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The Frenchman nodded the ball down to Ramsey, who controlled it smoothly before spreading play wide to Francesco. This was Arsenal's chance to turn defense into attack in an instant.
Francesco controlled the ball near the touchline, his first touch sharp and precise. West Ham's defenders scrambled back, sensing the danger, but he was already scanning for his next move. Özil, ever the orchestrator, drifted into space near the center, gesturing subtly with his hand—a silent cue that he was ready for the ball.
Francesco wasted no time. With a crisp pass, he played the ball inside to Özil and immediately took off down the right flank, his instincts kicking in. He knew Özil well enough to trust that a perfectly weighted through ball was coming.
Özil barely had to look up. With one deft touch, he threaded a pass through the narrowest of gaps between West Ham's midfield and defense, perfectly weighted for Francesco to chase.
Aaron Cresswell, tasked with marking him, reacted a second too late. That was all Francesco needed. He exploded forward, his pace leaving the full-back in his wake. The Emirates roared as Francesco sprinted onto the ball, his stride smooth and powerful.
Now, only James Collins stood between him and goal. The veteran center-back braced himself, lowering his stance, trying to anticipate Francesco's next move. But Francesco wasn't slowing down.
With a sharp feint to the right, he sent Collins lunging in the wrong direction. In the same motion, Francesco cut inside with his left foot, leaving the defender flat-footed. The path to goal was clear.
One-on-one with Adrian.
Francesco took a steadying breath, his mind crystal clear despite the chaos around him. Adrian rushed out, arms wide, trying to make himself as big as possible. But Francesco had already decided.
With a calm, clinical strike, he slotted the ball low and hard into the bottom left corner.
The net rippled.
GOAL!
The Emirates erupted in celebration. Francesco wheeled away, pumping his fist, his teammates rushing toward him in jubilation. Giroud grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him playfully. "That was class!" he laughed.
Özil arrived next, a knowing smile on his face. "Told you to run," he said, patting Francesco's back.
Francesco grinned. "And I knew you'd find me."
The scoreboard changed: Arsenal 3-0 West Ham (51' Francesco Lee).
It was the perfect goal—fluid, fast, and ruthless. Arsenal were running riot, and West Ham looked shell-shocked.
Wenger stood on the touchline, his hands in his coat pockets, nodding in quiet satisfaction. This was the kind of football he had built Arsenal to play—intelligent, precise, devastating.
West Ham's players regrouped at the center circle, heads down, exchanging frustrated glances. They had come into the second half hoping to fight back. Instead, Arsenal had punished them with brutal efficiency.
As play resumed, Arsenal didn't let up. They kept moving the ball with purpose, Özil dictating the tempo, Ramsey and Coquelin sweeping up any loose possession in midfield.
West Ham, desperate to salvage something, pushed higher up the pitch. But that only played into Arsenal's hands.
Francesco, still buzzing from his goal, stayed sharp on the right, always looking for another opportunity. Alexis was equally dangerous on the left, tormenting his marker with quick turns and bursts of pace.
In the 54th minute, Arsenal nearly struck again.
Ramsey won the ball in midfield and quickly played it to Özil. The German playmaker spotted Giroud making a run behind the defense and lofted a delicate pass over the top. Giroud chested it down brilliantly and unleashed a volley—but Adrian reacted well, diving low to his right to make the save.
The crowd applauded Giroud's effort, the Frenchman acknowledging them with a small wave before jogging back into position.
West Ham made their first substitution in the 57th minute, bringing on Morgan Amalfitano for Jarvis, hoping his pace could trouble Arsenal's backline.
But Arsenal remained in control.
Bellerín and Monreal were solid on the flanks, cutting out any potential threats before they could develop. Koscielny and Mertesacker marshaled the center with authority, keeping West Ham's attackers frustrated.
West Ham, desperate to claw their way back into the game, found a sudden spark. For the next fifteen minutes, they seized control of possession, dictating the tempo with quick, purposeful passing.
