Arsenal’s slim title hopes ruined by West Ham

Arsenal’s Premier League title aspirations suffered a significant setback as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against West Ham at the Emirates Stadium on February 22, 2025.

The Gunners, reduced to ten men after a late red card, struggled to break down a resilient West Ham side, with Jarrod Bowen’s first-half goal proving decisive.

Bowen struck just before halftime, capitalizing on a pinpoint cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka to head home unchallenged.

Arsenal’s woes deepened in the 72nd minute when substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off following a VAR intervention.

Initially shown a yellow card for a foul on Mohammed Kudus, the decision was upgraded to a red after the referee reviewed the incident, ruling that Lewis-Skelly had denied a clear scoring opportunity.

The defeat marked Arsenal’s first league loss in four months and left them eight points behind league leaders Liverpool, who are set to face Manchester City in a crucial clash on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta’s side, already hampered by injuries to key players like Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli, struggled to create meaningful chances throughout the match.

With no natural striker available following a quiet January transfer window, Arteta deployed Mikel Merino as a makeshift forward.

However, Arsenal managed only two shots on target, with Riccardo Calafiori’s long-range effort and Leandro Trossard’s low drive easily dealt with by West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.

West Ham, meanwhile, looked the more threatening side for much of the game.

Bowen had earlier missed a chance after a fine run and pass from Wan-Bissaka, while Tomas Soucek headed over from a Kudus cross.

The visitors’ breakthrough came just before halftime, as Wan-Bissaka’s delivery found Bowen unmarked in the box, leaving Arsenal’s defense exposed.

Despite dominating possession in the second half, Arsenal failed to mount a serious comeback.

Lewis-Skelly’s dismissal further compounded their struggles, and even the introduction of Raheem Sterling in the final 10 minutes failed to spark a revival.

Sterling’s free-kick was blocked by the West Ham wall, and Gabriel’s late effort sailed over the bar as the Gunners’ frustrations grew.

The result handed West Ham only their second win of the year, lifting them further away from relegation concerns.

For Arsenal, the defeat raised questions about their ability to sustain a title challenge, with injuries and a lack of attacking depth proving costly.

As the final whistle blew, the home fans headed for the exits, left to ponder whether this defeat could mark the beginning of the end for their title hopes.

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