Arsenal’s poor run over the past few weeks continued as the Hammers landed a potentially decisive blow to the Gunners’ top four hopes. Declan Rice popped up with the only goal of a drab encounter to push West Ham level on points with Leicester City.
Arsenal started the better of the two teams and threatened through some neat interplay in the opening 15 minutes. However, once their initial initiative was seized, they failed to wrestle it back.
After going unbeaten for 22 games, the loss at the London Stadium was the fourth defeat in Arsenal’s last eight games.
A lot of things went wrong for the Gunners on Saturday afternoon. Through this article, we would take a peek into three of those reasons.
#3 Arsenal’s defensive deficiencies come to the fore, again
The game between Arsenal and West Ham was expected to be an exciting affair with both teams not boasting of a water-tight defense. Yet, the game was anything but that. Both teams failed to create clear-cut chances but when the Hammers did eventually muster something of note early in the second half.
From an innocuous cross by Anderson, Xhaka inexplicably headed the ball straight to Nasri. The Frenchman fed Rice and the teenager gobbled up the chance to steer the home side ahead.
Arsenal have now failed to keep a clean sheet in the league since the 1-0 victory against Huddersfield on the December 8. Remarkably, their last clean sheet prior to that was way back in September and on Saturday, they displayed exactly why they’ve become so accustomed to picking the ball out of the net.
Many believed that Emery’s Arsenal is the ‘New Arsenal’. Yet, with each passing week, the chants of the ‘Same, Old Arsenal’ are growing louder and louder.
#2 Arsenal play at a pedestrian tempo
Grey skies welcomed the Gunners at the London Stadium. However, considering the firepower at Arsenal’s disposal, many expected them to lighten up the dull atmosphere. Yet, they contrived to make things murkier in their pursuit of the top four.
Arsenal fielded a back three with Kolasinac and Maitland-Niles lining up as wing-backs. Though the former contributed a little to the attack, the latter was barely visible in the final third and whenever he was, the Englishman was wasteful.
#1 Arsenal lack incision in the final third
Coming into the game against West Ham, Arsenal had scored 46 times to be the joint third highest scorers in the land. However, on Saturday, the Gunners drew a blank for the only the second time in the league.
Though Arsenal played at a lackadaisical tempo for the majority of the game, they weren’t completely bereft of chances. On a few occasions, they managed to get goal-side of the West Ham defense but they lacked their usual composure.
Of the front three, Iwobi looked the most potent Arsenal weapon yet he too lacked the cutting edge when required.
Thus, the Gunners would hope that the lack of attacking impetus is only a temporary blemish on an otherwise spotless offensive season.
However, the most worrying aspect from the game would’ve been the way Arsenal reacted to going behind. Despite chasing the game for the majority of the second period, the away side never got on to the front foot and were inclined to play at their own speed.
Though things improved slightly after Ramsey and Torreira’s introduction, the Gunners looked a pale shadow of their early season self.
