic
Image: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger shakes hands with West Ham boss Slaven Bilic before kick-off

The Croatian could hardly have wished for a better performance on the opening day after seeing his side knocked out of the Europa League in Romania on Thursday evening.

Bilic sprang a surprise in his starting line-up at the Emirates by handing Oxford his league debut, making him the seventh-youngest player to feature in the Premier League.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger described his side as 'unconvincing' following their 2-0 defeat to West Ham at the Emirates

Olivier Giroud was given the nod in attack for Arsenal ahead of Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez made the bench even though he was not expected to feature.

Also See:

Arsenal, who won the FA Community Shield at Wembley last weekend with victory over Chelsea, made a bright start with the lively Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain volleying the ball over the crossbar from 20 yards.

Cheikhou Kouyate celebrates after scoring for West Ham against Arsenal
Image: Cheikhou Kouyate celebrates after scoring for West Ham

West Ham offered some attacking threat of their own, with Zarate and Diafra Sakho at the top of the diamond fed by the impressive Frenchman Dimitri Payet.

The closest either side came to an opener was in the 31st minute when Aaron Ramsey's 20-yard half-volley deflected off the back of defender Aaron Creswell and looped onto the crossbar.

West Ham's Mauro Zarate celebrates
Image: Mauro Zarate (centre) leads his team-mates in celebration

But the visitors took the lead late in the half when Payet whipped a free-kick into the right side of the Arsenal penalty area and as Cech rushed off his line in an attempt to punch clear, he was beaten to the ball by Kouyate, who headed into the unguarded net.

Emirates talking points
Emirates talking points

We take a look at the talking points as West Ham stun Arsenal

The Gunners laboured through the opening stages of the second half before Giroud fired into the side netting after being played down the left of the penalty area by Mesut Ozil.

But it was West Ham who struck next after 57 minutes as Oxlade-Chamberlain failed to clear his lines properly and Zarate picked up the loose ball, turned and fired a shot into the bottom corner past a wrong-footed Cech.

Aaron Ramsey runs at the West Ham defence
Image: Aaron Ramsey turns and runs at the Hammers defence

Wenger responded by bringing on Walcott and then Sanchez but the Gunners continued to struggle to create chances.

Oxlade-Chamberlain smashed the ball into the side netting and Sanchez forced a save from Adrian in injury-time.

The hosts were unable to force their way back into the match, though, as West Ham closed out a first victory over the Gunners since April 2007.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Sky Sports commentator and former Arsenal striker Niall Quinn believes Arsenal underestimated West Ham

Player ratings

Arsenal: Cech (5), Debuchy (5), Mertesacker (6), Koscielny (5), Monreal (5), Coquelin (5), Ramsey (6), Oxlade-Chamberlain (6), Ozil (5), Cazorla (6), Giroud (6).

Subs: Walcott (5), Sanchez (6).

West Ham: Adrian (7), Tomkins (6), Reid (7), Ogbonna (6), Cresswell (6), Oxford (7), Noble (6), Kouyate (7), Payet (7), Zarate (7), Sakho (7).

Subs: Nolan (5), Jarvis (5), Maiga (5).

Man of the Match: Winston Reid (West Ham)

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Winston Reid says the West Ham squad are all behind new manager Slaven Bilic following their 2-0 win at Arsenal
Image: Arsenal v West Ham post-match stats

Around Sky