By Jamie Roberton

Diafra Sakho's mysterious absence from the West Ham squad threatened to overshadow their thrilling 3-3 draw with Arsenal.

Sakho, 26, had started the previous two league games for the Hammers but was left out of the match-day squad entirely for Saturday's game at Upton Park.

His exclusion came days after he pulled out of a shirt signing event at West Ham's Lakeside store, with club officials blaming "unforeseen circumstances".

The Senegalese striker is also said to have posted a cryptic message on Snapchat in the early hours of Saturday.

Bilic was hesitant when asked about the striker's absence in his post-match press conference.

"This is the team that I thought was the best team for today," he said. Pressed further, Bilic replied: "He reported a minor injury."

Fans were quick to speculate on social media that there was more to Sakho's non-appearance than the club were letting on.

But those concerned that Sakho's absence would impact the Hammers' performance had nothing to fear, with Andy Carroll scoring a superb eight-minute hat-trick to keep West Ham in the hunt for a Champions League spot.