West Ham 1-2 Arsenal: 4 talking points as top four race heats up

Arsenal battled their way to three more massive Premier League points on Sunday as they beat West Ham 2-1 at the London Stadium.

Coming into the game there was plenty to ponder in terms of the selections, although Benjamin White missing out with a tight hamstring was not on the agenda. In his place came Rob Holding, who proved to be the Gunners’ hero on the day.

Hoping for a fast start that would pile the pressure on West Ham early doors – who weren’t as rotated as expected – instead the game went the way the hosts would have liked. Sloppiness from both teams and general sluggishness on the ball saw neither team truly threaten until Holding produced a fine block to keep Benrahma out.

With little in the way of goalmouth action for Arsenal, it’s understandable that their opener came from a set piece. Bukayo Saka whipped in an inswinging delivery and Holding rose highest to angle a fine header beyond Fabianski and into the far corner.

West Ham 1-2 Arsenal: 4 talking points as Holding and Gabriel secure vital Premier League win as Gunners keep top four bid firmly on track

Declan Rice was denied by Aaron Ramsdale shortly after when a flying save tipped his header onto the bar, although the visitors’ resistance was broken in limp fashion when Jarrod Bowen had time in the box to fire an effort into the bottom corner via the aid of a deflection.

Arsenal had to respond after the break. They did.

While the performance still lacked general composure, they got the goal they sorely needed when Martinelli reacted well in the second phase of a corner to deliver a neat cross to Gabriel at the back post. Focused on getting power and accuracy on his header, there was too much conviction for Fabianski to handle as it deflected off the goalkeeper and into the net.

It wasn’t pretty from thereon in, even if Eddie Nketiah was denied a couple of goals by fine saves, but it was enough for Arsenal to take three valuable points into next week’s visit of Leeds.

1. Arsenal Secure a Europa League Place

While that is far from the target now, this win ensures that the minimum that Arsenal can end up with this season is a Europa League place.

Boasting an insurmountable 11 point lead over West Ham in seventh, who have just three matches remaining, it means that sixth is as low as Arteta’s side can finish.

That is, of course, not the aim. However, it is not long ago that fear was creeping in of Arsenal dropping out of the European places entirely, with that torrid three-game losing streak risking the whole season being derailed.

And, in classic Arsenal style, they’ve got here the hard way.

Losing to Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton, this team has since beaten Chelsea away, Manchester United at home, and West Ham away. It doesn’t make a great deal of sense, but there we are.

European football is returning to the Emirates Stadium, but which kind?

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2. Set Piece Specialists Strike Again

Whatever happens come the end of the season, when the list is drawn up for unsung heroes, Nicolas Jover needs to be on it.

Set pieces are never more important than in matches like this one. For anyone who believes having the ball on the ground and beating teams that way will continuously win you games, they are wrong.

On the whole this was a poor performance. There is no glossing over that. So sloppy with the ball at feet, when the quality is lacking and individually players are short, you have to maximise every avenue available to find the back of the net.

West Ham’s lack of taller figures on account of rotation and injury handed Arsenal an opening. The Hammers have been excellent in both boxes with dead balls all season and this team found a way to exploit their unforeseen weaknesses.

Holding’s header from a ball into a congested area allowed the Gunners to capitalise on height advantage, and then for the second goal it was all about keeping the play alive and knowing where to be and when in the second phase. Martinelli picked Gabriel out terrifically after he peeled off at the back post and it won them the game.

It’s not a fluke that Lanzini was involved in both goals. Where the ball goes and who to is all thought out.

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3. Nuno Tavares & Gabriel Martinelli Didn’t Work

Setting up with a left side of Nuno Tavares and Martinelli, the introduction of Takehiro Tomiyasu had a domino effect in how the side set up.

Martinelli was far narrower than he usually is, spending most of his time in the half-spaces, with the idea being that Nuno could be more adventurous going forward to provide the width. However, with neither impressing individually, the left side was getting ripped open in the first half.

Sadly it was another frustrating performance from Nuno who was either giving the ball away sloppily or lacking crispness in his passing. Between the two of them distances were off, spaces were too wide and whatever tactical plan was in place wasn’t being executed accordingly.

This was just the fifth time that the pair had started a match together, with this being their first win in the Premier League when both in the lineup.

• Wimbledon (H): 3-0 win
• Manchester United (A): 3-2 loss
• Nottingham Forest (A): 1-0 loss
• Southampton (A): 1-0 loss

It’s not that these two are an imbalanced pair that won’t ever work, but when neither are on their games tactically speaking – or with the ball – it causes systematic issues that were the basis for the Hammers’ goal.

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4. Arsenal Win Ugly – Three Points All That Matter

"“Massive win because we put ourselves in lots of problems with our decisions in possession,” Arteta said after the game. “But the team showed huge character not to give up and to do the right things. “The way we defended it was phenomenal. From my point of view today we won ugly, but I’m extremely happy with this team.”"

Exactly that. At this stage of the season, by hook or by crook, the three points are all that matters. Arteta added that results aren’t sustainable with the level of performance seen for large spells against United and against West Ham, but Arsenal fought their way to three gigantic points.

David Moyes surprised near enough everyone with his team selection. He rolled the dice by fielding close to as strong of a team as he could – which he should be slaughtered for if West Ham look fatigued on Thursday – yet the players handled the physical side of the game brilliantly and defended as a unit. When tempers boiled over, they didn’t fold.

This was anything but pretty. On the whole it was a poor performance from the visitors. But that’s fine, as this game was all about digging in with another fixture where key players were missing in order to wrestle back control over Tottenham.

There is absolutely no avoiding that distinct improvements are to be made if top four is to be secured. Yet now comes another round of fixtures where if Arsenal can dispatch relegation threatened Leeds and Liverpool can do the business over Tottenham, top four could be decided in the North London Derby.

What. A. Win.