London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, May 11, 2025

Arsenal squander two-goal lead again in draw at West Ham

Arsenal squander two-goal lead again in draw at West Ham

Arsenal's Premier League title jitters returned in a potentially costly 2-2 draw at West Ham United on Sunday as for the second week in a row they threw away a two-goal advantage.

The leaders were 2-0 up and cruising towards restoring their six-point cushion over Manchester City with Gabriel Jesus tapping home in the seventh minute and Martin Odegaard doubling Arsenal's lead with a volley three minutes later.

But everything changed when they conceded a sloppy penalty that Said Benrahma tucked away in the 33rd minute.

West Ham, needing points themselves to stay away from the relegation zone, were transformed although Bukayo Saka had the chance to restore Arsenal's two-goal lead early in the second half only to blaze a penalty well wide.

That miss looked even more costly moments later when Jarrod Bowen volleyed in West Ham's equaliser in the 54th minute.

Just as at Anfield last week when Mikel Arteta's team led 2-0 but ended up hanging on desperately for a 2-2 draw with Liverpool, there was a nervousness about Arsenal's play as the pressure of winning a first title since 2004 intensifies.

City's destiny is now very much in their own hands as Arsenal lead the table with 74 points from 31 games, four more than City who have played a game less and who host Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side on April 26.

West Ham, who looked the stronger side after levelling and hit the crossbar through Michail Antonio, have 31 points from 30 games, four ahead of the relegation places.

Arsenal had won all five of their London derbies away from home this season without conceding a goal and had lost only two of the previous 29 league games against West Ham.

That record looked set to continue in a sparkling start but when the fulltime whistle sounded Arsenal's players looked crestfallen at losing their grip on the title race.

"Very disappointing. The way we started was superb again, we were in total control, then we lost purpose," Arteta said.


TERRIBLE PENALTY


"We gave them hope, conceded a terrible penalty, then credit to them. We got on the rollercoaster where everything is going, corners and throw ins, and we never got away from that."

Arsenal remain in a position that they could have hardly imagined back in August but with City steaming up behind them after collecting 25 points from the last 27 on offer, the odds are shifting towards Pep Guardiola's treble chasers.

It all began so well for Arsenal on a pleasant spring afternoon in east London.

An intricate passing move in the seventh minute ended with Ben White's teeing up Jesus for a tap-in and with West Ham looking dazed and disorganised, unmarked Odegaard then volleyed in Gabriel Martinelli's cross.

West Ham were handed a lifeline when Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey was caught in possession by Declan Rice and Gabriel then took down Lucas Paqueta and Benrahma coolly beat Aaron Ramsdale from the spot.

Antonio's harsh handball early in the second half, after a VAR chck, gave Saka the chance to calm Arsenal's nerves but he made a hash of his penalty.

That turned up the volume from the home fans and less than three minutes after Saka's miss, a lofted ball forward found the impressive Bowen unmarked and he showed great composure to bounce a volley past Ramsdale.

Arsenal still had time to re-group but offered very little in the latter stages and they must now focus on Friday's must-win home clash against bottom club Southampton.

"We have to remember we are still top of the league with everything in our own hands," Odegaard said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump's Upcoming Visit to Gulf Nations: Investment and Security at the Forefront
Rodrigo Duterte Awaits Trial at The Hague. Next week he might be elected mayor of his hometown
Trump fires director of U.S. Copyright Office, sources say
Retired British police officer arrested over ‘thought crime’ tweet
Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected as Pope Leo XIV, Marking a Historic Papacy
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Arrested at ICE Facility Amid Congressional Visit
India-Pakistan conflict may be first test for Chinese military tech
Bill Gates Announces Plan to Wind Down Philanthropic Foundation and Disperse Wealth
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
×