West Ham 1-5 Arsenal: Alexis Sanchez nets 14-minute hat-trick as Arsene Wenger's side climb to second with emphatic victory over limp Hammers

For the briefest of moments in the second-half, West Ham stirred. They were a goal down but they were going at Arsenal, Dmitiri Payet was in the game for the first time and the home crowd were out of their seats, urging them on.

At Upton Park, this would have been a test of bottle for any visiting team. Here in this spacious Olympic home, Arsene Wenger simply reorganised a little, made a change and watched his team score four in 12 minutes as Arsenal ran riot.

Alexis Sanchez finished with a hat-trick and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain curled in a delicious goal to cap a fine personal performance. Mesut Ozil had opened the scoring in the first-half.

Alexis Sanchez celebrates after netting his second of the net during Arsenal's convincing win over West Ham

The Chilean runs towards the travelling supporters after wrapping up a stunning victory for the Gunners

Sanchez applies a cool finish into the far bottom corner after gliding his way into the penalty area for Arsenal's second

Alexis Sanchez finds the bottom corner from the edge of the area as Arsenal ran riot in the closing stages

Sanchez completes a 14-minute hat-trick inside the final 20 minutes as he chips the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper

Alexis Sanchez thanks the away support for their efforts as he takes the match ball home following his hat-tick

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE 

West Ham 3-4-3: Randolph 6; Collins (Arbeloa 7min, 4.5), Reid 5, Ogbonna 5; Fernandes 4.5 (Ayew 63, 4), Noble 5 (Carroll 72, 6), Obiang 6, Masuaku 5; Lanzini 5, Fletcher 6.5, Payet 6.

Subs not used: Adrian, Nordveidt, Feghouli, Zaza.

Booked: Fletcher, Reid.

Manager: Slaven Bilic 5.

Arsenal 4-2-3-1: Cech 6; Gabriel 6, Mustafi 6, Koscielny 6.5, Monreal 6.5; Coquelin 7 (Elneny 88), Xhaka 6; Walcott 6 (Ramsey 66, 7), Ozil 7.5 (Iwobi 88), Oxlade-Chamberlain 8; Sanchez 8.5.

Subs not used: Ospina, Gibbs, Perez, Holding.

Booked: Coquelin, Koscielny, Mustafi.

Manager: Arsene Wenger 8.

Man of the match: Alexis Sanchez.

Referee: Craig Pawson 6.

Attendance: 56, 980

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Mesut Ozil converts after Alexis Sanchez's unselfish lay-off to give Arsenal the lead. CLICK HERE for more from MATCH ZONE.

Andy Carroll came off the bench to peg the score back to 3-1 but to no avail. The pattern was set and the stadium of course is not to blame.

West Ham were out-played on the pitch regardless of their surroundings and the remoteness of their supporters, but it doesn’t help on these days when the best teams in the country are in town.

Victory for Arsenal, unbeaten in 13 in the Premier League hoists them to second behind Chelsea.

Defeat leaves West Ham and Slaven Bilic in trouble, just a point above the relegation places, with injuries piling up and at Liverpool next. 

The morale boost of a point at Manchester United had been erased by the time West Ham returned to Old Trafford four days later, leaked four goals, crashed out of the EFL Cup and lost key players through injury.

Diafra Sakho, Aaron Cresswell, Michail Antonio and Cheikhou Kouyate were all newly absent against Arsenal and James Collins appeared to pull a muscle in his calf within four minutes of the start.

Collins signalled to come off and then tried to solider on, but was soon replaced and West Ham were all over the place at the back.

Arsenal can reflect and wonder how they failed to have the points secured in the opening quarter of an hour, such was the array of chances.