Arsenal lose out to West Ham

Arsenal’s season started in defeat as West Ham won their first Premier League game under Slaven Bilic.

Keeper Petr Cech misjudged Dimitri Payet’s free-kick to allow Cheikhou Kouyate to nod in the Hammers’ first.

And after the break Mauro Zarate finished from 20 yards after being gifted the ball by the Gunners defence.

Arsenal, who controlled possession but were worryingly blunt in the final third, came closest when Aaron Ramsey hit the crossbar in the first half.

• Relive Arsenal’s frustration as West Ham take the points

Gunners fans, who left the Emirates Stadium in large numbers before the final whistle, will feel like they have seen all this before, not just in the way their side performed, but also in the familiarity of their starting line-up.

Cech’s arrival from Chelsea has been Wenger’s only summer signing since last term’s third-place finish, and it was an uncharacteristic display from the experienced keeper.

The 33-year-old was not only at fault for West Ham’s opener, but was wrong-footed by Zarate’s strike, although he received little help from his defence as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Francis Coquelin combined to give the ball away on the edge of their own area.

Olivier Giroud frequently looked isolated up front, which will no doubt increase the hope among Arsenal supporters that a reported deal for Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema  can be complete

Bilic, 46, replaced Sam Allardyce this summer and was handed a remit of getting the east London club playing ‘the West Ham way’ – a brand of football based around an attacking and entertaining approach.

But the Croat’s side were characteristic of the battling performances Hammers fans were accustomed to from Bilic during his spell as a defender with the club from 1996 to 1997.

Reece Oxford, who became his side’s youngest ever Premier League player at the age of 16 years and 237 days, epitomised West Ham’s fighting spirit, screening his defence superbly from midfield.

The Hammers surrendered 62% possession to the hosts, but were relatively untroubled as Arsenal put just six of their 22 shots on target.

Man of the match – Reece Oxford

Manager reaction

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: “We were not convincing offensively or defensively. I knew it it could be a tricky game, if you can’t win the game, make sure you don’t lose it.

“The players were maybe too nervous and put too much pressure on themselves.

“Today we have been hurt mentally and it is a good opportunity to respond.”

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on Reece Oxford: “People were asking ‘are you sure he is 16?’.

“It was going to be a risk but he has got something. I thought we needed someone to sit in front of the defence who is cool and can be a third defender, but who can also play on the ball. I am very proud of him.

“Only on paper he is 16, he is a part of this new generation. Put it this way, if Lionel Messi was in front of me I would be more fazed than Reece.

“I know we have a good team and I know we have that in ourselves but I wasn’t sure how we were going to show it.”

The stats you need to know

• West Ham ended a run of nine straight league defeats against Arsenal
• West Ham’s first win at the Emirates since 2007, a game which was Arsenal’s first defeat at their new ground
• Arsenal have failed to score in four of their last five league games at the Emirates
• Only Kevin De Bruyne (20) has delivered more assists than Dimitri Payet (18) in the top five European leagues since the start of last season
• All three of Mauro Zarate’s Premier League goals for West Ham have come away from home
• Reece Oxford became the second youngest player to start a Premier League game

BBC Sport