Arsenal shockingly lost to West Ham at home

For the second season running, West Ham have blocked Arsenal's title challenge. Striker Jarrod Bowen scored the only goal of the game late in the first half to move them level on points with Manchester United in 16th place.

The visitors also had an extra man from the 73rd minute, when defender Myles Lewis-Skelly received a straight red card, but did not score another goal.

Arsenal had 20 shots in the match, but goalkeeper Alphonse Areola only needed 2 saves. The home team's shot-on-target rate was only 10%.

Coach Mikel Arteta had to play midfielder Mikel Merino as a striker in this match. The Euro 2024 champion scored four goals for Arsenal, but he struggled against the West Ham defence. Merino lost 12 challenges, the most in the match. He also missed Arsenal's only big chance, a close-range left-footed shot that went wide in the 14th minute.

Gunners fans were even more worried when 17-year-old talent Ethan Nwaneri limped off the field in the 81st minute due to an injury, the severity of which is unknown. Arteta could only bring in one striker, Raheem Sterling, who was past his prime, and he could not help his team turn things around.

Calafiori was substituted in the 56th minute after a forgettable performance. But his replacement, Lewis-Skelly, only played 17 minutes. After a poor cover in midfield, the 18-year-old defender was robbed of the ball by Mohammed Kudus. Seeing his opponent had the chance to dive down to face the goalkeeper, Lewis-Skelly fouled him from behind. Initially, referee Craig Pawson only showed the Arsenal defender a yellow card. But after VAR Peter Bankes intervened, Pawson decided to show him a red card.

With no wins, red cards and injury concerns, Arsenal had a match to forget, except for the bright spot at the end of the match, David Raya. The Spanish goalkeeper stepped up from a corner kick, then ran back faster than midfielder James Ward-Prowse, before backheeling past his opponent.

This defeat leaves Arsenal still eight points behind Liverpool, with both teams having just 12 games remaining.

The next match is expected to continue to be difficult for Mikel Arteta and his team, when they have to play away at phenomenon Nottingham Forest on the evening of February 26.