Arsenal's Premier League ambitions took a severe hit following their 1-0 loss to West Ham United. The match was held at London Stadium, where Jarrod Bowen's first-half goal secured victory for the home side. Arsenal's performance left their manager, Mikel Arteta, visibly frustrated and "very, very angry." This defeat further widened the gap between Arsenal and league leaders Liverpool, now standing at eight points.
The game's pivotal moment occurred when West Ham's Jarrod Bowen found the back of the net in the first half, capitalizing on Arsenal's defensive lapses. The Gunners faced an additional blow when Myles Lewis-Skelly received a red card, leaving them with ten men on the field. Mikel Arteta expressed his dissatisfaction with the team's overall performance, stating they failed to reach the necessary standards.
"But there was a lot from our side that we never got right and didn't allow us to get enough momentum, enough sequences of play with positive action that could deliver situations of threat for them." – Mikel Arteta
Arsenal's squad depth has been tested this season due to injuries to key players, including Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Jesus. The situation worsened with Kai Havertz's season-ending knee injury earlier in the month. In an attempt to patch up the attacking line, Arteta started Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker against West Ham, a decision that did not yield the desired results.
"I never felt that we were at the standard and the level that we needed." – Mikel Arteta
The lack of reinforcements during the January transfer window has left Arsenal short of options up front. Leandro Trossard, considered a "bit-part player" by Arteta, has not been able to fill the void left by injured teammates. Moreover, 17-year-old Nwaneri struggled to make an impact during the West Ham match, highlighting the team's vulnerability in attack.
"We have to be [angry]. I hope we are very much because we didn't hit the levels today and I am very much responsible of that. So I am very, very, very angry." – Mikel Arteta
Paul Merson, a former Arsenal player and current pundit, echoed Arteta's concerns about the team's prospects. Merson declared Arsenal's title hopes "one million per cent" over and criticized their lack of firepower up front.
"Suddenly the PSV game in the Champions League is a heads or tails. They've got nothing up front. They are toothless. Centre-forward is such an art, you can't just throw someone up there. I don't see them beating Nottingham Forest either – I'd be shocked." – Paul Merson
Despite possessing will and desire, as acknowledged by Arteta, Arsenal's efforts were insufficient to overcome West Ham's solid defense. The manager urged his players to reflect on their performance and bounce back with renewed vigor.
"The will and the desire and the way we run and the way we want it… Zero question about that. But at that level, it is not enough." – Mikel Arteta
"You have to deliver and it has to be with a lot of quality to break a really good team down, to win many more duels than we have done and to put action that can end up in a threatening moment for the opposition to win the game. Today we haven't done that." – Mikel Arteta
With 12 games remaining in the season, Arsenal faces an uphill battle to turn their fortunes around. Arteta emphasized that success is no longer solely in their hands and criticized failings within their control.
"It's not in our hands. For me, I'm really, really annoyed with the things that are in our hands that we didn't do as well as we possibly could and that's the performance and the result today." – Mikel Arteta
"We have to feel the pain, we deserve it." – Mikel Arteta
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