Arsenal suffered through another 10-man, finish-challenged disappoint as Graham Potter’s West Ham United picked up a 1-0 win at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The Gunners again failed to capitalize on an opening in the Premier League title race after Liverpool drew at midweek, as Jarrod Bowen scored on an Aaron Wan-Bissaka counter-attack and Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off in the second half.
The result is Arsenal’s first home loss of the Premier League season, but it’s the fifth time they’ve dropped points at the Emirates after draws with Brighton, Liverpool, Everton, and Aston Villa.
WATCH – Arsenal v West Ham full match replay
Arsenal still managed 66% of the ball and took 20 of the game’s 25 shot attempts, but lost the xG battle as the lack of a striker continues to haunt Arteta’s team, which is also missing star winger Bukayo Saka in addition to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
Arsenal stay eight points back of first-place Liverpool and are still six points clear of third-place Nottingham Forest, who they face next. The Gunners are 10 points ahead of fifth place.
West Ham, meanwhile, get a first win in four tries and a first clean sheet under Potter. Their 30 points are 16th, behind Manchester United on goal differential and 13 clear of the bottom three.
Arsenal team teems with disappointment
It feels like piling-on at times, but if we’re going to praise Arsenal’s long, continuous ascent under Mikel Arteta then we have to note when they flop at the next level. This has to be three points for the Gunners, at home to West Ham even with the injuries to Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus. Yes, they were surprised by Graham Potter’s defensive set-up but this was supposed to be a title-chasing team. What threatens to weigh on this team is that in addition to their on-field failures and the injury luck, they were not backed in January despite the clear need for a forward. This should be a wide-open Premier League title race with Man City, Chelsea, Man United, and Tottenham Hotspur off their games and Liverpool doing well but far from a juggernaut. What Arteta wouldn’t give to say that his team was playing incredibly well but just couldn’t catch a powerhouse, because right now he’s leading a huge disappointment and it looks like he’ll need a UEFA Champions League final to call this season any sort of step forward.
Arsenal vs West Ham player ratings
(from fotmob.com)
The back line was immense for West Ham, with wide men Oliver Scarles — a surprise 19-year-old starter — and the more familiar Aaron Wan-Bissaka shining along with a solid hour or so from Jean-Clair Todibo.
Martin Odegaard was decent for Arsenal but there were so many average-at-best days as youngster Ethan Nwaneri looked his age and David Raya was all over the park, almost forcing sub Lewis-Skelly to take his red card risk.
Arsenal vs West Ham player ratings (from fotmob.com)
Arsenal vs West Ham player ratings (from fotmob.com)
What’s next?
Arsenal go to Nottingham Forest at 2:30pm ET Wednesday, a day before West Ham host bottom-three living Leicester City.
How to watch Arsenal vs West Ham live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 10am ET Saturday (February 22)
Venue: Emirates Stadium — London
TV Channel: Peacock
Streaming: Premier League on Peacock
Arsenal vs West Ham final score: 0-1
Jarrod Bowen 44'
Arsenal vs West Ham live updates — By Nick Mendola
Full time — Arsenal 0-1 West Ham
Unacceptable on so many levels for the Gunners.
Dangerous 84th-minute free kick for Arsenal
Several could take this effort from the top of the arc, almost dead center.
Raheem Sterling cracks it into the wall and Martin Odegaard does so well to fake a shot at the rebound and lay it wide for Gabriel Magalhaes.
The center back’s chip is a center back’s chip, missing the goal.
Myles Lewis-Skelly red card (video)
It’s initially given as a yellow card but there’s just no doubt here.
David Raya is a mile off his line — probably 50 yards — and Lewis-Skelly drags down Mohammed Kudus at midfield.
There’s no question Kudus would’ve had a chance to score.
Pitch side monitor review is going to make this an easy red card. Familiar bad vibes for the Gunners.
Areola denies Trossard
The Gunners are buzzing around the final third, and the crowd is supplying urgency if any was lacking on the pitch.
Leandro Trossard thumps a low shot that is denied by the confident left leg of Alphonse Areola.
