Arsenal missed a chance to surpass Premier League leaders Liverpool with an unexpected 2-0 defeat at home to West Ham.
The first half for Arsenal proved frustrating, starting with controversy as Tomas Soucek scored for West Ham despite a possible ball-out situation in the build-up. A lengthy VAR check found no conclusive evidence, and the goal stood.
In the second half, Mikel Arteta’s team made better use of possession but fell further behind as Konstantinos Mavropanos, a former Gunner, headed home from a corner.
Despite Arsenal’s efforts for the rest of the game, with Gabriel Jesus squandering two headed chances in three minutes, it seemed like luck wasn’t on their side.
David Raya saved a late Said Benrahma penalty, preventing further embarrassment, but Arsenal was left frustrated by West Ham’s defensive mastery.
David Raya (5/10):
Had minimal involvement except for conceding two goals. Couldn’t be faulted for either score.
Ben White (5/10):
Wandered out of position, contributing to West Ham’s first goal and forcing Saliba to cover, leaving space for Soucek to score.
William Saliba (5/10):
Showed less composure than usual in scrappy situations, but overall, no major errors were made.
Gabriel (5/10):
Had a mixed performance, slow to react to Soucek’s goal and beaten in the air by Mavropanos. Solid on the ball and made effective clearances.
Oleksandr Zinchenko (4/10):
Contributed little when transitioning into midfield and made a couple of subpar tackles when defending.
Midfield Declan Rice (7/10):
Delivered yet another composed performance, standing out as Arsenal’s best player. However, the shine was dimmed by a late penalty conceded.
Martin Odegaard (7/10):
Initiated the game with his typical understated style but became somewhat sloppy on the ball in the second half. Despite this, he created opportunities, though not reaching his extraordinary best.
Leandro Trossard (6/10):
Consistently tried to make things happen but lacked the extra touch of quality to do so.
Attack Bukayo Saka (7/10):
Forced several saves from Areola and was unlucky to hit the post just before halftime. Created decent chances, although none were converted.
Gabriel Jesus (5/10):
Applied effective pressure and showcased excellent body usage in build-up play but missed two significant headed chances with his team trailing 2-0. Arsenal needs a more reliable goal scorer.
Gabriel Martinelli (5/10):
Lost his individual battle with Vladimir Coufal and was substituted with 25 minutes remaining. Had little impact from the left flank.
