West Ham 2-0 Arsenal

Arsenal missed the opportunity to reclaim the top spot in the Premier League as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to West Ham at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday. The visitors scored a goal in each half through Tomas Soucek and Konstantinos Mavropanos, who both headed in from corners. Arsenal had more possession and shots, but failed to find a way past the solid West Ham defence and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

The result leaves Arsenal second in the table, four points behind Manchester City, who have a game in hand. West Ham move up to fourth, level on points with third-placed Liverpool.

Arsenal started the game brightly, with Bukayo Saka having a goal disallowed for offside in the fifth minute. The England winger was also denied by Fabianski later in the half, as was Gabriel Jesus, who led the line for the hosts in the absence of the injured Gabriel Martinelli. West Ham took the lead against the run of play in the 27th minute, when William Saliba fouled Jarrod Bowen in the box and Said Benrahma converted the penalty. Arsenal thought they had a penalty of their own just before the break, when the ball hit Declan Rice’s arm, but the referee overturned his decision after consulting with VAR.

The second half saw Arsenal increase their pressure on the West Ham goal, but they were unable to break through. Saka, Jesus, and Emile Smith-Rowe all had chances, but either missed the target or were thwarted by Fabianski. West Ham doubled their lead in the 55th minute, when Soucek headed in from a Benrahma corner. Arsenal responded by bringing on Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah, but they could not find a way back into the game. West Ham sealed the win in the 64th minute, when Mavropanos, who is on loan from Arsenal, nodded in from another corner. Arsenal tried to salvage some pride, but West Ham held on for a deserved victory.

The defeat was a bitter blow for Arsenal, who had won their previous six league games and were hoping to end the year on a high. They will have to regroup and bounce back when they face Norwich on January 1. West Ham, on the other hand, celebrated a memorable win that boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. They will look to continue their impressive form when they host Crystal Palace on January 2.