West Ham boss David Moyes brands 6-0 humiliation by Arsenal as the Hammers’ worst defensive display since his return to the club in 2019

• MATCH REPORT: West Ham 0-6 Arsenal – Arteta’s side dismantle the Hammers
• Moyes says he has not seen worse defending since his return in December 2019
• Arsenal fans have gone from over-celebrating to overreacting… their team HAVE to back up Liverpool win – It’s All Kicking Off podcast

David Moyes branded West Ham’s 6-0 humiliation by Arsenal as the worst defensive display since his return to the club as thousands of fans left at half-time.

The Gunners were 4-0 up by the interval courtesy of goals from William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel and Leandro Trossard.

And further goals after half-time from Saka and Declan Rice compounded the home side’s misery.

It leaves Moyes without a win in five league games having previously beaten Arsenal twice this season — 3-1 in the Carabao Cup and 2-0 in the league.

‘A really poor day for us,’ said Moyes, who returned to the club in December 2019. ‘Very difficult to explain, really. Arsenal played really well. (It’s) difficult to explain how we played so poorly.

‘Disappointing thing for me, I don’t think since I’ve come back to the club my teams (have) defended that way, ever.

‘We were weak today. We didn’t do the jobs well enough. We didn’t fight to contain it harder and make sure we didn’t concede. We could have conceded other goals as well.

‘Arsenal went up another level today if I’m being honest. I saw that in them. Maybe they had something to prove as well, coming here and getting a result. But I can’t only talk about us, and we weren’t at the races at all.’

The performance saw home supporters leave at half-time. Though Moyes was circumspect, citing the good times Hammers’ fans have enjoyed in recent years. That includes winning the Europa Conference League last season.

He added: ‘To be a football supporter, especially this club who people know a lot more about than me, I came back twice to keep them out of relegation — there is always going to be bad times.

‘It was only three months ago we were having probably the best time West Ham has ever had.

‘Let’s be fair, probably the last three years has probably been as good a time as West Ham has had. Sixth, seventh in the league, semi-final of Europe. A final of a European competition. I still think that this club has grown.

‘Undoubtedly we’ve had a terrible day today so I understand totally them leaving. Sometimes football clubs are going to have a bad day. We had a bad day. But I certainly won’t forget the good ones.’