Arsenal 0 – 1 West Ham United
Arsenal suffered a major setback in their title race with a disappointing loss at home.
With a golden opportunity to close the gap at the top, Arsenal failed to capitalize. Despite playing on familiar turf, they fell to West Ham United, even though the visitors were down to 10 men for a significant period.
At the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, West Ham secured a 1-0 victory thanks to a decisive goal from Jarrod Bowen.
Despite dominating possession with over 65% control and attempting 20 shots, Arsenal could only manage two on target. In contrast, West Ham had just five shots, two on target, with one making the crucial difference.
This defeat ended Arsenal’s 15-match unbeaten run in the league and marked their first home loss of the season. With 26 matches played, Arsenal sit second with 53 points from 15 wins and 8 draws, trailing league leaders Liverpool by eight points. Meanwhile, West Ham are in 16th place with 30 points from the same number of matches.
In their previous league meeting last November, Arsenal had dominated with a 5-2 victory at West Ham’s ground, with all goals coming in the first half.
This time, Arsenal again controlled possession and played aggressively, but their attacks lacked real threat. Instead, they conceded a goal just before halftime.
After three off-target attempts, West Ham struck in the 44th minute with their first shot on target. Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross found Bowen inside the six-yard box, and the English forward netted with a diving header.
The last time Arsenal hosted West Ham in the league, in December 2023, they also trailed at halftime and eventually lost 2-0.
The Gunners increased their attacking intensity after the break. In the 62nd minute, Leandro Trossard had a golden opportunity, but West Ham’s goalkeeper denied him with an excellent save.
Arsenal’s hopes of a comeback took a massive blow in the 73rd minute.
Substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly, who had come on just 20 minutes earlier, fouled Mohammed Kudus in midfield and was initially shown a yellow card. However, after a VAR review, the punishment was upgraded to a red. With Arsenal’s goalkeeper far off his line and Kudus having a clear path to goal, the referee had no choice but to send him off.
The 18-year-old midfielder had also seen a red card in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Wolves on January 25, though that decision was later overturned on appeal. This time, however, there was little room for debate.
Down to 10 men, Arsenal’s play lost its rhythm. They mounted some late pressure, but their attacks lacked sharpness, sealing a frustrating defeat at home.
