Gunners' title chances all but over as Bowen gives Hammers victory at Emirates

Arsenal 0

West Ham United 1 (Bowen 44)

Arsenal's slim chances of overhauling Premier League leaders Liverpool appear all but over after West Ham won at the Emirates for the second year running.

Jarrod Bowen's header just before half-time proved the only goal of the game, and although the Gunners enjoyed the majority of possession, they created virtually nothing.

Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off in the second half to compound matters for Arsenal - VAR recommending referee Craig Pawson check, and ultimately upgrade, a yellow to a red for hauling down Mohammed Kudus on halfway when through on goal.

As they did last week at Leicester, Arsenal had most of the ball all game here, but created little with it.

At least until Martinelli and Saka are back, the Gunners fans are going to have to be patient, the defence are going to have to be rock solid and, when the few chances do come, whoever they fall to is going to have to be clinical.

That, today, just did not happen.

The first half chance of this game fell to the Hammers - Tomas Soucek heading over when under pressure from Gabriel.

Arsenal responded. Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice combining to set up Riccardo Calafiori, whose powerful drive was straight at Alphonse Areola.

But that proved the Gunners' only effort on goal.

Minutes later West Ham should have taken the lead. Aaron Wan-Bissaka's run down the right ended in a ball pulled back to the unmarked Jarrod Bowen on the edge of the box, but the Hammers' skipper rather rushed his shot, which was easily saved by David Raya.

But the Hammers were in front soon after, Bowen's pass again set Wan-Bissaka away down the right. Bowen continued his run from deep in his own half, unmarked into the Gunners' area, and headed home a simple chance from Wan-Bissaka's cross.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with more Arsenal possession but few, if any, chances.

And things went from bad to worse for the home side. With around 20 minutes left on the clock, Lewis-Skelly pulled down Kudus on the halfway line, and although Pawson initially waved a yellow, VAR recommended a review and it was soon upgraded to a red - Kudus would have been through with Raya way out of his goal.

One bright spot for the Gunners was the return of Ben White, but even his drive from the right of the box late in could not trouble Alphonse Areola.

The Hammers move further away from the drop zone and on to 30 points.

"Second again," chanted the West Ham fans. And that is what it will now almost certainly be for a team short of players, chances and, on this performance, any real belief.

Teams:

Arsenal: Raya, Saliba (White 87), Partey, Gabriel, Odegaard, Timber, Trosard, Merino, Calafiori (Lewis-Skelly 56), Rice (Zinchenko 56), Nwaneri (Sterling 82)

West Ham: Areola, Cresswell, Ward-Prowse, Kudus, Alvarez (Soler 88), Bowen (Ferguson 82), Todibo (Mavropanos 61), Kilman, Soucek, Wan-Bissaka, Scarles

Referee: Craig Pawson