Arsenal’s Premier League title race took a massive hit as they drew against West Ham, throwing away a two-goal lead in the process. The Gunners started the game brightly with Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard scoring early on.
However, their lead was short-lived as West Ham’s Said Benrahma scored from the spot and Jarrod Bowen equalized before the end of the first half.
Arsenal failed to regain their footing in the second half, with the Hammers pushing for a winner. Mikel Arteta’s reluctance to make substitutions until after the hour mark left Arsenal fans frustrated, especially with the likes of Leandro Trossard, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, and Reiss Nelson on the bench. The Gunners couldn’t cope with the pressure from West Ham and fell apart, with Bowen scoring the equalizer to the delight of the home crowd.
Arteta’s failure to react to West Ham’s pressure was one of three things that Daily Star Sport identified as the Arsenal manager getting wrong. The other two were Arsenal’s lack of bottle and their inability to hold on to a two-goal lead. After avoiding throwing away a two-goal lead for three years, Arteta’s Arsenal did it twice in just seven days, which is a worrying trend for the North London club.
The result is a massive boost for Manchester City in the title race, who have now closed the gap to just four points behind Arsenal. City have been on a blistering run of form since drawing with Nottingham Forest in February, winning six consecutive games. They will now be looking to capitalize on Arsenal’s slip-up and put even more pressure on the Gunners in the coming weeks.
For Arsenal, this result is a major setback in their title pursuit. Arteta will need to address the team’s lack of bottle and their inability to hold on to leads if they want to stay in the title race. With City breathing down their necks, Arsenal cannot afford any more slip-ups if they want to keep their title hopes alive.
Arsenal’s draw against West Ham was a disappointing result for the Gunners, who threw away a two-goal lead and lost valuable ground in the title race. Mikel Arteta will need to address his team’s lack of bottle and their inability to hold on to leads if they want to stay in the hunt for the Premier League trophy.
Meanwhile, Manchester City will be delighted with this result, as they close the gap on Arsenal and put even more pressure on the North London club. The title race is far from over, but Arsenal cannot afford any more slip-ups if they want to keep their hopes alive.
Arsenal fans, do you think the title race is now Manchester City’s to lose? Tell us in the comments section below.
