Arsenal squandered the chance to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool as they fell to a shock 1-0 defeat at home to West Ham.
A Jarrod Bowen header on the stroke of half-time proved to be the difference on a frustrating afternoon for Mikel Arteta’s side, who ended the game with ten men after substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off.
The result means the Gunners missed the opportunity to cut Liverpool’s lead to five points and make ground in this season’s title race.
For West Ham, however, the win will be a welcome boost for new boss Graham Potter, who has struggled to change the Hammers’ fortunes since taking over in early January.
Leaving north London with three points 😃 pic.twitter.com/aoGqgJvAwZ
— West Ham United (@WestHam) February 22, 2025
How the action unfolded
The Gunners began the all-London affair brightly but failed to cut through a stern Hammers defence.
Frustration appeared to be creeping in as Arteta’s side struggled to break the deadlock. Mikel Merino could not turn Thomas Partey’s ball goalbound while Martin Odegaard blasted over from the edge of the box.
The visitors steadily grew into the game and had chances of their own when Tomas Soucek twice failed to get his header on target.
Then, on 44-minutes, West Ham silenced the home crowd after Bowen met Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross from the right and buried the ball into the net with a diving header.
Jarrod Bowen’s strike against Arsenal means he now has 50 Premier League goals.
He’s the second West Ham player to hit the milestone, behind only Michail Antonio (68) 👏 pic.twitter.com/6WnKFyPqEf
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 22, 2025
The game opened up after the break, with Bowen going close to doubling the visitor’s advantage.
It was shaping up to be an afternoon of missed opportunities for Arsenal, and their frustration was compounded when substitute Lewis-Skelly was dismissed after hauling down Mohammed Kudus on 73-minutes.
The teenage defender was initially shown a yellow card but the decision was upgraded to a red after a VAR check.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Arsenal surged forward in search of an equaliser. But Potter’s side held firm to record a famous away victory.
As the minutes ticked down, and the Gunners threw bodies up field, Arteta cut an increasingly despondent figure on the touchline, knowing that a significant opportunity in the title race had gone begging.