Arsenal was not able to overthrow the pressure on the Premier League title on Saturday because they were beaten by London Foes West Ham United in the Emirates stage 1-0.
Arsenal knew that they were able to close the Liverpool gap to just five points with the victory, but ran back during the break. Jarrod Bowen’s header fascinated the house after a surprisingly fatal defense of the strictest backline of the division.
The Gunners could not find a balance after the half-time pipe, since the attack violations made them ineffective in the last third, with Myles Lewis-Skelly being sent for Mikel Areta and his team even during a miserable in the afternoon.
How the game unfolds
According to his heroic deeds by the bank against Leicester City last weekend, Orthodox midfielder Mikel Merino was selected to lead the Arsenal line against the hammers. But with a variety of attack injuries that restrict their options in the last third, the hosts did not surprisingly blunt in the early phases, with some tempting crosses the best they could raise.
West Ham occasionally gave a look at her attacking threat to the counterattack, but not enough to force David Raya into action during the opening of the half hour. Bowen shot far from a promising corner and Tomas Soucek produced an unusual header after finding a seat in the penalty area.
But one of the West Ham strikers finally paid off at the half-time top. Aaron Wan-Bissaka broke down the right side and leafed a delightful cross into the six-yard box, with Gabriel and William Saliba nowhere to be seen home as Bowen.
West Ham had impressed in their own defensive third in the first half and they were similarly defiant after the restart. Their compact reverberation knew that it was able to frustrate the injury -striving hosts, which showed only a few signs that he could open a stubborn deep block.
Arsenal’s hopes for a comeback evaporated in the 72nd minute when the replacement was given to Lewis-Skell. The left -back, who was wrongly sent in Molineux at the beginning of this term.
Lewis-Skelly’s dismissal took out the process for the Gunners, who limped into a disappointing and frustrating defeat on home soil. You could end the weekend 11 points behind the top dogs Liverpool if the Reds were to defeat Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
Take a look at the player reviews for Arsenal 0-1 West Ham here.
After the title competitor Liverpool had reduced points on Wednesday before MAN City and Newcastle United’s clashes in Villa Park, Saturday had the perfect opportunity for Arsenal to put a serious pressure on first place.
The victory would have seen that they had closed the gap to five points before Liverpool’s trip to the Etihad Stadium was forced on Sunday, and forced doubts to sneak in the minds of Arne Slots squad. However, their ongoing defeat against the hammers will only boost the red before their meeting with the reigning Premier League master.
Attacking violations were always difficult to live Arsenal, but the amount of Emirates would have expected more from her team, the rhythm and consistency. Some Slack defense enabled the iron at the front and the home team seldom threatened alphonse area.
Ultimately, this could be the day on which Arsenal gave up another title fight.
Arsenal had no choice to create a non -convincing forward line, with Merino began in the wide position between Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri. The Spaniard’s bracket in the King Power Stadium brought his place at the start -xi, but the summer signing could not generate the same performance among the Emirates – quite surprisingly that it must be said.
Trossard was lively in batches, but tried to find a consistent space within the penalty area. Similarly, Nwaneri, who was awarded last weekend, could not with his usual boasting in and around the box. The fact that Raheem Sterling started on the bench talks volumes about his sad loan magic to the Gunners.
Arsenal’s failure to reinforce its attack unit over the winter window looks stupid every week because injuries hire their title debt, and Arteta understandably will be frustrated with those in the meeting room that do not loosen the wallet.
Since the arrival of Graham Potter, there have been obvious signs of improvement for West Ham, even if the results have not necessarily followed. But Saturday was the highlight of this hard work on the training area when the iron fully exploited their toothless hosts.
The decision to leave both Danny Ings and Evan Ferguson on the bench was justified by the intensity and speed of Bowen and Kudus, both arsenals usually caused strict backline for all possible problems. Also natural middle sticks, but they made an enormous and defining influence-bowen-the winner and Kudus achieved how they sent Lewis-Skelly.
West Ham was defensive remarkably. Arsenal may be missing a number of attacking stars, but does not take away any of the organization and stiffness of their visitors. They closed all the gaps when the reinforcement of the midfield held a three, with both large back shots were also dazzling.
They came to the emirates with a schedule and performed it perfectly