It was a game that lacked any real quality in truth. That being said, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal did what it took to get over the line. The Gunners emerge from this London rivalry match versus West Ham United with all three points as the North London derby looms on the horizon, ever closer. Here are three talking points from a vital Arsenal win.
Arsenal Win Against the Hammers: What are the Talking Points?
Beating the Big Teams is Always a Positive
Arsenal fans will say how typical it is that their side is overcoming the big guns. Following a three-game losing streak that saw them fall to Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton, Arteta’s men have turned a corner. It began with that wild 4-2 win at Stamford Bridge against an out of sorts Chelsea team, with Eddie Nketiah scoring twice against the Blues. Then, Arsenal took their chances against the run of play and stole three points away from Manchester United.
In this one, it was a similar scenario in some ways. Arsenal were by no means the better side and a draw would have been a fair result by all accounts. Regardless though, they were able to get over the line and get past a very tough West Ham side. It was not an easy Sunday afternoon at the London Stadium but three points is three points at the end of the day. Next up, Arsenal face Leeds United followed by the dreaded derby day against Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal Win Impressive With a Makeshift Backline
Two of the four starting defenders for Arsenal would not normally make the line-up. As good a servant as Rob Holding as been in the famous red and white, he is certainly no Ben White. Interestingly enough, the goals were scored by the centre-back pairing Holding and Gabriel. Holding will still not be in Arteta’s strongest side and the same goes for Nuno Tavares. Both had a good outing against West Ham but it is impressive that the Gunners can knock off those in and around them with a makeshift backline.
"You've gone soft, Graeme Souness!" 🤣
Graeme Souness believes Aaron Ramsdale was lucky to avoid punishment for his reckless challenge on Jarrod Bowen. pic.twitter.com/RkSK9GYfGF
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 1, 2022
Aaron Ramsdale has received a lot of praise since joining Arsenal, and rightly so. A lot of it has come from within but there are still a lot of envious admirers from further afield. However, there is a case to be made that people shouldn’t get ahead of themselves and that the former Bournemouth man is by no means perfect. There is a lot of debate surrounding that incident between him and Jarrod Bowen – if Mike Dean deems it to be a foul then Ramsdale may well have seen red.
The Irons Prioritised Their European Ambitions
Whilst the focus here is on Arsenal, the opponents in their way have to be addressed too. David Moyes has done a fantastic job with West Ham and is reaping the rewards with this Europa League semi-final. They lost the first leg to Eintracht Frankfurt of the Bundesliga 2-1 so all is still to play for as the Hammers’ faithful take to Germany.
In lew of this major clash that is just days away, Moyes rested some key men. Declan Rice is an ever-present force in the midfield but he was partnered by stalwart Mark Noble as opposed to the much-loved Thomas Soucek. Along with Soucek, Jamaican international Michail Antonio began this one on the bench. It showed as West Ham had no focal point upfront and so the attack failed to cause any real threats. By the time Antonio entered the fray, it was too late.
Arsenal currently sit in a very affable position. They occupy fourth with rivals Spurs two points behind and so the power is in the hands of Arteta and co. Securing top four is no mean feat, especially given the expectations surrounding them at the start of the season, but can they get over the line?
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