Arsenal let slip a 2-0 lead at the London Stadium

Premier League

WEST HAM UNITED 2 (Benrahma 33 pen, Bowen 54)
ARSENAL 2 (Jesus 7, Odegaard 10)

ARSENAL’S hopes of landing their first Premier League title since 2004 took a major hit this afternoon (Sunday) as they threw away their second two-goal lead in a week and missed a penalty at West Ham.

The Gunners looked to be heading for a comfortable win at the London Stadium after racing into a 2-0 lead within the opening 10 minutes. Gabriel Jesus got the north London side underway with a simple tap in following brilliant build-up play between Martin Odegaard and Ben White, the latter providing the assist.

Gabriel Martinelli’s pin-point cross to the back post found Odegaard unmarked minutes later, and the Norwegian was able to extend Arsenal’s lead with a classy finish with the inside of his foot.

West Ham were on course for a thrashing, but just like against Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, Mikel Arteta’s side could not hold on to their 2-0 advantage.

A mistake by Thomas Partey gave the Hammers a lifeline. The midfielder was caught sleeping on the ball and was dispossessed by Declan Rice, who put Lucas Paqueta through on goal. The Brazilian was taken down by fellow countryman Gabriel Magalhaes inside the area, allowing Said Benrahma to reduce the arrears from the penalty spot.

Arsenal got a spot-kick of their own early in the second half for a handball from Michail Antonio, but Bukayo Saka failed to even hit the target as he fired a careless effort well wide.

It was a miss that would prove costly as the hosts scored less than three minutes later through Jarrod Bowen’s smart volley from Thilo Kehrer’s lofted pass.

After the game Arteta admitted his side only had themselves to blame for failing to find the vital win. He said: “We know our strength, we know what we can do. Where we want to attack the opponent, in the first 10 to 20 minutes we did so good, after that we dropped our level and that obviously cannot happen if you want to fight for the title.

“We didn’t have the same purpose to attack the opponent’s goal, and protect that result by having the ball. We gave them hope – instead of killing them at this moment, we gave them hope.”

Quizzed on whether his players looked like they lacked the energy to win the game after yet again throwing away the lead, the Arsenal boss added: “When you concede two or three goals away from home it’s really difficult to win football matches and we have to blame ourselves for how we defended the boxes.

“I don’t think that the team is fatigued or looked fatigued, and the best way to put it is just to convince them [the players] how good they are and when they do what they have to do, and this is what we have to put in our brains.”

Despite dropping points, the one positive for Arsenal is that it is still in their hands. They are four points clear at the top of the table, and if they win the remainder of their games they will be crowned Premier League champions. That is, of course, easier said than done with Southampton visiting the Emirates this Friday, before what many see as the title decider away to Manchester City.

WEST HAM: Fabianski, Coufal, Zouma, Kehrer, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice, Lucas Paquetá (Downes, 87), Bowen, Antonio (Cornet, 87), Benrahma (Fornals, 90)
Substitutes not used: Johnson, Lanzini, Aréola, Ings, Emerson, Anang

ARSENAL: Ramsdale, White, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney (Fábio Vieira, 85), Odegaard (Nketiah, 90), Partey (Trossard, 67), Xhaka, Saka, Jesus (Jorginho, 67), Martinelli (Nelson, 85)
Substitutes not used: Smith Rowe, Kiwior, Turner, Walters