Arsenal’s Premier League title problem suffered a large blow because the 10-man Gunners had been crushed 1-0 at residence by lowly West Ham on Saturday.
Jarrod Bowen headed in the one aim simply earlier than half-time and an injury-hit Arsenal had no reply after Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent-off on 73 minutes.
Defeat leaves second-placed Arsenal nonetheless eight factors adrift of leaders Liverpool.
The Reds can lengthen that benefit to 11 once they go to a diminished Manchester Metropolis on Sunday.
Any strain that had constructed up on Liverpool after drawing two of their final three Premier League video games was eased as Arsenal failed to deal with an harm disaster that has depleted Mikel Arteta’s attacking choices.
“We’re lacking gamers, however we have now to concentrate on the gamers which might be accessible and we have now greater than sufficient high quality to do greater than what we did as we speak,” mentioned Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.
“It wasn’t ok in entrance of the aim.”
Midfielder Mikel Merino stepped up within the absence of Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka with a late double to beat Leicester 2-0 final weekend.
Nevertheless, the Hammers simply snuffed out the Spaniard and secured only a second win since Graham Potter took cost seven video games in the past.
Bowen utilized the of entirety for the winner, however the aim owed extra to a driving run and pinpoint cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka which caught the Arsenal defence off guard on 44 minutes.
“Everybody wrote us off however we by no means wrote ourselves off as a result of we all know we are able to win any soccer recreation,” mentioned Bowen after scoring his fiftieth Premier League aim.
The house aspect then left themselves a mountain to climb with a fifth Premier League pink card of the season.
Lewis-Skelly has acquired two of them. {The teenager} was additionally sent-off in final month’s 1-0 win at Wolves.
That call was overturned on enchantment, however the left-back may have few complaints this time regardless of referee Craig Pawson initially solely brandishing a yellow card after Lewis-Skelly hauled down Mohammed Kudus.
After a VAR evaluate, Pawson upgraded the yellow to a pink for denying of a transparent goalscoring alternative.
West Ham ought to have added to their lead late on when Kudus and Evan Ferguson didn’t beat David Raya.
It didn’t matter as Arsenal’s toothless assault couldn’t break the guests down in what might show the dying knell for his or her probabilities of a primary league title since 2004.
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