Arsenal 0-1 West Ham: Jarrod Bowen scores and Myles Lewis-Skelly sent off as Gunners dealt huge title blow

Arsenal suffered a 1-0 loss to West Ham and had Myles Lewis-Skelly sent off in a huge blow to their Premier League title hopes which gives Liverpool the chance to go 11 points clear.

The Gunners were hoping to cut the gap to five points but could not recover after Jarrod Bowen punished poor defending to head in Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross before half-time. Liverpool can now extend their eight-point lead at Manchester City on Super Sunday.

Mikel Arteta started Mikel Merino up front amid Arsenal’s injury crisis but the makeshift striker was unable to replicate his two-goal heroics against Leicester in a laboured Gunners display.

The hosts struggled to create chances, never mind take them, and their task was made tougher when substitute Lewis-Skelly had a yellow card upgraded to a red for a last-man foul on the excellent Mohammed Kudus in the second half following a VAR check.

The 18-year-old had a red card against Wolves last month overturned but there is little prospect of that this time, given Kudus was through on goal with David Raya around 40 yards off his line.

Arsenal subjected West Ham to heavy pressure in the closing stages, but Gabriel Magalhaes sliced a shot over the bar and Ben White fired narrowly wide as their lack of firepower, with Kai Havertz added to their injury list earlier this month, proved costly.

The defeat leaves their title hopes hanging by a thread. As their players sunk to their haunches at the final whistle, West Ham’s celebrated a deserved victory, only their second under Graham Potter but his fourth in five visits to the Emirates Stadium as a manager.

Bowen’s goal, following a breakaway which involved defensive lapses from Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice and Gabriel, came from one of five shots to Arsenal’s 20 but the Gunners only managed to get two on target, with the visitors defending their box comfortably.

The defeat ends a 15-game Premier League unbeaten run for Arsenal, their longest under Arteta, and makes it two wins from two for West Ham at the Emirates Stadium following their 2-0 win last season.

Analysis: Are Arsenal’s title hopes over?

Arsenal’s late win at Leicester, secured by Merino’s double, coupled with Liverpool’s subsequent 2-2 draw against Aston Villa, had raised hopes that the Gunners might yet keep this title race alive, despite their injuries. Those hopes took an almighty blow with this defeat.

It was no great surprise that they struggled in attack. Any side would without their four main attackers. The absences of Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus were keenly felt. The paucity of options available to Arteta were summed up by him sending on two left-backs, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Lewis-Skelly, when chasing the game in the second half.

One of those left-backs swiftly departed following a red card. Lewis-Skelly could have few complaints, despite his foul taking place on the halfway line. But at that point the game was already drifting away from Arsenal, who had 20 shots but were unable to create any clear opportunities.

Their depleted attack was of course a huge factor in the result. West Ham deserve huge credit for their excellent performance too. But ultimately it was uncharacteristically poor defending which did for Arteta’s side. West Ham took advantage for their goal.

Arsenal’s best hope of keeping in touch with Liverpool in this period was always likely to be leaning on their defence and nicking goals from set-pieces. But Bowen’s header left them with too much to do. A draw would have been bad enough. A defeat might be terminal.

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