Arsenal showed they can thrive without axed star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the Gunners moved into fourth place in the Premier League with a 2-0 win against West Ham, while the top-flight’s Covid-19 crisis deepened on Wednesday. Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe netted in the second half of a fiery London derby at the Emirates Stadium that saw West Ham’s Vladimir Coufal sent off.

Arsenal are one point above fifth-placed West Ham after a second successive victory eased the drama surrounding Mikel Arteta’s decision to strip Gabon forward Aubameyang of the club captaincy. Arteta’s side are in the Top-4 at this stage of a season for the first time in two-and-a-half years.