Saka stars in Arsenal rout at West Ham as Van Nistelrooy watches new team Leicester lose

Inspired by Bukayo Saka, Arsenal scored five goals in a wild first half at West Ham before settling for a 5-2 win that lifted the team into second place in the English Premier League in its bid to chase down Liverpool.

Saka was one of five different scorers for Arsenal at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday and also had a hand in three goals, by Gabriel, Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard. Kai Havertz netted the other goal for Arsenal in its biggest league victory this season.

Since returning from the international break, Arsenal has beaten Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League, Sporting Lisbon 5-1 in the Champions League and put another five goals past West Ham. The prolific run has coincided with the return to fitness of Odegaard, Arsenal's playmaker and captain who missed two months with an ankle injury.

Arsenal trimmed the gap to Liverpool to six points ahead of the leader's home match against beleaguered Manchester City on Sunday. Arsenal has been beaten to the title by City in each of the last two seasons, but might be wanting Pep Guardiola 's team to pull off a victory at Anfield.

Saka, especially, is benefitting from Odegaard's presence. The England winger already has 10 assists for the campaign — having played 12 of Arsenal's 13 games — along with five goals.

“I am taking a lot of pleasure from creating and scoring but the greatest pleasure is to win," Saka said. "Let’s keep this form going. Definitely the last three games we have been back.”

All of the goals in the match were in the first half. It's just the fourth time since the Premier League began in 1992 that seven goals were scored in a game before halftime.

A day after being hired as Leicester manager, Ruud van Nistelrooy witnessed at first hand the scale of his task to keep the team in the Premier League.

Leicester was beaten at Brentford 4-1 on Saturday, with Van Nistelrooy sitting in the stands rather than in the dugout. He officially takes over as coach on Sunday after arriving as the replacement for the fired Steve Cooper.

Kevin Schade scored a hat trick and Yoane Wissa also netted for Brentford, which had to come from behind after Facunda Buonanotte’s 21st-minute opener.

Van Nistelrooy, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker, will begin his first full-time managerial role in English soccer with Leicester in 16th place in the 20-team league and just one point above the relegation zone.

“We just had the messages last night (from Van Nistelrooy) when the appointment was made," said Leicester first-team coach Ben Dawson, who took charge of the team against Brentford. “He wished everyone good luck and the plan is to catch up tomorrow at the training ground.”

Some history was made when Justin Kluivert converted a trio of penalties — in the third, 18th and 74th minutes — for Bournemouth in its 4-2 win at Wolverhampton. That had never been achieved before in a league game.

Kluivert said it was “amazing” to go into the history books but he was almost denied the opportunity.

“I was not completely sure I should allow him to take the third one,” Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola said. “It is difficult I suppose, every time you shoot the first one, you give information to the keeper.”

Evanilson won each of the three penalties converted by Kluivert — and that was also a first in the Premier League.

Newcastle lost Sweden striker Alexander Isak to a hip injury midway through the first half and then its lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time in a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace.

Daniel Munoz scored the late equalizer to lift Palace out of the bottom three on goal difference.

“It’s an absolutely devastating blow for us,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said of giving up the late goal.

On Isak, Howe added: “It was a contact injury and not a muscle pull, which is good news for us. We hope he will recover quickly."

Chris Wood smashed a penalty down the middle for his ninth goal of the season to earn Nottingham Forest a 1-0 win at home to Ipswich.

Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon (right) crosses the ball into the box resulting in an own goal by Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United at Selhurst Park, London, Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. (Ben Whitley/PA via AP)

Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon celebrates after Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi scored an own goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United at Selhurst Park, London, Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. (Ben Whitley/PA via AP)

Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood, facing, celebrates scoring with teammate Morgan Gibbs-White during the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town at City Ground, Nottingham, England, Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Bournemouth's Justin Kluivert, second right, celebrates scoring with teammates during the English Premier League soccer match at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England, Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Bournemouth's Justin Kluivert celebrates scoring during the English Premier League soccer match at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England, Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Brentford's Yoane Wissa, left, scores his side's first goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Leicester City at the Gtech Community Stadium, in Brentford, England, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)

Brentford's Kevin Schade celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between Brentford and Leicester City at the Gtech Community Stadium, in Brentford, England, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)

Ruud van Nistelrooy sits in the stands during the Premier League match at the Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford on Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka scores his side's fifth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham and Arsenal at the London Stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

Arsenal's Martin Odegaard, left, celebrates with Arsenal's Bukayo Saka after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham and Arsenal at the London Stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The first big snowfall of the season is blanketing towns along Lake Erie in upstate New York and northwestern Pennsylvania in the middle of the hectic holiday travel and shopping weekend, while numbing cold and heavy snow could persist into next week and cause hazards in the Great Lakes, Plains and Midwest regions.

The heavy snow has led to a state of emergency declaration in parts of New York and a disaster declaration in Pennsylvania, with officials warning of dangerous conditions for Thanksgiving travelers trying to return home.

