Oliver Scales said he was happy to start and he will never forget this important day

Oliver Scales made his first start for West Ham United against Arsenal, a milestone moment for him as West Ham United beat Arsenal 1-0.  

Oliver Scales was a standout from West Ham United's academy, signing a full-fledged contract at the age of 11, and has worked his way up through the age groups since then. Oliver Scales's wish when he joined the club eight years ago has come true, as he made his debut in the UEFA Europa League win over FCSB in Romania in November 2022, when he was just 16 years and 11 months old.  

After the game, Oliver Scales said: "I really don't have any expectations today. We played very well from the beginning to the end. We scored a goal and did a good job defending and kept a clean sheet."  

"It was a difficult game, Arsenal are fighting for the Premier League title and they are second in the table, so it's great to come here and get the three points."  

An excellent performance against Arsenal bodes well for the player's future in the Premier League. After another home win for Arsenal, Oliver Scales was proud of his performance and grateful for the opportunity given to him in the starting XI.  

Oliver Scales said: “I actually only found out I was going to play in this game in a meeting earlier last week. We worked on the formation and other things, so I knew it quite early. But I was really happy to start and then to have a good performance with my teammates and get the three points.  

"This game was really difficult. I felt my legs were weak at the end, but fortunately we all survived. The key is the team's unity. The last 15 minutes of the game were difficult because the opponent kept attacking us, but we did not give up easily and continued to fight hard."  

“Manager Graham Potter has had a big influence on my game and the way I play and I’m grateful for the trust he has in me and for giving me game time. I know now all I need to do is keep working hard. My mum , dad and brother are all here so I’m excited to be able to share in the big moments with them and I’m sure they’ll be proud of me.”