Ceballos set the tone as Mari and Leno continued to impress

The talking points from the Gunners' 1-0 win over West Ham in the Premier League



Dani Ceballos celebrates after Alexandre Lacazette's goal is awarded by VAR




Arsenal were made to fight for their win against West Ham but even after a lengthy VAR review, the three points were worth the wait.

The Gunners currently sit in ninth place but are just three points off fifth placed Wolves with a game in hand. Manchester United (who are above Arsenal) are still yet to play this weekend but once they do, Mikel Arteta's side will also have a game in hand over them too.





Securing their third straight Premier League win for the first time since February 2019, Arsenal definitely seem to be on the right track.

football.london take a look at some of the talking points from win.








Dani Ceballos sets the tone


The Spaniard insisted he would be important to Arsenal after the winter break and he has been proven right.

Playing alongside Granit Xhaka, he has been one of the Gunners' most important players in recent weeks. This continued against West Ham as he was the first player in a red shirt to take responsibility and the most consistent in doing so on the day.

Early on he was demanding the ball off David Luiz and Pablo Mari either to spread out to Nicolas Pepe or make advances himself. Always willing to get onto the ball, he acted as Arsenal's hub in the first half and everything seemed to go through him. Not only did he have the most touches (121) or most passes completed (86) but he also made the most passes into the final third (33) showing just how involved he was on the day.

He started the game operating in the deeper areas and moved forward as the minutes went by.

What was more important that Ceballos actively looking to start attacks was how he constantly shut down West Ham's. It wasn't every time they ventured forward but he was often positioned just right to get a foot in at the right time, whether that was inside Sokratis when Michail Antonio drove inside or in more central areas when the Hammers tried to counter.

Making the most recoveries (14), interceptions (six) and tackles (five) during the game, he played a crucial role in Arsenal securing all three points.

As touched on after the Portsmouth win, his ability to do both sides of the game at such a high level will help massively while Lucas Torreira is out injured.
Pablo Mari continues to impress

That may have been Mari's fourth appearance in Arsenal colours but it was his Premier League debut for the club.

Stepping out against a new level of opposition, the 26-year-old looked as impressive as he did in his first three outings for the clubs Under-23s and first team.

He misread a long ball early on but quickly brushed it off and moved on. Afterwards, he was calm, composed and another key reason Arteta was able to beat the man that brought him to the Premier League.

Mari didn't compromise his style for West Ham's forwards and that was absolutely fine. When he wanted to engage them in midfield, he did so well - often barging Michail Antonio upon receiving the ball on the turn and giving players around him time to get back.









Standing at 6ft3in, Mari looked just as comfortable in the air as he did against Manchester City and Chelsea's Under-23s. He didn't looked hassled when going up for the ball and ended up winning three headers to calm things down.

When West Ham really started apply the pressure, it was his positioning which came into play. Almost always in the right place, he hooked the ball away from danger eight times. Also, when the Hammers looked to utilise Jarrod Bowen in the dying moments, Mari did well to shepherd him away from goal and keep him quiet.

Alongside his defensive actions, Mari was also incredibly comfortable with the ball. Ending the game with the second-most touches (94), it's clear to see why he was brought in. Especially with the variety of angles on his passes and at times he would play the simple one in front of him, an angled one out to the left but would also search for Nicolas Pepe out on the right.

David Luiz was motioning to Mari when on the ball - possibly telling him to adjust his positioning - which could be an interesting development in how they work together as a pair.
Bernd Leno's the hero again

So often this season Bernd Leno has rescued Arsenal and it was no different against West Ham.

Keeping the Gunners in the game with an incredible clawed save from Antonio header back across him, Sebastien Haller's near post flick before poking through the tiniest gap in a packed box to collect a dangerous cross late on, he gave them to platform to go and win the game.

Like Ceballos, however, he set the tone in the first half. Rushing out when Haller got in behind the defence, the German timed his intervention to perfection to knock the ball out of his path.

He remained decisive throughout the game and followed up an incredible run of performance with yet another outstanding display to prove just how valuable he is to Arsenal.