Mikel Arteta said Arsenal deserved to feel pain on Saturday after their Premier League title hopes were dealt a huge blow with a 1-0 defeat at home to West Ham.

Jarrod Bowen’s goal in the first half proved to be the difference between the two sides at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal struggled to muster clear-cut chances.

The home side also had to cope with going down to 10 men in the second half, as Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent-off for a lunging, last-man challenge on Mohammed Kudus.

Arsenal failed to close the gap to leaders Liverpool to five points before Arne Slot’s men face Manchester City on Sunday, and Arteta's men could find themselves 11 points off the pace by the end of the weekend's action.

He told Sky Sports: “We started the game and we never got a grip of it. We didn't generate a threat or momentum.

“They have the quality to deliver those moments and after that, it becomes a difficult game.

“We got the red card and that was another big mountain to climb and we tried to react but we didn't have enough quality moments to unlock things at the back.

“Credit to West Ham, they were really aggressive in their duels."

Arteta refused to be drawn on the sending off of Lewis-Skelly, who is the youngest player to ever receive multiple red cards in the Premier League following his dismissal against Wolves last month.

Asked for his thoughts on the decision, Arteta said: “I don't know, I haven't seen it back. The decision has been made, it's done. Let's move on.

“It is painful but this is sport. We need to feel the pain today, I think we deserve that.”

Meanwhile, West Ham boss Graham Potter was delighted with his side’s performance as he earned his second win since joining the club last month.

“It’s a massive performance for us,” Potter told BBC Sport’s Match of the Day.

“I’m delighted for the players and the fans. Tactically, it was a very disciplined performance. Really good."

Potter was delighted with the way West Ham threatened on the counterattack, with Bowen applying a close-range finish after a driving run from Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Potter hopes the win can provide a significant confidence boost to his side for the rest of season, adding: “Jarrod and Aaron and Mo [Kudus] give us a counterattacking threat.

“We defended with discipline and resilience but we carry an attacking threat as well. The win brings confidence and belief.

"This result is really big for us and hopefully, it allows us to move forward in a positive way."