BREAKING: West Ham Dashes #Arsenal‘s Title Hope As Gunners Lost 4 Points In 8 Days – #WHUARS—Arsenal threw away a two-goal lead for the second weekend running as they were held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham United that undermined their title challenge with more dropped points
The Gunners made the perfect start and were 2-0 up inside 10 minutes, first through Gabriel Jesus who tapped in at the end of a crisp move, and later Martin Odegaard whose close-range volley also followed good build-up play.
West Ham offered nothing in the opening half an hour and the London Stadium was growing frustrated, but then Thomas Partey gifted the home side a lifeline by trying an ill-judged flick. Declan Rice won the ball and moved it on to Lucas Paqueta, who won a penalty that was scored by Said Benrahma.
Arsenal hung on until the break but then gave West Ham another lifeline soon after as, having been awarded a penalty for handball, Bukayo Saka missed the target entirely.
Arsenal were made to pay two minutes later when nobody tracked Jarrod Bowen, allowing him to volley into the ground and beyond Aaron Ramsdale.
Jesus came closest to an Arsenal response, but was not quite fast or tall enough to get on the end of a cross flashed across the face of goal.
Michail Antonio headed onto the crossbar as West Ham almost won it late on.
The point takes Arsenal four clear of Manchester City, but they have played one game more and still have to visit the Etihad Stadium. West Ham are now four points above the relegation zone.
It is one thing to surrender a lead at Anfield. Liverpool, for all their faults, still boast some brilliant attacking players and it is a ground Arsenal have a notoriously poor record at. But there is no way to dress this up as anything other than two points lost, and lost in a self-inflicted manner.
Arsenal were absolutely cruising until giving away the first penalty in silly circumstances and they never recovered. The half-time break could not save them and nor could a fortuitous penalty of their own, which they squandered. In light of West Ham hitting the woodwork late on, Arsenal were perhaps fortunate to leave with a point at all.
It feels harsh to say Arsenal succumbed to the pressure. They have been impressive for so much of the campaign and shown mettle in scoring some notable late winners. Yet there really is no other explanation for why they went from looking so dominant to so vulnerable. Or why Saka, who has been sure-footed from the spot so far this season, shot wide of the mark. This may well prove to be a decisive result in the race for the title.
