West Ham is famously the place where dreams fade and die, but few predicted the Hammers would burst Arsenal’s bubble.
After letting slip a two-goal lead for a second week in a row and drawing 2-2, the Gunners are now just four points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
City have a game in hand and also host Mikel Arteta’s side a week on Wednesday. Arsenal now probably need to get a result at the Etihad to keep them on course for the title — and their destiny is still in their own hands — but the momentum is now undeniably with City.
Arteta has proved an expert at picking up his players from low points. However, that will be a challenge, given the nature of this draw.
Arsenal had the game in the palm of their hands, but individual errors cost them. The fact Bukayo Saka, the team’s player of the season, missed a penalty to make it 3-1 only adds to the difficulty Arteta faces in lifting the mood.
It felt like one point gained at Anfield eight days ago, as Aaron Ramsdale’s heroics saved Arsenal. Sunday, however, was most certainly two points dropped.
Arsenal were cruising and 2-0 ahead after 10 minutes, thanks to Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard. Fast starts have been a theme of the Gunners’ season, and only Aston Villa have scored more goals in the opening 15 minutes of League games. But the foot never returned to the accelerator and, instead, Arsenal’s sloppiness gifted West Ham a route back into the match.
“We started to pass the ball just for the sake of passing the ball,” said Arteta. “And it was too slow and too nice. We pass the ball to score goals and we have to go for the third and the fourth and the game is over.”
Arsenal have been flawless for much of this season, but Sunday was the first time one could argue the pressure of this title race got to them. Unlike Manchester City against Leicester 24 hours earlier, the Gunners did not kill off the game, and it was West Ham who almost won it late on, when Michail Antonio’s header clipped the post.
It is no shame that Arsenal are creaking under pressure from Pep Guardiola’s relentless City side
The statistics summed up Arsenal’s decline. They had four shots in the first half, but three of those came in the opening 10 minutes. During the first half, West Ham managed more shots on goal than any of Arsenal’s previous opponents this season — which is remarkable, given the start to the game.
The match turned around on the half-hour mark. Thomas Partey was far too casual outside his own box and he was robbed of the ball, forcing Gabriel to bring down Lucas Paqueta. Said Benrahma slotted it home and suddenly the London Stadium, which had been dead quiet for half an hour, was alive.
Even then, Arsenal could have killed off the game after the break when Antonio handled the ball in the box. Saka, however, was not as clinical as Benrahma and his penalty went well wide. Two minutes later, Jarrod Bowen struck.
It is no shame that Arsenal are creaking under pressure from Pep Guardiola’s relentless City side. They are serial winners for a reason and their 3-1 victory over Leicester at the Etihad showed the Gunners how it is done.
By half-time, they were 3-0 up, and that third goal gave them the cushion they needed when the Foxes threatened to fight back.
It helps that City have the ultimate weapon in front of goal, Erling Haaland, but of even more value is their players’ experience. Arsenal are new to the twists and turns of a title race, whereas City are experts.
The positive for the Gunners is that, for the first time in five games, they do not have to play after City this weekend.
Guardiola’s side face Sheffield United in an FA Cup semi-final, so Arsenal know if they beat Southampton on Friday night they will go to the Etihad with a seven-point lead.
Southampton are bottom of the League and without a win in six games. Facing them at home looks like the perfect game for Arsenal to get back to winning ways, but Sunday showed the Gunners cannot be complacent.
