This was not the reunion that Arsenal envisaged. On a night when West Ham’s discipline and tremendous work ethic turned the Emirates Stadium into a pit of frustration, Declan Rice found himself powerless to resist as the narrative shifted to the goal from Konstantinos Mavropanos that raises further doubts over his old side’s staying power in the title race.
Mikel Arteta has every reason to be concerned after a defeat that dashed Arsenal’s hopes of returning to the top of the Premier League. Statistics showing his side had 74% possession and finished a taut encounter with 30 shots to West Ham’s five spoke less of their dominance and more to their toothlessness and indecision in the final third. As Arteta acknowledged, supremacy in the middle hardly feels relevant when it is accompanied by such a lack of conviction in both boxes.
By full-time Arsenal, who remain two points behind Liverpool and three ahead of Manchester City, had managed 77 touches in West Ham’s area. Two went to Gabriel Jesus, only for the hard-running No 9 to spurn a couple of glorious headed chances midway through the second half.
They were pivotal moments, the kind that might have turned the game on its head, but there is a reason why City let Jesus go. Their view was that the striker was not potent enough and, for all the Brazilian’s excellent work off the ball, it is easy to understand the argument about Arsenal needing more firepower in January.
At the moment they look reliant on Bukayo Saka, a weakness that West Ham exploited by crowding the winger out. Gabriel Martinelli, who was marked out of the game by the outstanding Vladimir Coufal, is simply not offering any threat on the opposite flank. Martinelli has only two league goals this season and, with Kai Havertz missing through suspension, the use of Leandro Trossard in midfield was not enough to break West Ham down.
This was a solid, committed performance from West Ham, who rose to sixth after consecutive 2-0 wins against Arsenal and Manchester United. For David Moyes, who celebrated his first league win in 73 attempts away against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and United, it was a tactical triumph.