Mark Noble, the heartbeat of their midfield, took charge, barking orders and driving his team forward. Stewart Downing and Morgan Amalfitano drifted into dangerous positions, looking to exploit any gaps in Arsenal's defensive setup.
In the 60th minute, West Ham had their first real chance of the half.
A sweeping move down the left saw Cresswell whip in a dangerous cross toward Sakho at the near post. The Senegalese forward got in front of Mertesacker and flicked a header toward goal, forcing Ospina into a sharp reaction save. The Colombian goalkeeper stretched low to his right, parrying the ball away before Bellerín hacked it clear.
The Emirates held its breath.
West Ham weren't done. A minute later, another dangerous ball into the box found Kevin Nolan, who attempted a clever half-volley. Koscielny threw himself in the way, blocking it with his chest before Ramsey cleared the danger.
Arsenal were pinned back.
Noble and Alex Song began dictating play in midfield, moving the ball quickly and efficiently. Arsenal stayed compact, not allowing themselves to be stretched. Wenger, standing on the touchline, remained calm, his arms crossed, trusting his team to weather the storm.
In the 65th minute, West Ham came agonizingly close to pulling one back.
Downing, drifting in from the right, curled in a wicked cross that Collins rose to meet. His powerful header was destined for the top corner, but Ospina reacted brilliantly, tipping it over the bar at full stretch.
The Emirates exhaled in relief.
The resulting corner led to another chaotic moment. Sakho flicked the ball on at the near post, and it fell to Amalfitano, who attempted a bicycle kick. His effort flew just over the bar, but Arsenal's defense looked rattled.
West Ham's pressure was relentless. They were winning second balls, pushing Arsenal deep into their own half, refusing to let them play their usual free-flowing football.
But Arsenal didn't panic.
Özil, calm as ever, started dropping deeper to help regain control. Ramsey and Coquelin tightened their hold in midfield, breaking up play with crucial tackles and interceptions.
In the 70th minute, Arsenal finally found a way out.
After yet another West Ham attack, Koscielny won a crucial header to clear the ball to Özil. The German maestro, under pressure from two players, showed his class, flicking the ball past Noble and turning sharply into space.
The crowd sensed something.
Özil drove forward and released Alexis down the left. The Chilean burst into full sprint, cutting inside past Jenkinson before slipping the ball through to Giroud.
Giroud, with his back to goal, held off Collins and laid it off to Francesco, who was charging forward. Francesco took one touch and unleashed a powerful strike from 25 yards.
The ball rocketed toward the top corner.
Adrian, at full stretch, managed to get his fingertips to it, deflecting it onto the crossbar.
The Emirates gasped.
West Ham scrambled to clear the rebound, and suddenly the momentum shifted again. Arsenal were back on the front foot.
West Ham's resurgence had given them hope, but Arsenal had weathered the storm. After Francesco's thunderous strike rattled the crossbar, the Gunners found themselves back on the front foot. The Emirates crowd, sensing another goal was imminent, roared their team forward.
In the 74th minute, Arsène Wenger decided it was time to inject fresh legs into the game. With a commanding 3-0 lead, he made two changes.
The fourth official raised the board. Alexis Sánchez OFF, Theo Walcott ON.
A standing ovation greeted Sánchez as he jogged off, having run tirelessly all game. Walcott, eager to make an impact with his pace, clapped his hands, psyching himself up before sprinting onto the pitch.
Moments later, the second substitution was made. Mesut Özil OFF, Santi Cazorla ON.
Özil, who had orchestrated Arsenal's attacking play brilliantly, exchanged a handshake with Wenger before making his way to the bench. Cazorla, always a fan favorite, received a warm welcome as he entered the game, ready to dictate the tempo in midfield.
With those substitutions, Arsenal looked revitalized. Walcott added an extra dimension to the attack with his blistering speed, while Cazorla's technical mastery in midfield ensured that Arsenal remained in control.
Arsenal, now full of energy, pressed forward with purpose. Walcott's fresh legs stretched West Ham's defense, and Cazorla slotted seamlessly into the midfield, combining well with Ramsey and Rosický.
