Arsenal’s Premier League title aspirations took a significant hit as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to West Ham, compounded by the dismissal of Myles Lewis-Skelly, leaving Liverpool with the opportunity to extend their lead to 11 points. The Gunners had hoped to close the gap to five points, but a lapse in defense allowed Jarrod Bowen to score before halftime, heading in a cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka. With this setback, Liverpool can increase their eight-point lead when they face Manchester City on Super Sunday.
Mikel Arteta made the decision to start Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker due to an ongoing injury crisis, but the Spaniard was unable to replicate his recent two-goal performance against Leicester, as Arsenal struggled to find rhythm and create chances. Despite controlling possession, the Gunners were largely ineffective, and their task became even more difficult when substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly was shown a red card for a foul on the in-form Mohammed Kudus. The referee upgraded Lewis-Skelly’s yellow card to a red after a VAR review, ruling the foul as a last-man challenge, with Kudus through on goal and Arsenal’s goalkeeper David Raya far off his line.
Lewis-Skelly had a red card overturned in a previous match against Wolves, but this time, there was little chance of a reversal given the clear goal-scoring opportunity.
In the final stages, Arsenal pushed for an equalizer, but their efforts fell short. Gabriel Magalhães sliced a shot over the bar, while Ben White fired just wide of the target. The lack of a clinical finish, particularly with Kai Havertz now added to the injury list, proved costly for Arteta’s side.
The defeat not only ends Arsenal’s 15-match unbeaten run in the Premier League, their longest under Arteta, but also leaves their title challenge hanging by a thread. In contrast, West Ham celebrated a hard-fought victory, securing their second win under manager Graham Potter, who now has four wins from his five visits to the Emirates Stadium. Bowen’s decisive goal, a result of defensive lapses by Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice, and Gabriel, came from one of just five shots on goal for West Ham, while Arsenal managed 20 attempts but only two were on target.
This result means West Ham now boasts a rare two consecutive wins at the Emirates, following their 2-0 victory last season, leaving Arsenal with plenty of work to do if they are to stay in the title race.
Source; Citinewsroom