West Ham vs Arsenal: Before halftime during West Ham’s disastrous performance (0-6) against Arsenal, supporters depart

This was a declaration of determination from Arsenal that they could maintain their lead in the Premier League title contest. This was a declaration of disapproval from West Ham regarding David Moyes’s eligibility for a new contract as their manager.

The match was as one-sided as it could have been, with Arsenal crushing a dismal, dejected, disorganized, and all-around awful West Ham team, who were humiliated enough to see thousands of their supporters exit the stadium before the halftime siren even blew. Both it and the last whistle were greeted with irate jeers, even though by that point the most of the crowd had left.

It was Arsenal’s joint-largest away league victory ever (they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 7-1 in 1932) and West Ham’s joint-heaviest home loss ever (they lost 8-2 to Blackburn Rovers in 1963). That helps put the severity of this in perspective, as does the fact that this was only the second occasion in which a Moyes-managed club had given up six goals at home. It was against Arsenal on both occasions (the other occurred when he was at Everton).

And for poor West Ham, it could have been much worse. Declan Rice, the former captain of the team, also scored and played so brilliantly and dominantly that it would have been a dagger to their hearts. Bukayo Saka, who scored twice, later chastised himself for not claiming more goals. They attempted to jeer him. They even abandoned that effort.

After their incredible, thrilling victory over Liverpool last Sunday, Arsenal dismissed a team who had defeated them twice before this season and came in with strong aspirations of a hat-trick. By halftime, they had scored four goals and should have scored more. Not a chance. With such incriminating evidence, it’s unclear exactly how West Ham managed to win those games.

Although Roy Keane is known for his wild exaggeration, he was right on when he called West Ham a “disgrace” in the TV studios for their play in the last fifteen minutes of the first half. During that period, West Ham handed up a penalty, allowed two goals from set pieces (a corner and a free kick), then watched helplessly as Leandro Trossard scored a fourth goal with no effort. Defensive organization, huh? The holding midfielders were lethargic and easily overrun, the full-backs vanished, and the center halves were feeble.

Moyes’s remark at halftime? The plan was to switch out one holding midfielder for another holding midfielder and one center-half for another center-half. There was nobody on the bench that Moyes could rely on because West Ham needed another striker during the last transfer window and they chose not to sign one. Maxwell Cornet and Danny Ings, who were both anticipated to depart in January, were not added by him. Later, Moyes substituted another left-back for the original one.

The marquee signing, Kalvin Phillips, was introduced, but it had no impact.

Since the manager’s current contract expires in June, will he sign a new one? He has given every indication that he would, and this probably won’t alter that, but losing seven straight games—since, oddly, defeating Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates—doesn’t exactly provide for the best kind of leverage in negotiations. Furthermore, this was no typical loss.

In fact, after losing 3-0 to Moyes’ former team, Manchester United, last weekend, and losing badly to Championship Bristol City in the FA Cup, West Ham has now lost 9-0 overall in their previous two league games.

Let’s also be sincere. With right-back Ben Johnson on the left of the three behind the lone striker Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse playing as a ten, Moyes has set them up so clearly to defend and attempt to counter. Without the injured play-maker Lucas Paqueta, they can be very depressing to watch. With six goals conceded by your squad, how can you counter that?

Thus, the figures kept coming out. In an incredible match against Newcastle United that finished 4–4, Arsenal scored four goals away from home in the first half of a Premier League game for the first time since February 2011. However, there was zero possibility of such occurring at this place.

After Saka was fouled and scored from the penalty spot, Gabriel and William Saliba scored uncontested headers in the first half. Saka then added his second goal, cutting inside and whipping the ball past a disheartened Alphonse Areola to make it five and send more home fans packing.

Arsenal cruelly added a sixth goal just as there was a spirited chorus of “Bubbles.” It hurt even more with Rice beating Areola by cutting a terrific drive back across the goalie from 20 yards. He didn’t rejoice. The supporters of Arsenal did.

With this win, Arsenal closes the gap on leaders Liverpool to just two points. They’re having a great time. 16 goals scored in four straight victories. It makes sense why Mikel Arteta spoke so passionately about “momentum” in the aftermath. The winter break has been beneficial to Arsenal.

Ham on the West? They are moving sharply in the opposite direction. They are currently out of the European spots and down to eighth position with a goal difference of minus six, so it is alarming that they need to stop this decline, something Moyes definitely needs to do to protect his own future. It was a contest between two enormously disparate statements.