After Arsenal were given hopes of reigniting a title race midweek, West Ham put out the fire before it could even get started. The Gunners struggled to break down the visitors’ deep block, and Jarrod Bowen’s counter-attacking goal was all West Ham needed to win at the Emirates.
A Myles Lewis-Skelly red card for taking down Mohammed Kudus as the last man after 70 minutes made Arsenal’s job much harder. Ten minutes later, fellow Hale End graduate Ethan Nwaneri went off injured, draining even more hope out of the Emirates crowd.
Arsenal never truly threatened West Ham’s goal despite over 20 shots; only two were on target.
It’s just Graham Potter’s second win as West Ham manager, but a performance he and Hammers fans will be most proud of.
As it happened
After Arsenal’s title rivals Liverpool dropped points away to Aston Villa midweek, this was an opportunity to pressure the league leaders. Mikel Merino, Arsenal’s unorthodox striker solution last weekend, came into the starting 11 to play as number nine again.
However, after a stale first half from the Gunners, West Ham opened the scoring on the break. Aaron Wan-Bissaka ran down the right side and crossed into the area. The ball bypassed three Arsenal defenders and Bowen was behind him to score a diving header.
Embed from Getty ImagesArsenal faced similar problems trying to break down a five-at-the-back, low block as they have all season. Ball progression was too slow and the midfield couldn’t get the ball through central areas. West Ham were happy to sit in and play for counter-attacks, and the strategy paid off.
Ten minutes into the second half, Mikel Arteta saw no improvements from his side. Oleksandr Zinchenko and Lewis-Skelly came on to try and bring more life and creativity to the attack. There was a temporary lift to Arsenal’s intensity and the Emirates atmosphere, but West Ham were able to stick through it and waste time when they got the chance.
After just fifteen minutes on the pitch, Lewis-Skelly was walking down the tunnel. Kudus won the ball off the young defender on the halfway line and he was the last man. Lewis-Skelly scythed him down and was sent off after a VAR check that was all but a formality.
Embed from Getty ImagesThen, as if things couldn’t get even worse for Arsenal, Nwaneri went off with an injury.
It was a game with a lot of possession for Arsenal, but they never made West Ham nervous. They needed far more from their captain and creative hub Martin Ødegaard. The Gunners hit 20 shots, but only two were on target, amounting to a little over one expected goal. West Ham’s five shots amassed only slightly less. They picked their moments, but ultimately their chances were far better than the hosts’.
West Ham had a two-on-one to stick the final nail in Arsenal’s coffin in added time. Kudus squared the ball to Evan Ferguson, but the recovering Arsenal defender did enough to shut down a shot.
David Raya outpacing James Ward-Prowse in a foot race as they chased a cleared ball from a late corner got the largest cheer of the game from the home fans, which ultimately sums up just how poor Arsenal were.
It’s the worst possible result for Arsenal, who are now eight points adrift of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table. Their next clash, a trip to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest, could prove an even tougher test than today’s.
As for West Ham, this was a much needed win after four games without one. Their next game is away at struggling Leicester City, and after this most unlikely of wins, they’d be forgiven for having a spring in their step.
The lineups
ARS: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Partey, Ødegaard, Rice; Nwaneri, Merino, Trossard
WHU: Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Cresswell, Scarles; Alvarez, Souček, Ward-Prowse; Kudus, Bowen