In the 78th minute, Arsenal carved open West Ham's defense with a passage of beautiful interplay.
Cazorla, finding space in midfield, received the ball and immediately looked forward. He spotted Walcott making a darting run down the right flank and sent a perfectly weighted pass into his path. Walcott accelerated past Cresswell, reaching the ball near the edge of the penalty area.
With a quick glance up, Walcott cut the ball back toward the penalty spot, where Aaron Ramsey arrived like a freight train. With a single touch to steady himself, Ramsey unleashed a first-time shot with his left foot.
The ball zipped past Adrian and slammed into the back of the net.
GOAL!
Arsenal 4-0 West Ham (78' Ramsey).
The Emirates erupted once again as Ramsey wheeled away in celebration, pumping his fists in delight. His teammates mobbed him, with Walcott and Cazorla congratulating him on a well-taken goal.
It was the kind of football Wenger had preached—fluid, precise, and devastating.
West Ham's players looked dejected. They had fought hard to stay in the game, but Arsenal's relentless quality had broken them down yet again.
With the game all but secured, Wenger made another tactical adjustment in the 81st minute. Francis Coquelin, who had worked tirelessly to break up play, was replaced by Mathieu Flamini.
Coquelin jogged off to applause, having done his job brilliantly in midfield. Flamini, known for his aggressive style and leadership, took his place, immediately barking instructions as he slotted into the defensive midfield role.
Arsenal were now looking to control the final ten minutes while still pushing for more.
Just when West Ham thought things couldn't get worse, Arsenal struck again. This time, it was an unlikely goalscorer.
In the 84th minute, Arsenal won possession deep in their own half. Koscielny intercepted a poor pass from Noble and quickly laid it off to Cazorla.
Cazorla, seeing space ahead, drove forward confidently. With his signature close control, he weaved past Song before spotting Flamini lurking just outside the box.
Seeing no immediate pressure on him, Cazorla rolled the ball toward Flamini, who took one touch to set himself before letting fly from 25 yards out.
The shot was a rocket.
Adrian, despite his best efforts, could only watch as the ball swerved past him and crashed into the top corner.
GOAL!
Arsenal 5-0 West Ham (84' Flamini).
For a moment, there was stunned silence. Even Flamini looked surprised. Then, the Emirates exploded in celebration.
Flamini sprinted toward the corner flag, his arms outstretched, before being mobbed by his teammates. Cazorla laughed, pointing at him as if to say, Where did that come from?
Walcott, Rosický, and Ramsey all joined in the celebrations, patting Flamini on the back. Wenger, even from the sidelines, allowed himself a small chuckle.
West Ham's players could do nothing but shake their heads. It had been a humbling experience. They had started the second half brightly, but Arsenal had torn them apart with ruthless efficiency.
With a 5-0 lead, Arsenal played out the remaining minutes with composure. They kept possession, moving the ball around comfortably, frustrating West Ham, who had given up hope of even a consolation goal.
In the 89th minute, Walcott had a chance to add a sixth after latching onto a delightful chipped pass from Cazorla. He raced into the box and went for the far post, but Adrian made a fine save, diving low to his left.
In stoppage time, West Ham mustered one final attack. Sakho managed to get behind the defense and fired a shot toward the bottom corner, but Ospina reacted well, pushing it wide.
Seconds later, the final whistle blew.
Full-time: Arsenal 5-0 West Ham.
The Emirates erupted in cheers. It was a dominant performance, a statement victory that showcased Arsenal's attacking prowess and defensive solidity.
As the players shook hands, Francesco took a deep breath, soaking it all in. He had been a key part of the victory—scoring, assisting, and playing a crucial role in Arsenal's attacking dominance.
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Name : Francesco Lee
Age : 16 (2014)
Birthplace : London, England
Football Club : Arsenal First Team
Championship History : None
Match Played: 21
Goal: 26
Assist: 12
MOTM: 7