Arsenal just threw away a golden opportunity in the title race, and Mikel Arteta is furious. The Gunners had a chance to close the gap on Liverpool, but instead, they collapsed in embarrassing fashion, falling 1-0 to West Ham in a performance that screamed bottle job.
Jarrod Bowen’s first-half goal was all it took to shatter Arsenal’s 15-game unbeaten streak in the league. And to make matters worse, Myles Lewis-Skelly saw red for a reckless last-man challenge, sealing an absolute disaster of a night for Arteta’s men.
The numbers tell a brutal story: 20 shots, only two on target. All that possession, all that supposed dominance—and nothing to show for it. West Ham matched Arsenal’s shots on target despite having a fraction of the ball. If this is how they handle pressure, they may as well hand Liverpool the trophy right now.
“Even though we had 20 shots, I never felt we were at the standard and level we needed,” Arteta fumed after the match. “We lost a lot of balls and let West Ham run in dangerous positions. I’m very, very angry.”
He should be. Arsenal’s title hopes are now hanging by a thread, with Liverpool potentially stretching their lead to 11 points if they beat City. According to Opta’s supercomputer, Arsenal’s chances of winning the league have dropped to a pathetic 8.2%, while Liverpool sit at a dominant 91.7%.
Arteta admitted the race is now out of their hands—but let’s be real, Arsenal did this to themselves. When it mattered most, they crumbled. If they keep this up, even second place won’t be safe.
Source: All football