“Travel will be extremely difficult and hazardous this weekend, especially in areas where multiple feet of snow may accumulate very quickly,” the National Weather Service said Saturday.

Part of I-90 in Pennsylvania was closed Saturday, as were westbound lanes of the New York Thruway heading toward Pennsylvania. Nearly two feet (61 centimeters) of snow have already fallen in parts of New York, Ohio and Michigan and some 29 inches (73 centimeters) of snow was recorded in Pennsylvania’s northwestern tip.

The roads in parts of northwestern Pennsylvania became so impassable early Saturday that scores of people took refuge overnight in the lobby and hallways of a fully booked Holiday Inn hotel near I-90. Jeremiah Weatherley, a staffer at the hotel, said dozens of people rolled in as the snow piled up, with workers opening the hotel's conference room and giving people blankets so they could sleep on the floors.

“It was hard to manage but we had no choice,” he said. “They just showed up and we don’t want to turn people away.”

Weatherley said he was making people bagels and handing out juice and cereal on Saturday morning, as the group pitched in to help one another dig out their cars from the heavy snow.

“Everyone helped each other,” he said. “It was pretty cool.”

This week's blast of frigid Arctic air also brought bitterly cold temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below average to the Northern Plains, the weather service said. That prompted cold-weather advisories over parts of North Dakota.

Cold air was expected to move over the eastern third of the U.S. by Monday, the weather service said, with temperatures about 10 degrees below average.

Parts of Michigan were battered by the heavy lake-effect snow, which happens when warm moist air rising from a body of water mixes with cold dry air overhead. Bands of snow that have been rolling off Lake Superior for the past three days had buried parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula under two feet (61 centimeters) of snow or more just before noon Saturday, said Lily Chapman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Marquette, Michigan, office.

She said 27 inches (69 centimeters) was on the ground just northeast of Ironwood, in the Upper Peninsula’s western reaches adjacent the Wisconsin state line. Another two feet (61 centimeters) of snow had fallen in Munising, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula's eastern region.

Chapman said the narrow bands of lake-effect snow that snake their way off of the lake, driven by cold northwest winds, can produce wide ranges of snowfall amounts over small geographic areas.

“In some spots in the same town you can see a foot of snow and then just a few miles away you could have over two feet,” she said.

Chapman said the continued lake-effect snow showers could add more than a foot of snow (30.5 centimeters) over Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula through Monday morning, with six (15 centimeters) to 10 inches (25 centimeters) or higher in the western Upper Peninsula.

In Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a proclamation of disaster emergency. Shapiro said parts of Erie County in northwestern Pennsylvania had already received nearly three feet (one meter) of snow with more expected through Monday night. He said state emergency, police and transportation teams had been on the ground overnight to help to any stranded drivers “and make sure emergency responders can get to folks who need them.”

Pennsylvania State Police responded to nearly 200 incidents during the 24-hour period from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, officials said.

As flakes began flying Friday, New York state forecasters warned 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) of blowing and drifting snow could fall in Watertown and other areas east of Lake Ontario through Monday.

After an unusually mild fall, as much as 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters) of snow were possible along Lake Erie and south of Buffalo from lake-effect bands notorious for pummeling the region with snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) per hour.

“The lake is 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius). We’re about six degrees above where we should be this time of year, that’s why we’re seeing these heavy lake-effect events,” Erie County Public Works Commissioner William Geary said. “The outlook for the next two weeks into December, we’ll probably see some more."

Izaguirre reported from Lindenhurst, New York. AP Sports Writer John Wawrow contributed from Orchard Park, New York. Also contributing: Rick Callahan, Indianapolis; Freida Frisaro, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Ron Todt, Philadelphia; and Holly Ramer, Concord, New Hampshire.

Snow falls on Highmark Stadium and surrounding parking lots in Orchard Park, NY., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. The Buffalo Bills play the San Franciso 49ers at Highmark Stadium on Sunday Night Football, Sunday, Dec 1, 2024 at 8:20p. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Snow falls on Highmark Stadium and surrounding parking lots in Orchard Park, NY., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. The Buffalo Bills play the San Franciso 49ers at Highmark Stadium on Sunday Night Football, Sunday, Dec 1, 2024 at 8:20p. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Snow falls on Highmark Stadium and surrounding parking lots in Orchard Park, NY., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. The Buffalo Bills play the San Franciso 49ers at Highmark Stadium on Sunday Night Football, Sunday, Dec 1, 2024 at 8:20p. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

A person clears the snow from the sidewalk in Lowville, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

A vehicle drives on a snowy street in Lowville, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

A person clears the snow from the sidewalk in Lowville, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

Light snow covers the sidewalk in Lowville, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

A person clears the snow from the sidewalk in Lowville, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

Snow is cleared from the streets in Lowville, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

Lake-effect snow falls in Lowville, N.Y., on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Cara Anna)

FILE - A stadium worker clears snow from seats before an NFL wild-card playoff football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)