Still 1-0, 64'.
Arsenal subs
Arteta’s had enough and he’s making two moves in the 56th minute in search of an equalizer.
Myles Lewis-Skelly takes the place of Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko enters for Declan Rice.
Halftime — Arsenal 0-1 West Ham
Arsenal have nine of the game’s 13 shots and 64% of the ball but there’s no arguing that the two best chances belong to West Ham.
One of them went over the line.
Nineteen-year-old Oliver Scarles, a surprise starter, has been fantastic for the Irons. He has nine defensive actions including five interceptions.
Jarrod Bowen goal — Arsenal 0-1 West Ham (44th minute)
The longest 1-2 in history?
Bowen starts a counter with a move to Wan-Bissaka out right.
The prime components on West Ham’s first chance eventually link up again, as Wan-Bissaka’s long dribble down the right sees him keep space from Calafiori.
His cross is headed over the line by a stooping Bowen in the six.
Don’t think David Raya’s going to love his role, either.
West Ham on the counter
The Irons get a threatening moment in the 26th minute, as Aaron Wan-Bissaka makes a long dribble down the right.
He cuts the ball back for Jarrod Bowen who is caught between feet and drags a wobbly right-footed effort wide of the goal.
0-0, 27'.
Calafiori pipes a shot at Areola
Riccardo Calafiori is making a lot of his first Premier League start in a while.
He’s carried and moved the ball well, and now he’s driven a 23rd-minute shot from distance into the chest of a ready Alphonse Areola.
Scoreless.
First quarter-hour all Arsenal
The Gunners have been bright, and Thomas Partey tries to cue up Merino with a fine pass but it’s a shade too far.
0-0, 15'.
Merino leading the line
Mikel Arteta is hoping that Merino is bottled lightning as a forward, and that Ethan Nwaneri can continue his Bukayo Saka deputization.
It would be a wild success in positional change, a reverse Joelinton becoming a midfielder at Newcastle and another pretty feather in Arteta’s managerial cap.
Arsenal lineup
Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Trossard, Merino
West Ham lineup
Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Cresswell, Scarles, Alvarez, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Bowen, Kudus
Arsenal vs West Ham preview — By Joe Prince-Wright
Arsenal have been hit hard by attacking injuries but Mikel Merino emerged as the unlikely emergency striking hero after jumping off the bench to score two late goals in the 2-0 win at Leicester City last weekend. Teenager Ethan Nwaneri is in fine form, while Arsenal know a win against West Ham means they will momentarily cut Liverpool’s gap atop the table to five points. With Arne Slot’s side dropping points consistently, Arsenal can smell an opportunity to hunt them down.
West Ham are struggling under new manager Graham Potter, as they’ve picked up just four points from his first five games in charge and lost at home to Brentford last weekend. The Hammers probably aren’t going to be sucked into the relegation battle but things are getting a bit uncomfortable. Given their extremely talented squad, West Ham are always capable of causing an upset but confidence levels are extremely low.
Arsenal team news, focus
Could Merino actually start up front as an emergency striker? It’s a possibility and means that Trossard could play out on the left in his best position. Arsenal are set everywhere else on the pitch as teenagers Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly are having incredible seasons.
OUT: Kai Havertz (hamstring - MORE), Gabriel Jesus (torn ACL - out for season), Bukayo Saka (hamstring - MORE), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Gabriel Martinelli (hamstring)
West Ham team news, focus
Up top is an issue for West Ham too with Bowen, Paqueta and Kudus doing their best to get them going in attack but it’s hard without a natural focal point. It also looks like a lot of the West Ham side are struggling to implement Potter’s ideas.
OUT: Lucas Paqueta (ankle), Niclas Fullkrug (hamstring), Michail Antonio (DETAILS), Crysencio Summerville (hamstring) | QUESTIONABLE: Vladimir Coufal (hamstring)
Arsenal vs West Ham prediction
This feels like it could be a bit of a hammering from Arsenal as they’re full of confidence and will want to put on a show to prove they’re ready to hunt Liverpool down. Arsenal 4-1 West Ham.
