The match: 0-2
After their close draw against Liverpool last week (1-1), Arsenal stalled, this time at home. The Gunners lost in the London derby against West Ham (0-2), who scored on their only two opportunities. They thus let Liverpool and their two points lead finish this 19th day of the Premier League at the top of the standings.
Stifled by Arsenal’s sterile possession, the Hammers took advantage of the slightest crumb left, starting with this cagade from Oleksandre Zinchenko. The Ukrainian poorly repelled a cross, which Jarrod Bowen was quick to convert into an assist for Tomas Soucek (1-0, 13th). We still had to wait four long minutes, until the VAR decided to validate the goal (see below).
1
David Moyes won the first match of his career at the Emirates Stadium. The technician remained in 22 matches without success in the den of the Gunners (18 defeats, 4 draws).
Happy to lead, David Moyes was able to put his plan into action by regrouping his troops in their 30 meters. And leave Mikel Arteta without a response, tired of the solidity of the block of the one who coached him for six years at Everton (2005-2011). His Gunners broke their teeth with an evocative (74.2%) but harmless possession.
Arsenal can finish 2023 on top
For a long time the danger only came from the right side, that of the twirling Bukayo Saka. The Englishman tormented his direct opponents, who quickly understood that they had to work together to slow him down. And when the international (32 caps, 11 goals) finally broke free from the grip of his captors, he found the gloves of Alphonse Areola (29th), then the Frenchman’s post (42nd).
Konstantinos Mavropanos did not bother with such politeness. From a corner, the former player of the house – 8 matches between 2018 and 2022 – saw his head hit the bar before shaking the Arsenal nets (2-0, 55th). Two goals in two actions, the dream robbery for West Ham, helped by the vigilance of Areola (65th, 74th, 78th, 89th) and the clumsiness of Gabriel Jesus (58th, 65th) to keep his clean sheet. West Ham could even have had a third at the very end of the match if David Raya had not repelled Saïd Benrahma’s penalty (90th + 5).
The Hammers continue after their success over Manchester United (2-0) and are three points behind Tottenham, fifth. As for the Gunners, they can still conclude 2023 at the top of the Premier League since they travel to Fulham (Sunday, 3 p.m.), the day before the clash between Liverpool and Newcastle (9 p.m.).
The fact: VAR is debated
It took four minutes for VAR to validate Soucek’s opener. The operators fumbled to the nearest thousandth of a second to determine whether the ball had gone out six meters on Zinchenko’s clearance. In vain, the fault of Bowen’s thigh which obstructed the angle of view. Accurate or not, the decision was decided by a phalanx and attracted jeers from the Emirates.