Arsenal played against West Ham United and bottled a 2-0 lead. This same result was understandable against Liverpool since the atmosphere was intense and there were world-class players on either side. But against West Ham, this is imply unacceptable from an Arsenal perspective.
Individual errors from the likes of Thomas Partey and Gabriel is what decided the tie, however, in hindsight there were sloppy errors and misplaced passes all over the pitch. After scoring the second goal, it didn’t look like Arsenal wanted to increase their advantage which is what cost them in the end.
Speaking after the match, goal scorer and Arsenal captain had some harsh words to say about his side’s performance. According to Sky Sports (via Evening Standard), Martin Odegaard summarised Arsenal’s display as “stupid” since they allowed West Ham all the time in the world on the ball, after controlling the tempo of the game in the first half.
Thomas Partey has been exceptional all season but he was largely at fault for the first goal. He tried to flick the ball over his potential team mate next season, Declan Rice, and failed. This enabled West Ham to build the pressure in an attack which resulted in the Hammers winning a penalty.
Look, I know we’re assessing a game of what ifs. If West Ham didn’t win that penalty, nobody would even point fingers at Partey. I get that. But in a title race as close as this one, you have to accept responsibility in order to build on those mistakes to not make them again.
The captain Odegaard and manager Mikel Arteta will drill their players, so they’re best equipped to push for the Premier League title. The title race is still on, but the Gunners must improve big time.
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