West Ham United vs Arsenal. Premier League.
London StadiumAttendance59,959.
Report and free match highlights as Gabriel Magalhaes' second-half header secures a 2-1 win for Arsenal against West Ham; Gunners move back into fourth place above Tottenham; Jarrod Bowen had earlier cancelled out Rob Holding's opener
Monday 2 May 2022 06:16, UK
Mikel Arteta praised his Arsenal side for "winning ugly" as they battled to a 2-1 win over West Ham to climb back above Tottenham and boost their prospects of a top-four finish.
The Gunners went into the game having dropped to fifth following Spurs' 3-1 win over Leicester earlier on Sunday, but Gabriel Magalhaes' second-half header (55) from Gabriel Martinelli's cross proved decisive in a hard-fought encounter at the London Stadium.
Earlier, Gabriel's centre-back partner Rob Holding, standing in for the injured Ben White, had put the Gunners in front when he nodded in a Bukayo Saka corner (39), only for Jarrod Bowen to bring the hosts level with a low finish just before the break (45).
West Ham deserved that goal, having been the better side in an often-subdued first period, but Thursday's Europa League exertions left them heavy-legged in the closing stages and they rarely threatened after Gabriel restored Arsenal's lead.
Mikel Arteta's side had chances to kill the game, with Eddie Nketiah spurning several opportunities on the break, but their slender lead proved sufficient as they moved two points above their north London rivals - and within three of third-placed Chelsea - guaranteeing a top-six finish in the process.
West Ham, meanwhile, remain seventh in the Premier League, three points behind sixth-placed Manchester United, putting even more emphasis on their Europa League semi-final second leg away to Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.
Arsenal came into the game knowing what was required to go back above Tottenham but they made a lethargic start, repeatedly surrendering possession and allowing West Ham to pin them back.
The Hammers, though, were guilty of sloppiness themselves, perhaps understandably given their Europa League exertions here three days earlier, making for a low-quality opening half-hour.
West Ham did, however, manage to create openings, with Pablo Fornals blazing over and Declan Rice firing straight at Aaron Ramsdale either side of a heroic block by Holding to deny Manuel Lanzini.
West Ham looked likeliest to break the deadlock at that point, but Arsenal suddenly sprang to life when an errant pass by Bowen allowed Martin Odegaard to feed Nketiah, who drove past a crowd of West Ham defenders and unleashed a low, curling effort which had to be pushed around the post by Lukasz Fabianski.
It was from the resulting corner that Holding broke the deadlock, rising highest to meet Saka's corner and send a glancing header into the far corner for his first goal since September 2019.
Their lead did not last long, however. Six minutes later, Rice, excellent in midfield, sprayed a diagonal pass out to Vladimir Coufal, whose low cross found Bowen. The winger was given space to control the ball and fire a low finish past Ramsdale.
It seemed that goal would give the hosts the momentum in the second period but instead it was Arsenal who seized the initiative, with Saka forcing a smart save by Fabianski at his near post before Gabriel struck.
The Brazilian's goal came in the aftermath of another corner as Martinelli picked up a loose ball and dug out a cross to the far post, where Gabriel peeled off his man to head past Fabianski from close-range.
Arsenal were happy to sit back and try to hit West Ham on the break from then on and the tactic worked well - even though Nketiah was unable to capitalise on their best breakaway chances.
On one occasion, he fired a yard wide of the far post. On another, he was denied by Fabianski while trying to find the same corner of the net.
David Moyes tried to respond, throwing on the rested Michail Antonio as West Ham tried to muster a leveller, but they could not make their dominance of possession count and Arsenal held firm to secure what could prove an invaluable victory.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told Sky Sports: "We won ugly and big teams have to find a way to win ugly when they don't play at their best.
"With the ball we were really poor. We lacked composure, dominance to play the game we wanted to play, but we found a way through set pieces, through defending extremely well.
"To win here is credit to the boys. They showed the spirit we have.
"I'm still digesting a lot of things we didn't do right, but as a team to grow in confidence and to continue with the moment we have, we've won against three big teams in a row."
On Arsenal showing a streetwise streak, he added: "I love that. We need that to win football matches.
"You have to find a way, you have to play the game that is necessary to play when you are not at your best and we did that in a lot of moments."
West Ham manager David Moyes told Sky Sports: "We played quite well in periods of the game and did a good job against a good team, but we got undone by something we're normally very good at which is defending set pieces. The team we put out today lacked that height we required."
In his press conference, he added: "The team we selected today, we knew it was a risk because we took out a couple of big players, players who head the ball quite a bit for us. That was a risk we took and in the end it came back to punish us."
Moyes also felt aggrieved by what he deemed to be a handball by Holding in the build-up to Arsenal's winning goal.
"Rob Holding was up to head it but he doesn't actually get it and it hits his arm and it's not stopped. I think if the referee had seen it, he would have stopped it."
Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness said: "Arsenal deserved to win. They looked a good team today at times.
"In the second half they found another yard.
"I thought Nketiah was the best player on the pitch. He always wanted to run forward.
"His contract has virtually run out and I'm amazed at that. He will not be short of people wanting him. I really like him.
"West Ham didn't carry a threat for me."
May 8 - Leeds (h), live on Sky Sports
May 12 - Tottenham (a), live on Sky Sports
May 16 - Newcastle (a), live on Sky Sports
May 22 - Everton (h)
Arsenal's next focus is a home match against Leeds before their crucial north London derby clash at Tottenham, with both games live on Sky Sports Premier League. The Gunners then travel to Newcastle for a Monday Night Football game on May 16 before hosting Everton on the final day of the season.
West Ham have the second leg of their Europa League semi-final with Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday evening, before travelling to Norwich next weekend. They host Manchester City before heading to Brighton on the last day of the season.
