In a surprising turn of events, West Ham United secured a 2-0 victory against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, denying the Gunners a chance to reclaim the top spot in the table. This defeat marks Arsenal's first home loss of the season and leaves them trailing two points behind leaders Liverpool. On the other hand, West Ham's impressive win propels them to sixth place, just four points outside the top four.
Despite Arsenal's early dominance and pressure, West Ham took the lead against the run of play in the 13th minute. The setback continued for West Ham when playmaker Lucas Paqueta, who seemed to be injured during the warm-up, had to be substituted off just after the half-hour mark, with Said Benrahma coming on in his place.
Arsenal had a chance to equalize five minutes before halftime, but Bukayo Saka's shot hit the post and was cleared by West Ham's defense. In the early stages of the second half, Declan Rice attempted a long-range shot that narrowly missed the crossbar. However, it was former Arsenal defender Mavropanos who extended West Ham's lead, scoring with a powerful header from a James Ward-Prowse corner.
Arsenal struggled to mount a comeback, with Gabriel Jesus missing a couple of headed opportunities. West Ham comfortably navigated the closing stages of the game, and although Benrahma had a chance to make it 3-0 from the penalty spot in stoppage time, his effort was saved by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
(With Agency Inputs)
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