Arsenal suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium, in a match that left manager Mikel Arteta visibly frustrated. Jarrod Bowen scored the decisive goal for West Ham with a diving header just before halftime. The loss leaves Arsenal eight points behind league leaders Liverpool, who could extend their lead further with a win against Manchester City on Sunday. With Arsenal missing several key strikers due to injuries, Arteta had to rely on midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift forward.
Despite dominating possession and taking 20 shots, Arsenal managed only two shots on target throughout the game. Arteta expressed his dissatisfaction with the team's performance, emphasizing that the team failed to meet the standards required to contend for the Premier League title. The absence of recognized strikers, including Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka, did not provide an excuse for Arteta, who was critical of the team's inability to convert possession into meaningful threats.
"And that was nowhere near the levels that we have to hit to have the opportunity to win a Premier League. Today, no. We were very consistent, yes, but football is about what you do today and today, nowhere near." – Mikel Arteta
Arteta highlighted the lack of threat Arsenal posed and the ease with which West Ham capitalized on turnovers.
"Even though the [possession] that we had and 20 shots, I never felt that we were at the standard and the level that we needed," – Mikel Arteta
Injuries forced Arteta to make tactical adjustments, but he refused to attribute the defeat solely to the absence of forwards. Instead, he focused on the overall lack of performance.
"First of all to have more threat and then not to allow them to run because we lost a lot of balls that we allowed West Ham to run in very dangerous positions." – Mikel Arteta
The defeat was a significant blow to Arsenal's title aspirations, with Arteta conceding that the championship is now out of their hands. His frustration was palpable as he urged his players to reflect on their shortcomings.
"We have to be [angry]. I hope we are very much because we didn't hit the levels today, and I am very, very angry." – Mikel Arteta
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