Arsenal’s Premier League title aspirations suffered a significant setback with a 1-0 defeat to West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium on February 22, 2025. The decisive moment came just before halftime when West Ham’s captain, Jarrod Bowen, headed in a cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, marking his 50th Premier League goal.
The Gunners, already grappling with injuries to key forwards such as Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka, struggled to penetrate West Ham’s well-organized defense. Manager Mikel Arteta’s decision to deploy Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker did not yield the desired results, as Arsenal managed only two shots on target throughout the match.
The situation worsened in the 73rd minute when substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly was shown a red card for a foul on Mohammed Kudus. Initially issued a yellow card, the decision was upgraded to red after a VAR review determined that Lewis-Skelly had denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
This defeat ended Arsenal’s 15-match unbeaten run in the league and left them eight points behind leaders Liverpool, who have the opportunity to extend their lead further. Arteta expressed his frustration post-match, stating, “We didn’t hit the levels today, and I am very much responsible for that, so I am very, very angry.”
Conversely, West Ham’s victory marked consecutive away wins against Arsenal for the first time since the 2006/07 season. Manager Graham Potter praised his team’s disciplined performance, noting, “The players were really topping that because obviously we’re playing against a fantastic team. You have to suffer at times, but I thought the players did it well.”
Arsenal will need to regroup quickly as they prepare to face Nottingham Forest in their next fixture, aiming to keep their title hopes alive.
