Arsenal scraped a 1-0 win over West Ham in Matchday 36 of the Premier League, once again pulling five points clear of Manchester City, who have a game in hand. The tense title race is nearing its climax, and the Londoners currently hold the upper hand, but they nearly gifted City a dramatic twist when the Hammers had a late equalizer ruled out following an extended VAR check.
West Ham 0 – 1 Arsenal
Arsenal dominated possession but only found the back of the net late in the match.
The Gunners started brightly, racking up eight shots to nil in the opening 20 minutes, with Leandro Trossard even hitting the post. Mikel Arteta’s side controlled the game, yet struggled to score. As halftime approached, West Ham grew into the contest, seeing more of the ball and launching occasional attacks.
In the second half, the match became more balanced. After the break, West Ham registered more shots (six to five) and corners (three to one), and their possession improved to 39% compared to Arsenal’s 61%.
The goal felt inevitable for both sides: Arsenal fighting for the title, West Ham battling relegation. Late on, the Gunners regained the initiative, as a draw would have suited West Ham much better.
The only legitimate goal came in the 83rd minute, courtesy of first-half misfiring Trossard. Martin Ødegaard played a key role, crafting a clever move on the right flank, driving into the box, and laying the ball off perfectly for the Belgian to slot home.
The 31-year-old Trossard bagged his sixth Premier League goal of the season — a strike that could prove decisive in the title race. A draw would have put Arsenal level on dropped points with Manchester City. Now, according to Opta, Arsenal’s title probability has soared to 87.2%.
West Ham thought they had equalized in stoppage time, only for the goal to be chalked off after a long delay. Callum Wilson struck from a corner, bundling the ball over the line after a scramble in the box, with David Raya failing to hold on. Referee Chris Kavanagh initially awarded the goal, but VAR intervened. After several minutes of review, Kavanagh was called to the monitor and ultimately ruled it out, deciding that West Ham players had interfered with the Arsenal goalkeeper too heavily.
Kavanagh penalized striker Pablo Felipe for the infringement. Ironically, Arsenal themselves have faced criticism this season for overly physical tactics at set pieces in the opposition box.
West Ham had a golden opportunity to snatch points before Arsenal’s goal. On 78 minutes, midfielder Mateus Fernandes failed to beat Raya from close range, leaving Nuno Espírito Santo’s side to rue missed chances.
The defeat leaves West Ham in the relegation zone in 18th place, one point behind Tottenham, who have a game in hand. Arsenal, meanwhile, hold a five-point lead over Manchester City, who also have a game in hand.