Chris Sutton gives his clear verdict after Arsenal beat West Ham

Arsenal secured a table-topping 2-0 victory over West Ham this afternoon, a result that pundit Chris Sutton described as remarkably straightforward for the home side. The game had the potential to be testing, given the recent history between the clubs, yet Arsenal dominated large periods and created the clearer chances. Although the final scoreline suggested a tight contest, observers felt the Gunners might and perhaps should have increased their advantage.

The fixture underlined two contrasting narratives, Arsenal’s momentum and West Ham’s transitional phase under their new manager. Sutton’s assessment focused on the scale of the task now facing the Hammers, and on the relative ease with which Arsenal controlled the match.

Sutton’s Verdict

Sutton said, as quoted by the BBC: “Nuno Espirito Santo has one hell of a job on his hands. West Ham weren’t in the game today, it was so comfortable for Arsenal. It could have and perhaps should have been more. Now he has time to really get to work over the international break.”

Those remarks encapsulate the wider view that this was not merely a narrow win, but a performance that exposed systemic issues for West Ham to address. Sutton’s comment that the match was “so comfortable for Arsenal” underlines how one-sided key phases of the game felt, even if the scoreline remained modest.