Hammers punish poor Gunners with brilliant display at the Emirates

West Ham delivered the first shock result of the new Premier League season by deservedly beating an insipid Arsenal side at the Emirates.

On Slaven Bilic’s English managerial debut, the Hammers shocked Arsene Wenger’s much-fancied side when Cheikhou Kouyate capitalised on a mistake by new Gunners goalkeeper Petr Cech just before half time.

Cech was then accountable again for West Ham’s second when Mauro Zarate caught out the ex-Chelsea man from distance with just over half an hour remaining.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came close to grabbing a goal back but, in truth, the Gunners never really threatened to mount a comeback as the Hammers claimed bragging rights in the first London derby of the season.

Bilic handed 16-year-old Reece Oxford, the club’s youngest ever player, a surprise first league start, and he showed composure that belied his tender years with an accomplished display at the base of a midfield diamond.

Arsenal seemed devoid of the fluency usually so synonymous with their build up play, with the Gunners reduced to speculative efforts from Oxlade-Chamberlain and Santi Cazorla in the early stages.

Angelo Ogbonna, the summer signing from Juventus, looked commanding on his West Ham debut at centre-back, although he was fortunate when Aaron Ramsey’s shot deflected off him and onto the Hammers’ crossbar.

With the half seemingly fizzling out, Bilic’s side delivered the ultimate sucker punch. Cech inexplicably rushed off his line in an attempt to meet the impressive Dimitri Payet’s free kick, but Kouyate nipped in front of him to head into an unguarded net.

Arsenal failed to improve after the break, and just before the hour mark Cech was caught out again by Zarate, who somehow wrong-footed the Czech international with a tame effort from 20 yards.

The Gunners introduced Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez in an attempt to inject some initiative late on, but their introductions only served to unsettle the Gunners' formation.

The result and the nature of the defeat may raise some interesting queries for Wenger to consider with three weeks of the transfer window remaining, but for Bilic it was the perfect way to start his tenure.