Robin van Persie scored twice and set up another as Arsenal beat West Ham 3-0 on Saturday to leave Avram Grant's future in charge of the bottom-place club in danger.
Van Persie curled in the first after 13 minutes and completed the victory from the penalty spot in the 77th after Wayne Bridge brought down Theo Walcott on his debut.
Walcott was also on target in the 41st after Van Persie pulled back from the goal line to the center.
Arsenal is third, two points behind leader Manchester City but with a game in hand. Manchester United is a point ahead of Arsenal in second having played two fewer matches.
''We're not really thinking about anyone else, we're just thinking about ourselves,'' Walcott said. ''We're happy to be where we are, but we'll keep plugging away in the background and keep enjoying our football.''
Grant appeared to bid farewell to West Ham fans after the match, shaking hands with his players as they left the pitch before applauding the fans and throwing his lucky claret and blue scarf into the stands.
Grant only took charge at the start of the season but the east London club has won just four league matches.
London rival Arsenal, meanwhile, produced a complete passing display to bounce back from the disappointment of its midweek loss at second-tier club Ipswich in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal.
Arsenal went ahead when Samir Nasri, back in the starting 11, produced a clever step over from Walcott's cross, which van Persie dispatched into the right corner from 12 meters (yards).
West Ham fullback Julian Faubert was then lucky to get away with only a yellow card from referee Andre Marriner for jumping in two-footed on Cesc Fabregas out on the far touchline.
Walcott shot tamely at goalkeeper Robert Green before West Ham replaced Mark Noble, who had just come back from a spell on the sidelines after a hip problem, with former Arsenal player Luis Boa Morte.
There was a let off for Arsenal when Johan Djourou's back pass was too short and Carlton Cole darted in on goal, but stand-in goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny made a block and West Ham striker Zavon Hines smashed the rebound over from a tight angle.
Van Persie came close to making it 2-0 when Arsenal broke quickly through Nasri and his first-time pass into the left of the penalty area was crashed against the base of the upright by the Netherlands forward.
West Ham was in danger of being overrun and Arsenal doubled its lead five minutes before the break.
Van Persie latched onto Fabregas' ball down the left side of the box, which the Dutchman pulled back from the goal line to the center, where Walcott crashed it into the roof of the net.
There was more one-way traffic at the start of the second half, with van Persie testing Green at his near post and then firing over from 20 meters (yards).
However, Szczesny had to be alert to tip away Freddie Sears' angled drive, which looked set for the top corner after a quick break.
West Ham defender Wayne Bridge, making his debut on loan from Manchester City, tripped Walcott as the England winger nipped into the penalty area. Marriner pointed to the spot and Van Persie slotted the ball into the bottom left corner.
