- West Ham found themselves trailing Arsenal by four goals at the half-time break
- William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel and Leandro Trossard piled on the misery
- Thousands of furious home supporters flooded to the exits after the fourth goal
Thousands of West Ham supporters stormed out of the London Stadium before half-time after watching their side go 4-0 down to Arsenal.
David Moyes’ hosts collapsed in nightmarish fashion on home soil, with William Saliba’s breakthrough on 32 minutes sparking a flurry of goals in the first period.
Bukayo Saka was played through less than 10 minutes later and after being brought down by goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, dusted himself off to slot home the penalty.
Gabriel Magalhaes then nodded home a free-kick from former Hammers hero Declan Rice for Arsenal’s third, with Leandro Trossard bending home the fourth.
Television footage showed a horde of supporters streaming toward the exits, seemingly in the direction of Stratford station and surrounding car parks.
Thousands of West Ham supporters left at half-time during their heavy defeat by Arsenal
One West Ham fan page on X defended those who opted to walk out, saying: ‘West Ham fans choosing their democratic right to leave at half-time.’
However, Mail Sport columnist Chris Sutton criticised the decision.
‘True football fans don’t leave the game at half-time…’ he wrote.
Reacting during the break to the Hammers’ woeful performance, Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane said: ‘West Ham have been shocking and frustrating.
‘I can’t believe what I’m watching – they way they’re getting beat. West Ham the last 10-15 mins has been an absolute disgrace.
‘There’s a way to lose a game of football, but the way West Ham are doing it they look slow, they look sluggish in midfield, they’re running back.
‘There’s no desire and no hunger. David Moyes must be fuming at half-time.
‘All credit to Arsenal – they’ve flexed their muscles. West Ham, disgrace.’
West Ham’s humiliation continued in the second period, with Saka cutting inside and lashing home his second at the near post shortly after the hour mark.
Rice then crashed in a screamer against his former club but refused to celebrate.
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