Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge took a major hit as they suffered their first home defeat of the season, losing 1-0 to West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium on February 22, 2025. Mikel Arteta’s side had the chance to narrow the gap to leaders Liverpool, who are now eight points clear, but the Gunners could not capitalize on the opportunity due to injuries to key forwards.
The only goal came from West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen, who headed home from Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross just before half-time, after a well-executed counter-attack. This victory not only marked West Ham’s second consecutive away win at the Emirates, but it also ended Arsenal’s remarkable 15-match unbeaten streak at home in the Premier League.
Arsenal, who were missing Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, struggled to create significant chances throughout the match with makeshift striker Mikel Merino leading the line. The Gunners’ woes were exacerbated when Myles Lewis-Skelly, on as a substitute, was sent off for denying Mohammed Kudus—much to the dismay of both the team and the Emirates crowd.
"Big blow. The performance today wasn’t good enough. Really disappointed. We lacked a bit in final third efficiency. We have to see the game back and analyze it but it wasn’t good enough," said Martin Odegaard, Arsenal’s captain, reflecting on the team’s display.
Despite having to chase the game after falling behind, Arsenal’s attack was blunt. Throughout the contest, they could muster only two shots on target, both of which came from distance. With key players sidelined, the creativity and depth were sorely missed, leaving the Gunners unable to respond effectively.
Bowen’s goal came as West Ham executed their tactical approach perfectly, with Bowen, with great awareness and timing, heading the ball home to silence the home crowd. The match reflected West Ham's capability to absorb pressure and execute counter-attacks successfully, doing exactly what they did last season with another shocking victory at Arsenal.
The second half saw even more frustration for Arsenal as Lewis-Skelly received his marching orders just 17 minutes after coming on. Initially awarded a yellow card for his challenge on Kudus, VAR intervened, influencing referee Craig Pawson to upgrade the card to red due to the clear goalscoring opportunity denied by the tackle. A Premier League statement clarified: "VAR checked the referee’s call... deeming it denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity due to the goalkeeper’s position." This left the Gunners with only 10 men to chase the game.
Odegaard reflected on the challenges presented by playing with ten men: "With the red card, it was tricky as well. We have to maintain our composure and keep working as part of our game." The remark shows the need for Arsenal to find ways to stay focused and clinical, especially through tough stretches when they are behind.
Overall, the loss sees Arsenal remain eight points adrift of Liverpool, who remain comfortably at the top of the Premier League table. The title race appears increasingly difficult for Arteta’s side, who now need to turn their focus to their upcoming matches, with a trip to Nottingham Forest on the horizon.
Arteta is likely to reassess his squad as the injuries pile up, needing players to step up where others have fallen. Mikel Merino had shown promise as he stepped up to replace Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz previously, but he could not replicate the same decisive impact against West Ham.
The match has added significant pressure to Arsenal as they must navigate through this challenging phase of the season without hitting their form. With West Ham now enjoying back-to-back wins against them, it's clear the pressure will be on when they face Nottingham Forest as they aim to reclaim their title chase with confidence.
Looking forward, the match served as both warning and motivation for Arteta and his squad, demonstrating the necessity for resilience and adaptation during challenging times as they look to overturn their fortunes.