LONDON: A record win for Arsenal. An absolutely critical one for Manchester United.

After Arsenal hammered West Ham 6-0 Sunday for their biggest ever Premier League away victory, United beat Aston Villa 2-1 in a huge result in the race for Champions League qualification.

Arsenal might be in thir best form so far this season. Last weekend, Mikel Arteta鈥檚 team was handing league leader Liverpool only their second loss to tighten up the title race and here it was running amok inside the Olympic Stadium, which rapidly emptied after West Ham fell 4-0 behind just before halftime.

Bukayo Saka scored twice and Declan Rice 鈥� a former West Ham favorite 鈥� added the sixth goal almost apologetically.

Arsenal joined Manchester City just two points behind Liverpool. All three of the big title contenders won this weekend.

United鈥檚 aspirations are simply to finish in the top four 鈥� or five 鈥� to get back into the Champions League and that would have been a long shot had the visitors lost at Villa Park.

Instead, there鈥檚 only five points 鈥� rather than 11 鈥� between United in sixth and Villa in fifth after Scott McTominay headed in an 86th-minute winner to earn his team a third straight league victory. Rasmus Hojlund opened the scoring for United and has now netted in five straight league matches.

RICE鈥橲 RETURN

Disgruntled West Ham鈥檚 fans streamed out of their ground in their hundreds prior to the halftime whistle, well before their former star player condemned the team to its joint-heaviest loss of all time.

It just had to be Rice running onto the ball and curling a long-range strike into the top corner to put the seal on an almost embarrassingly easy win for Arsenal.

Rice used to be West Ham鈥檚 best player, with his relentless energy, lung-busting runs and covering tackles. Now here he was, playing a big part in a clinic by Arsenal, with the home supporters鈥� booing of his every touch maybe spurring him on.

Rice鈥檚 set-piece deliveries set up first-half goals for William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, with Saka and Leandro Trossard also scoring before the break. After Saka鈥檚 second, Rice scored and didn鈥檛 even celebrate, holding up both of his hands apologetically instead. He was even applauded by some home supporters when he was substituted moments later.

Signed in July for 拢105 million (then $138 million), it is looking like money well spent by Arsenal.

鈥淚鈥檓 really happy with him,鈥� Arteta said of Rice. 鈥淚 know that it was an emotional day for him because he loves West Ham so much. But he had to focus on the task and what he had to deliver 鈥� set-pieces were one of those.鈥�

SAKA鈥橲 REDEMPTION

Saka enjoyed this trip to the Olympic Stadium a lot more than his last one.

Last season, the England winger missed a penalty when Arsenal was leading 2-1 and his team wound up drawing 2-2 amid a late-campaign implosion that helped fast-finishing Manchester City retain the league title.

Saka was the subject of racist abuse after that spot-kick failure, too.

So it was perhaps fitting that he won 鈥� and converted 鈥� the penalty that put Arsenal 2-0 up, reaching 50 goals for Arsenal in the process, before weaving his way into the area to make it 5-0. He wore a broad smile as he celebrated.

鈥淲e were 4-0 up in the first half and we could have scored more,鈥� Saka said. 鈥淲e smelled blood today and went for the kill.鈥�

VILLA STRUGGLING

Villa鈥檚 once-impregnable home record underpinned the team鈥檚 improbably strong start to the season. It wasn鈥檛 long ago that Villa was beating City and Arsenal in the space of 72 hours to set a club record of 15 straight home wins in the league and sit just two points behind first-place Liverpool.

Now Villa has lost three home games in a row 鈥� to Newcastle, Chelsea and now Man United 鈥� and is looking over its shoulder.

The hosts created enough chances to win but lacked the ruthlessness displayed by United,

鈥淲e are not where we want to be in the league,鈥� United defender Harry Maguire said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a tough season so we knew we needed to come here and get the three points.

鈥淲e are still not where we want to be and we need to step up. We have got ourselves in a position where we can challenge to go and get in the top four. It is important we stick together and take this club back to where it should be.鈥