S
West Ham’s new signing, Armstrong Oko-Flex, starred as the club’s under-23 side thrashed Arsenal on Monday night.
West Ham’s Under-23s named veteran players such as Manuel Lanzini, Andriy Yarmolenko and Arthur Masuaku in their starting eleven, leading 1-0 at halftime thanks to an emphatic shot from Mipo Odubeko.
They went wild after the break though, with winger Oko-Flex and midfielder Conor Coventry punishing Arsenal’s defensive mistakes in quick succession before Yarmolenko and Odubeko combined to place Oko-Flex on goal number four in minute 68.
The Dublin-born forward, who signed a two-year deal in east London in June with the option for another 12 months after leaving Celtic, completed his hat-trick 10 minutes later after converting a cross from attacking midfielder Daniel Chesters.
READ MORE
Nevers, a May arrival from Championship Reading, inflicted more punishment on Arsenal than another Chesters installment later, with Miguel Azeez grabbing consolation for the Gunners from the penalty spot.
West Ham vs Arsenal wasn’t the only London derby to take place in Premier League 2 Division One on Monday night.
Tottenham also faced Chelsea at Stevenage, with Harvey Vale scoring a first-half double for the Blues, only for Spurs to claim a share of the loot thanks to the efforts of Dilan Markanday and J’Neil Bennett.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace, which on Monday handed out new contracts to seven under-23 players in Jake O’Brien, Jay Rich-Baghuelou, David Boateng, Luke Dreher, Sean Robertson, Sion Spence and James Taylor, lost 3-1 to Leeds. .
Dutchman Crysencio Summerville scored a double for the visitors at Selhurst Park with Liam McCarron also on the score sheet, while Palace, with Paddy McCarthy in charge for the first time, tied with a header from O’Brien before Boateng was sent off for driving. the ball. down the line, though Joe Whitworth had saved Joe Gelhardt’s penalty.
In Division Two, Fulham beat Sunderland 4-3 in a thrilling duel resolved by the last curling iron Sonny Hilton.
–
