Bukayo Saka reveals surprise Thierry Henry message that inspired West Ham win
Declan Rice was on target for Arsenal in their 2-0 win against West Ham on Saturday.
Rice played against West Ham for the fifth time since making the £100million switch to Arsenal in 2023 after winning the Europa Conference League.
The midfielder was on target after Alphonse Areola failed to redirect Bukayo Saka’s first-half strike before the winger converted from the penalty spot after the break.
West Ham have beaten Arsenal in their last two games at the Emirates, and Saka revealed there was an extra edge about the clash.
Bukayo Saka reveals reminder from Thierry Henry about form vs West Ham
Nuno started Aaron Wan-Bissaka ahead of Kyle Walker-Peters against the Gunners in their only change.
The Irons looked better defensively, but couldn’t stop such a strong strike force.
Niclas Fullkrug was poor in the clash with Arsenal and could be dropped for the Hammers’ next game against Brentford after the international break.
The striker was replaced by Callum Marshall in the 62nd minute, and could learn from the youngster, who went closest for the Hammers in the second half.
Equally, Nuno could learn a lot from Mikel Arteta’s tactics up front, with Saka a threat throughout the game.
Following the fixture, Saka told Sky Sports he got a message from Thierry Henry this morning to remind him that Arsenal lost their last two home games against West Ham.
“Thierry Henry always messages me – he messaged me this morning to remind me we lost the last two games against West Ham at home,” he said.
The Hammers managed a surprise 1-0 win against Arteta’s side in one of Graham Potter’s first games in charge in February, thanks to a goal from Jarrod Bowen.
They also managed a 2-0 win in December 2023, with Tomas Soucek and Konstantinos Mavropanos on target for David Moyes’ side.
West Ham need vast improvement up front
A new striker will be top of Nuno’s priority list in January after what he has witnessed in his opening week in charge.
West Ham’s expected goals in their last three games:
- 0.49 vs Arsenal
- 1.17 vs Everton
- 0.68 vs Crystal Palace
He can’t rely on Fullkrug and Callum Wilson to put in performances for the Hammers, never mind stay fit.
Marshall has looked solid at times for West Ham, but they can’t rely on an inexperienced striker to perform for the whole season.
Why David Sullivan didn’t prioritise the signing of a striker in the summer is anyone’s guess, but it is clear to see that it is one of the main reasons the Irons are struggling this season.
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