Mikel Arteta: We never panicked

Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah (right) scores his team’s third goal past West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski during their EPL match at the Emirates Stadium in London on Monday. Pics/Getty Images

Arsenal's composure to rally from 0-1 down to beat West Ham 3-1 impressed manager Mikel Arteta as the Gunners opened up a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Monday.

Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli turned the game around in the space of five second half minutes before Eddie Nketiah stepped up in the absence of Gabriel Jesus to seal all three points. Said Benrahma's first half penalty had given the Hammers the lead, but David Moyes' men remain just one point above the relegation zone in 16th.

Mikel Arteta

"We showed composure and never panicked and did what we had to do to earn the right to win the game," said Arteta.

Perfect timing

"We scored at the perfect time and the crowd was incredible, also in the moment we conceded the goal. They kept on believing. When we scored it got loud and we generated the momentum we needed."

Mo Salah

Arsenal's momentum towards a first league title since 2004 could have been halted by a six-week break for the World Cup. Arteta made no allowances for his stars that have been away in Qatar as William Saliba started just eight days after being part of the French squad that lost the final on penalties to Argentina.

However, that decision backfired when Saliba hesitated to allow Michail Antonio latch onto a ball over the top and then dived in on Jarrod Bowen. Despite Bowen not going to ground immediately, referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot and Benrahma confidently dispatched the penalty.

‘They smothered us'

"They smothered us all over the pitch," said West Ham captain Declan Rice. "They are a top team, you can see they are coached incredibly well. They have a young squad with attacking talent and can go the whole way, that is for sure."

Meanwhile, Liverpool got off to the flying start they craved on the Premier League's return from the World Cup as a 3-1 win at Aston Villa on Monday cut the gap on the top four to five points.

Also Read: Arsenal top group, man Utd fall short

Salah on target

Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk put the Reds in a commanding position before half-time. But Jurgen Klopp's men had to endure some nervy moments in the second half after Ollie Watkins pulled a goal back for Villa before teenager Stefan Bajcetic came off the bench to secure the three points with his first senior goal.

Liverpool struggled to match their standards of recent seasons during the first part of the season, but looked refreshed to inflict Unai Emery's first league defeat since taking charge of Villa. Salah is one of a number of Klopp's key players who was not involved in Qatar and took just five minutes to net his 15th goal of the season. The Egyptian swept home Andy Roberson's pass after Trent Alexander-Arnold's through ball had opened up the Villa defence.

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