Declan Rice scored against his former club as Arsenal moved top of the Premier League with a comfortable 2-0 win over West Ham but both he and Martin Odegaard had to be taken off with injuries.
Rice, who was jeered by the travelling fans at the Emirates Stadium, guided home a first-half opener after Eberechi Eze’s shot had been parried but had to be taken off with back pain in the closing stages.
Bukayo Saka made the result safe on his 200th Arsenal appearance when he converted from the penalty spot after Malick Diouf had fouled Jurrien Timber, but a victory which put the Gunners a point ahead of Liverpool ahead of their meeting with Chelsea in Saturday’s late kick-off also featured an injury to Martin Odegaard. 
The Arsenal captain, who had only just returned from a shoulder problem, became the first player in Premier League history to be substituted before half-time in three consecutive starts when he was withdrawn for Martin Zubimendi after hurting his knee in a collision with West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville.
Odegaard was able to walk down the tunnel when he was taken off but Arteta later said the midfielder was wearing a brace on his knee and that he was “not positive” about the injury.
His and Rice’s injuries are just the latest to affect Arsenal, with Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, Piero Hincapie and Gabriel Jesus already sidelined, and Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Ben White and Christian Norgaard having also had spells out.
Odegaard’s early withdrawal meant Arsenal fans only had half an hour to watch him and Eze start in midfield together for the first time. The latter missed a glorious chance to open the scoring when he ballooned a shot over in the first half.
Viktor Gyokeres also had chances but couldn’t convert a string of cut-backs, while Riccardo Calafiori saw a low shot cleared off the line after it had come back off the post and struck Alphonse Areola.
