Arsenal Collapses Against West Ham and Drifts away from The Title
Arsenal lost 0-1 to West Ham, virtually saying goodbye to the title race with Liverpool. A lone goal from Jarrod Bowen left the Gunners without a response, and if the Reds beat Manchester City, the gap could widen to 14 points.
After cutting Liverpool’s lead by four points in the last three matchdays, Mikel Arteta's team had a chance to apply pressure with a win against a struggling West Ham. However, without Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka, Arteta relied on an attacking trio of Mikel Merino, Leandro Trossard, and Ethan Nwaneri, but a lack of creativity and depth doomed Arsenal.
West Ham, well-organized in defense, waited patiently and struck just before halftime. Bowen, after dispossessing Ødegaard, started the play and finished it with a precise header from an Aaron Wan-Bissaka cross, scoring his seventh goal of the season and confirming his importance to the team.
Arsenal attempted to respond in the second half with the introductions of Zinchenko and Lewis-Skelly, but another blow came when Lewis-Skelly was sent off for a last-man foul on Kudus, leaving the Gunners with ten men for the final 20 minutes.
With a numerical disadvantage, Arsenal failed to trouble Alphonse Areola and suffered a defeat that leaves them on the brink of exiting the title race. Liverpool could extend their lead to 14 points if they beat Manchester City on Sunday.
This result puts Arsenal in a critical situation with no room for error, relying on a miracle to stay in contention. Arteta must find urgent solutions to prevent the season from slipping away.
El Arsenal intentó reaccionar en la segunda mitad con los ingresos de Zinchenko y Lewis-Skelly, pero sufrió un nuevo golpe cuando este último fue expulsado por una falta sobre Kudus, dejando a su equipo con diez jugadores a falta de 20 minutos.
Con uno menos, los 'Gunners' fueron incapaces de inquietar a Alphonse Areola y consumaron una derrota que los deja al borde del adiós en la lucha por el título. El Liverpool podría ampliar su ventaja a 14 puntos si vence al Manchester City este domingo.
