Arsenal’s Premier League title ambitions suffered a major blow on Saturday as they fell 1-0 to West Ham at the Emirates Stadium.
A solitary goal from Jarrod Bowen secured a crucial win for the Hammers, leaving Mikel Arteta furious with his team’s performance.
The afternoon went from bad to worse for the Gunners, who saw teenage substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly receive a red card in the 73rd minute.
Concerns also arose when 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri was withdrawn in the 81st minute, appearing to struggle physically. However, Arteta dismissed injury fears, stating, “No, hopefully not, he was just fatigued, I think.”
Nwaneri, who had impressed in Arsenal’s previous win over Leicester, struggled to make an impact as the Gunners dominated possession but failed to create clear chances.
Despite outshooting West Ham, both teams only registered two shots on target, with the visitors looking more threatening.
With Liverpool eight points clear at the top, Arsenal’s title hopes are now hanging by a thread. Arteta did not hold back in his post-match assessment.
“It’s not in our hands,” he admitted. “I’m really, really annoyed with the things that are in our hands our performance and the result.
We were nowhere near the levels required to win the Premier League. That’s on me, and I’m very, very angry.”
Captain Martin Ødegaard echoed his manager’s frustration.
“It’s a big blow. The performance wasn’t good enough,” he told BBC Sport. “We need to analyze this game, but we simply weren’t at our best.”
For West Ham, the victory was a huge relief for manager Graham Potter, whose side has struggled in the league. The win moves them 13 points clear of the relegation zone, easing any lingering fears of a drop.
“I’m incredibly proud, and pleased for the supporters,” Potter said. “The players gave everything. Talent is important, but being a team with the right mentality is what really matters, and today we showed that.”
With Arsenal slipping further behind in the title race, Arteta’s men will need a drastic turnaround if they are to keep their fading hopes alive.