What is the record for the most goals scored in the first half of a Premier League game?

The 62,000 spectators at London stadium for this evening’s Week 13 game between West Ham and Arsenal certainly got their money’s worth.

The goals were flying in thick and fast during Saturday’s late kick-off game - from Gabriel’s ninth-minute opener for the visitors right up to Bukayo Saka’s spot-kick, four minutes into stoppage time, the first half produced a total of seven goals as the Gunners went in leading 2-5 at the break.

Arsenal go on the rampage

In a topsy-turvy first half, Trossard doubled Arsenal’s lead on 26 minutes, a strike which set the guests on a dizzying spree in which they scored three times in less than 10 minutes through Ødegaard and Kai Havertz.

Finding themselves 0-4 down, rather than let their heads drop, the Hammers raged back into it pulling two goals back in the space of two minutes.

Manager Julen Lopetegui, who was serving a one-match touchline ban, watched on in disbelief from high in the stands as Wan-Bissaka then Emerson put his team back in it with goals on 37 and 39 minutes.

Saka’s penalty, Arsenal’s second of the game, made it 2-5 on the whistle.

It left many football fans wondering they had just witnessed football history. Has any other game produced seven goals or more in the Premier League?

With seven first half-goals, West Ham and Arsenal equalled the record - the feat has now been achieved on four occasions in the Premier League era.

Seven goals in 45 minutes in the Premier League

The scoreboard read 3-4 when ref Stephen Dunn blew the half-time whistle in Blackburn Rovers' Week 6 home game against Leeds United in September 1997. That was the first time that seven goals had been scored in the opening 45 minutes in the modern era.

But either through bewilderment or exhaustion, or a bit of both, neither Rovers nor Leeds could add to the score when played resumed and so it ended 3-4 on the final whistle.

Bradford City’s clash with Derby County was locked at 4–3 at the interval in April 2000. Once again, the delirium of the first 45 wasn’t carried over into the second half - just one goal was added - Craig Burley, in his pre-ESPN pomp converting from the spot to make it all square.

The third incidence of a seven-goal first half came 12 year later when Reading hosted Manchester United in December 2012. The locals went ahead on eight minutes through Robson-Kanu but United were back level five minutes later through Anderson, then in front just three minutes later thanks to a Wayne Rooney pen.

The lead lasted three minutes as Reading retaliated through Le Fondre then Morrison. Rooney made it 3-3 on the half hour and Van Persie put United back in front again shortly after. Seven goals in 34 crazy minutes.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal also equal the record for the most goals scored by one team in one half of a Premier League game, which was set on 25 October 2019 when Leicester City put five past Angus Gunn in the second half of their 9-0 demolition of Southampton.