ARSENAL are up against West Ham in the Premier League tonight – and they’re behind.
Tomas Soucek opened the scoring for the Hammers, who had to wait for a VAR check before being awarded the game’s first goal.
- Kick-off time: 8.15pm GMT
- Stream/TV: Amazon Prime Video
- Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Ødegaard, Trossard; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
- West Ham XI: Areola; Coufal, Mavropanos, Ogbonna, Emerson; Alvarez, Soucek; Kudus, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta; Bowen
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Arsenal’s title credentials brought into doubt
Many have asked whether The Gunners can one step further than they did last season.
After spending over £200m in the summer on transfers, this game left more questions than answers.
Arteta’s side showed no penetration and were all possession but could not make it count for anything.
The lack of quality he had to bring off the bench to try and change the game told its own story.
Credit: AFP Moyes gets first win at Arsenal
This was David Moyes’ first win away against Arsenal as a manager.
He knew what threat he was facing today and he set his side out perfectly to cope with Mikel Arteta’s side.
Despite dominating possession and having a number of shots at goal, mostly blocked by West Ham players, the visitors full deserved their win at The Emirates this evening.
Credit: AFP FT: Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
Kudus has been a great signing for David Moyes’ side.
He works up and down the flank and is not afraid to defend.
Linking well with Bowen and Paqueta, he is proving to be a real star for The Hammers.
FT: Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
Arsenal just could not get the better of West Ham tonight.
Once the visitors took the lead, they had the upper hand and never looked like giving it up.
West Ham are now on 33 points, their highest ever return at the halfway stage of a Premier League season.
FT: Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
The referee brings the game to a close.
Declan Rice gave away a late penalty but Benrahma’s strike was well saved by Raya.
It won’t matter to David Moyes’ side, this is a huge win.
Penalty missed – Said Benrahma (West Ham)
Penalty to West Ham
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
90+4. Kudus comes away with the ball for West Ham and draws a throw in to run the clock down further.
Time is running out for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Bowen picks it up on the halfway line and feeds it to Emerson.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
90+2. You can guarantee Arteta will have a whinge about his side being robbed again by a goal when the ball was clearly out.
The bottom line is that it was anything but clear, which is why VAR could not overrule the onfield decision of a goal.
Arsenal launch a series of crosses into the box but West Ham deal with them well.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
90. A corner is half cleared by West Ham.
Nketiah tries and overhead kick but it is an easy save for Areola.
Bold effort by the Arsenal striker.
Odegaard shoots from distance and catches it well but Areola tips it around the post.
We are going to have an additional five minutes.
Credit: Getty Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
88. Time is running out for Arsenal now.
Credit where it is due, David Moyes has got his tactics spot on tonight.
Odegaard tries a shot from the edge of the box but it is blocked with a sliding challenge and runs through to Areola.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
86. The ball breaks to Smith-Rowe on the edge of the box.
He tries an effort at goal but Areola makes a routine save.
Arsenal fans leave in their droves, as they always do, never showing confidence in their team when the chips are down.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
84. VAR reviewed and incident and agrees it is not penalty.
In those instances, they should be allowed to instruct the referee to show them a yellow card for diving.
It certainly would stop Saka doing it for the rest of this game.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
82. Saka cuts in from the right and runs into the box and goes down looking for a penalty.
The referee decides that it is not a penalty.
It is a blatant dive by ‘the boy who cries wolf’ and he should be booked for that.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
80. Trossard comes off for Smith-Rowe.
One thing is for sure, the former Brighton man is definitely not a centre midfielder.
He has been more like an anarchist hacker tonight…..anonymous.
Credit: Reuters
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
78. Nketiah is coming deep looking for the ball often.
The problem is with this, he is nowhere near the goal to cause any problems for the visitors.
It looks like Emile Smith-Rowe is about to join the action.
Saka gets a shot away but it is an easy save for Areola.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
76. Odegaard gets the ball out from his feet to let fly at goal from outside the box.
He does not catch it well and it goes well wide of the goal.
The expression on his face says it all.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
74. Nelson feeds the ball into Nketiah through on goal.
West Ham get a great tackle in to stop him in his tracks.
Odegaard plays it to Trossard with a sight of goal but his shot is blocked for a corner.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
72. Nelson is booked for a foul on Soucek.
Benrahma gets down the right and bundles his way into the box.
The ball breaks to him and he looks to get a shot off at goal but it is well blocked.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
70. Jesus wins the ball in the corner and as he touches the ball away, Kudus takes his standing leg away.
It gives the hosts to get a ball into the box to test West Ham.
The centre backs pile forward but Nelson’s delivery is terrible and it goes straight out for a goal kick.
Arsenal’s fans start to boo their own team, stay classy North London.
Credit: Reuters Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
68. Gabriel Jesus seems to have his eyes closed when he heads it.
That would answer a lot of questions about his poor finishing.
Two massive chances for the Arsenal attacker wasted in as many minutes.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
66. Brilliant inswinging cross by Bukayo Saka.
He picks out Jesus in the middle of the goal and the Brazilian can only head straight at Areola.
You have to be scoring from there.
Arsenal come forward once again and White lifts one up to the back post.
It finds Jesus again who heads over.
Terrible.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
64. Odegaard plays the ball to Saka out wide.
He looks to cross but it takes a huge deflection off the defender.
Areola manages to gather to prevent the corner.
Martinelli and Zinchenko are replaced by Nelson and Nketiah.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
62. The fans are getting frustrated by the lack of urgency in Mikel Arteta’s side.
Saka eats turf once again but no foul.
Fair play, The Gunners’ winger spends more time on the grass than most rabbits.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
60. The last time West Ham scored two goals at The Emirates was when the last won here in 2016.
Rice gives the ball away to Kudus who looks for Coufal.
Martinelli gets back to challenge at the expense of a throw in.
Credit: Reuters
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
