West Ham United 0-1 Arsenal: Leandro Trossard’s deflected attack and a dramatic late VAR decision give title-chasing Gunners a win over relegation-threatened Hammers
Leandro Trossard’s late goal gave Arsenal the win (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Leandro Trossard’s late goal and subsequent VAR decision took Arsenal a step closer to winning their first Premier League title in 22 years against West Ham. The Gunners were far from their best due to the importance of the game, but they got the job done, moving five points clear of Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Trossard came close early on with a series of headers from corner kicks, but Ricardo Calafioli threatened twice with a dominant start from the away side. Konstantinos Mavropanos then made a decisive block to deny Calafioli’s flicked header from Declan Rice’s free-kick.
West Ham forced a good save from David Raya before half-time with Tati Castellanos’ diving header. Mikel Arteta was forced to make continued tactical adjustments after Ben White’s injury, including replacing substitute Martin Zvimendi, but the Hammers remained resolute.
Matheus Fernandes should have made it 1-0 for the home side, but Raya darted wide to save the one-on-one with the midfielder. And the importance of that save was highlighted when Trossard’s deflected shot (his first goal in 25 games) put Arsenal ahead in the 83rd minute.
Callum Wilson looked set to equalize from a corner kick in stoppage time, but VAR intervened and Pablo’s foul on Raya was ruled out, sparking outrage at the London Stadium. However, Arsenal persevered and became heavy favorites to win the title with games against Burnley and Crystal Palace coming up. Here’s the talking point.
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1. Left side dominant
In the early stages of the match, all eyes were on Arsenal’s left flank, with Trossard and Calafioli constantly working together to threaten West Ham. Their relationship was well put together when Trossard played a beautiful out-of-the-boot ball behind Jean-Clair Todibo, but the left-back was stopped by Mavropanos.
Calafioli’s movements regularly flowed inside and created overloads, causing all sorts of problems for the Hammers. The Italians had three chances in the first 20 minutes but were unable to find the back of the net.
Riccardo Calafioli created three chances in the first 20 minutes (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
2. White is forced off
Arsenal were forced to make an unwanted tactical adjustment midway through the first half when Ben White was injured in a tackle with Chrisencio Somerville. Arteta brought on Zvimendi, leaving Gary Neville “stunned” by moving Declan Rice to right-back.
Julian Timber is yet to feature for the Gunners and is approaching two months on the sidelines. The Dutchman has been a hugely influential player for Arsenal and his absence was felt in east London, with manager Arteta clearly reluctant to sign Cristian Mosquera, preferring instead to remove one of his key players from the center of the pitch.
Ben White limps as he falls (Image: AFP/Getty Images)
3. Arteta’s tactical tweaks
The decision to move Rice to right-back looked strange for Arteta after White was injured. The move coincided with West Ham’s turnaround, with Arsenal missing Rice’s presence in the center of the park, leaving Zvimendi and Miles Lewis-Skelly in the fortress.
To his credit, Arteta made some discerning changes at half-time, bringing on Mosquera for Calafioli, moving Lewis-Kelly to left-back and moving Rice back into midfield. Nevertheless, Sky Sports’ joint commentary did not satisfy Neville. “I have to consider it a loss,” he said of Calafioli’s absence early in the second half.
Things got even weirder when substitute Zvimendi was substituted and Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz came on for the Spaniard and Ebelesi Eze with a quarter remaining.
Mikel Arteta has had to make a difficult decision (Image: Shaun Brooks/Getty Images)
4. Chicken game
As the match progressed, it became a game of chicken, with whichever team taking more risks and aiming for victory. Was the draw a good result for the title-chasing Gunners, or for the relegation-threatened Hammers? Can Arsenal allow goal difference to become a factor in their race with Manchester City? And could West Ham tip the scales in Leeds’ favor against Tottenham on Monday night?
Arsenal’s nerves seemed to get the better of them and they began awarding unnecessary free-kicks while retreating towards their own goal. Fortunately, Raya did not tense up and stood tall at the crucial moment, keeping Fernandes at bay.
David Raya made a crucial save from Matheus Fernandes in the closing stages (Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
5. VAR makes big decisions
Wilson’s finish sent the home crowd into a frenzy and Arteta left with his head in his hands. However, as soon as the ball crossed the line, Arsenal’s players went to the referee for a decision.
Replays showed that Raya was impeded by Pablo’s arm, and the decision was made after a very long consideration. West Ham were furious but it looked like the right decision was made under huge pressure, although there were a few other possible fouls in the chaotic box.
VAR deemed Pablo to have fouled David Raya (Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
6. The table doesn’t lie
It wasn’t Arsenal vintage. But it doesn’t matter because it’s not all season. They are five points behind Manchester City, with a game in hand, but are in an advantageous position as they rely on either Burnley or Palace, who are focused on the Conference League final.
It was a disappointing turn of events for West Ham, who remain just one point behind Tottenham until Monday night’s game against Leeds. Nuno Espirito Santo’s team showed they were more than ready for the fight, but in the end a mistake from Fernandes cost them a vital point. They have upcoming games against Newcastle and Leeds.
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