Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud Score Late to Put Arsenal Past West Ham

Arsenal scored a 3-0 victory over West Ham on Wednesday at the Emirates Stadium in London, but the performance likely won't be enough to take manager Arsene Wenger completely out of the firing line.

The Gunners boss has faced intense criticism in recent months with the club failing to contend for the Premier League title and getting crushed by Bayern Munich in the Champions League round of 16. While Wednesday's effort may help his cause, there's still plenty of work to do.

Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud scored for Arsenal, who looked destined for another frustrating result until the attack came alive in the final 30 minutes.

Earning all three points moves the side past Manchester United into fifth place and within four points of Manchester City for the final Champions League berth with a match in hand.

West Ham are now only five points clear of the relegation zone following their fifth straight loss. Hammer & Talk highlighted the growing pessimism around the struggling side:

"

West Ham United are getting relegated.

— Hammer&Talk (@hammerandtalk) April 5, 2017"

The much-needed win came one day after Wenger downplayed the idea of changing his approach after more than two decades leading the club. David Hytner of the Guardian noted the 67-year-old Frenchman provided his outlook at a time when his future has come into question.

"My battle in my whole life is to improve and to be better. That is evolution, not change," he said. "Change is the heart of who you are. That's difficult. Evolution? Yes."

Arsenal were the far more aggressive side in the opening half. They held 65 percent of possession and generated seven shots, compared to three for the visitors, but the difference between intent and execution continued to remain on full display.

The lack of efficiency in the attacking third is an ongoing issue. Walcott, Danny Welbeck and Hector Bellerin all had opportunities to give the Gunners a lead before halftime, but none of them could come up with the necessary final touch.

Meanwhile, the Irons supporters enjoyed making Wenger's status the focal point of their stay at the Emirates, per Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror:

Arsenal finally broke the deadlock shortly before the hour mark courtesy of Mesut Ozil.

The German midfielder ended his scoring drought, which extended back to December, by picking up a failed clearance attempt and beating West Ham goalkeeper Darren Randolph, who was left out to dry by his defenders, with a well-placed shot inside the far post.

Squawka Football provided further details about the 58th-minute tally:

Ozil added to his strong showing by setting up the second goal.

He laid off a pass for Alexis Sanchez, who returned the favor with a nifty backheel flick to give the former Real Madrid star plenty of time and space to deliver a pass to Walcott in the middle of the box. The winger made no mistake, one-timing his shot into the back of the net.

OptaJoe spotlighted the game-changing performance by Ozil:

Arsenal superfan Piers Morgan commented on the terrific team play:

Olivier Giroud cast any lingering doubt aside by making it 3-0 in the 83rd minute. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain picked up the assist on the final goal of the match.

Arsenal Arena summed up the fixture:

Looking ahead, Arsenal return to action Monday when they travel to Selhurst Park to face off with Crystal Palace. Those are the type of matches—away from home against bottom-half opponents—they must capitalize on during the stretch run of the campaign.

West Ham are suddenly facing a different kind of pressure. They looked safe at the end of February, but their extended cold streak has left them in potential relegation danger. The Hammers will look to get things back on track Saturday at home against Swansea.

Post-Match Reaction

Ozil posted a light-hearted message on social media following the victory:

Wenger admitted a bit of darkness overtook the club during the recent downswing, but he's remained confident in the players throughout, per James Benge of the London Evening Standard.

"I never questioned the mentality of the team," he said. "But when you go through a difficult period the happiness goes."

On the opposite side, West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is hopeful his side is one strong match away from turning the tide back in its favor, according to the Hammers' official website.

"It is the key point for me to get that confidence back before Saturday," he said. "We need one win and it will change everything for us. Three points at this stage of the season are massive. We are looking over our shoulders, of course, and there is no point in hiding it. It's not being negative, it's being realistic."