Arsenal Beat West Ham in Premier League After Bizarre Issa Diop Own Goal

Arsenal won for the first time under new manager Unai Emery in the Premier League on Saturday as they beat West Ham United 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

After a bright start for the visitors, Marko Arnautovic opened the scoring with a drilled shot from the edge of the box. West Ham could only hold on for five minutes, though, as Nacho Monreal levelled with a poacher's goal on the half-hour mark.

At the break, Alexandre Lacazette was introduced into the action and was involved in the hosts' second goal of the day, as Issa Diop sliced into his own net. Danny Welbeck then added the gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time.

The loss continued a tough start to Manuel Pellegrini's time in charge of West Ham, as they've yet to pick up a point in any of their three games this season.

Emery Must Work on Gunners' Shaky Defence

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The appointment of Emery filled some Arsenal supporters with hope that they would see a more cohesive team in the Premier League. As of yet, that defensive structure has not materialised.

West Ham were able to get at the Gunners back four with regularity during the first period, with Felipe Anderson and Arnautovic causing plenty of problems. The duo linked up well for West Ham's opener.

Former England striker Gary Lineker noted that the Austrian could've opened the scoring earlier in the match:

Sachin Nakrani of the Guardian commented on one particularly poor defensive sequence from Arsenal:

It is still early days in Emery's tenure, but if the team are serious about challenging for a place in the top four come the end of the campaign, then their work at the back and in midfield needs to improve. For the manager, making those strides with this personnel will be a challenge.

Calm Required at West Ham Despite Dreadful Start

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The summer was abuzz with optimism from a West Ham perspective, as they spent big money on some high-profile names. Few would have anticipated that from their first three games they would have had no points.

However, the scoreline did flatter Arsenal in the end, and there were better signs from the Hammers despite the defeat. 

Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe commented on the bright performance from the club's record signing Anderson, who was a constant threat throughout the game:

It's clear there is work to do for the team in defence, though. Diop, aside from his own goal, had a difficult debut in the Premier League, while Jack Wilshere didn't impress on his return to the Emirates.

Still, it's a time for calm heads at the London Stadium when assessing the summer and Pellegrini's early work. After trips to Liverpool and Arsenal in their first three games, the going was always going to be rocky in this initial spell of matches.

Arsenal Poised for Prosperous Run After Challenging Start

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Arsenal's start to the season has seen them play champions Manchester City as well as local rivals Chelsea and West Ham. Emery will be relieved there's a more favourable run to come.

Next up for the Gunners is a trip to Cardiff City, before they meet Newcastle United, Everton, Watford and Fulham in the following four games.

There are still undoubtedly creases to iron out, but supporters will be encouraged by the team's attack in the last two games. The firepower provided by the likes of Lacazette, Welbeck and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has yet to get up to speed this season, should be too hot for a lot of those upcoming opponents.

If Arsenal can string some wins together, hopes will begin to heighten among supporters after a difficult start.

What's next?

Arsenal travel to newly promoted Cardiff City on Sunday in league action, while West Ham will meet AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.