Arsenal need striker for the title
Arsenal had chances aplenty throughout the night but couldn’t find the clinical edge that their main title rivals, Liverpool and Manchester City, have boasted for years.
Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland have each netted more Premier League goals than Arteta’s two strikers – Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah – combined this season.
January isn’t renowned for being the optimum time for high-profile transfer business. However, Arsenal need to buck that trend this winter and make a signing that they won’t win the title without.
Moyes breaks nightmare streak
Before this evening, Moyes had never won a Premier League game as a manager away at Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United in 72 attempts.
He had only gone without a league victory against Chelsea (23 games) longer than Arsenal, drawing four and losing 18 of his previous meetings.
But Moyes ended that nightmare run by ending the Gunners’ 13-game unbeaten streak at home in all competitions, stretching back to a 3-0 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion in May.
Arsenal had won their previous seven games at the Emirates by an aggregate score of 21-2. It’s an excellent result for West Ham just days after their 2-0 triumph over United.
More VAR controversy for Arteta
Arteta was left furious after a controversial goal that saw Newcastle United beat Arsenal 1-0 earlier in the season.
There was mass debate over whether Joe Willock had kept the ball in play during the move, which ended with Anthony Gordon scoring the winner.
This time, VAR couldn’t provide a definitive call on whether Jarrod Bowen had kept the ball in before assisting Tomas Soucek’s opener. Therefore, Michael Oliver’s on-field decision stood.
Konstantinos Mavropanos – who joined West Ham in a £19million deal in the summer – came back to haunt his former club Arsenal by heading in the second after half-time.
Another unhappy reunion for Rice
Declan Rice didn’t enjoy his return to the London Stadium earlier in the season as West Ham dumped Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup with a 3-1 win.
And the former Hammers captain endured another woeful night in the Premier League, conceding a stoppage-time penalty to put the cherry on the cake.
Said Benrahma failed to compile the misery on Arsenal from the spot, but it did little to dampen the mood in the away end at full-time.
Rice will have been delighted with his £105m switch to north London earlier this year. But it’s fair to say he wouldn’t have expected to have already lost twice to his ex-employers this term.
