Premier League
Arsenal  0-2 West Ham United 

Tuesday, 26th December 2023
by Chris Wilkerson

West Ham gave their fans a late Christmas present after taking a 2-0 victory from The Emirates and inflicting Arsenal’s first home defeat of the season.

A first-half goal for Tomas Soucek and a header in the second by Mavropanos were enough to give David Moyes and his side a 2-0 lead that was rarely threatened, even under a barrage of Arsenal pressure.

It was a defensive performance of unparalleled grit, discipline, intensity and no little skill. Arsenal's players are confident on the ball, quick, inventive and direct, but they couldn't break through a makeshift defence at the top of their game. Finally, Moyes had a win away at Arsenal.

The Hammers started with one change from their victory over Manchester United, with Ogbonna coming in for the injured Zouma to leave Moyes's side with their reserve centre backs at the Emirates. Paqueta had gone down injured in the warm-up, leaving West Ham fearing another key man was to miss the game. He recovered to start, but was forced off after 30 minutes.

The match started with the immediate tone set as Arsenal took and held possession. West Ham were comfortable to drop straight in and get their structure, disciplined and deep in defence. Odegaard was fantastic throughout and started with some delightful skill to create a chance for Saka, but it was struck right at Areola.

It was all in West Ham's half, with the ball going back to Arsenal too easily. When The Hammers finally got ahold of possession, they opened the scoring.

There was possession without much intent, keeping it around the left side before Emerson got some space on the wing and decided to drill in a low cross. It evaded all the attacking runners, but Zinchenko - targeted all night by West Ham - made a mess of clearing, knocking it back wide of his own goal.

The ball looked to have gone off, but Bowen wasn't letting it go, prodding it back into the centre of goal, where Soucek stood to tap the ball in and give West Ham a lead inside 15 minutes.

Rightly, VAR was searching all angles to check if the ball had gone off. It's impossible to describe in words, you have to see it to understand that whilst it may have looked off, Bowen was blocking the sight line of the camera. VAR could not prove it was off, could not prove the decision to play was wrong, and could only conclude that the goal must stand. It was more than probably off, but probably proves nothing. West Ham had a lead at The Emirates.

The goal did nothing to the pattern of the game, as Arsenal immediately composed themselves and dominated possession again.

But they were starting to realise what they were up against. As we've said many times before, ceding possession is sometimes a strength of West Ham. They will not have been concerned that Arsenal were keeping the ball, and Moyes's West Ham have rarely shown anything but an appetite for their defensive work. In short, this is a team that enjoys the gritty sacrifice of a defensive shift.

And it was how Arsenal were to adapt that would decide this game. Could they hold their nerve? Could they work out where the gaps were? And when they found none, did they know how to change their approach to force them?

There was very little in the first half to show they could, but it must be said that sometimes you just can't beat a defence. Arsenal were blunt, and they are truly a top class striker away from what the best teams have on these occasions. Jesus just isn't clinical enough in games when space is suffocated and chances are at a premium.

It was interesting also to see Zinchenko struggle so badly. The two serial winners they were allowed to take from Manchester City are proving why they were the ones let go.

The Ukrainian is a wonderful footballer, clearly valued by Arteta for his ability to do a job at left back whilst bringing the craft on the ball of a midfielder. But Mohammed Kudus is quick, strong and direct; the Ghanaian ate Zinchenko alive.

Both he and Bowen were vital defensively. Not just because they did their work and made the effort to cover and harass those in possession, but mostly for their ability to relieve pressure. Kudus shone just driving into space, carrying 40, 50, 60 yards up the field just to force the home side back.

They were all working tirelessly. Alvarez shuffled side-to-side and scurried around possession in and on the edges of the box with incredible intensity and intelligence.

Arsenal's best chances fell to their own Star Boy, but their misfiring front three were far from their best. Bowen has scored more in the league this season than all three of them combined.

Saka was unlucky, the first chance a reaction header after Jesus dinked a ball to the middle of the box from just inside it himself. Saka did well to guide it at goal, but Areola threw a hand up and tipped it over.

Paqueta was then forced off, his injury too severe to continue, and the manager turned to Benrahma, even after many recent games making it seem Fornals would be the switch.

Martinelli wasted a chance in the area by blasting wide, but it was Saka who should have equalised. After Ogbonna dwelled on the ball under pressure, he passed it back to Alvarez in the West Ham box. His pass was easily cut out and Odegaard slipped Saka in quickly. The winger came at goal from the right edge of the box and took it in at close range before firing low, but firing against the base of the post.

There was a late charge by Odegaard stopped by an impressive Ogbonna challenge, the Italian playing like he was 10 years younger in one of his best displays for the club. But at half-time, it was 1-0 to West Ham.

Pessimists will have remembered that a 1-0 lead at Arsenal can very quickly disappear, as had happened around Christmas last season for The Hammers, and Arsenal could surely only improve as they came out from the break. The game certainly settled back into the same pattern, with what felt like 75% of the game just being played with the ball at Odegaard's feet on the top left corner of West Ham's box.

They never looked to have any fresh ideas. The calls Arteta had made were bad ones. Zinchenko couldn't handle Kudus, Trossard was baffling to watch as a central midfielder playing almost beside Declan Rice. 10 minutes of nothing Arsenal football was soon punctured by some classic Moyes West Ham. Want the ball? Sure, have it. Just give us a corner...

When they finally did in the second half, it was 2-0 West Ham. Ward-Prowse whipped one in around the near post, just outside the six-yard-box. Mavropanos lost his marker, stormed at the ball and glanced it perfectly across goal, against the underside of the crossbar and the inside of the post before nestling in the back of the net. Who was marking him? Zinchenko, of course. Not sure your set-piece analyst should keep a job for suggesting that.

It was the first time West Ham had scored twice at The Emirates since August 2015, our last win here. Having lost all eight since then, was this the time to break the hoodoo?

Arsenal now started to panic a bit, and Arteta turned to his bench. The awful Zinchenko and Martinelli were replaced by Nelson and Nketiah as the home side searched desperately for a way back into the game.

It would never have come from anyone else but Odegaard. Tired, out of form, or just against a very good defence. Whatever it was, this was as insipid a performance as his side has put in all season. With a chance to go top again, they were faltering.

The substitution did have an instant impact as Jesus was suddenly provided with two chances in the two minutes that followed. First a cross from the right was headed straight at Areola when the Brazilian had the space to do better, and then the striker got under a cross to the back post from White after more great work from Odegaard set up the opportunity. Both were big chances, and showed the lack of cutting edge that was costing Arsenal.

The front three were misfiring, but chances weren't being finished by their support, either. Trossard was found in some rare space inside the box by, of course, Odegaard, but his low shot from close range was diverted wide by the diving feet of Areola.

It just cannot be stated enough how fantastic this team performance was. The defence was incredible, wonderful as individuals and a unit together, supported and protected by the fantastic Alvarez and Soucek.

Alvarez has not got the dynamism of Rice, nor the excellent recovery pace, but he may be a little smarter, and he definitely works harder to get himself into space for his teammates on the ball. Soucek gave a display that underlined why his manager has such faith in him. He managed to defend the box with his body on the line, whilst still managing to be the man in front of goal to give his side the lead.

But special mention must be made for the centre backs. Mavropanos had escaped some mindless errors against Manchester United, but showed no weaknesses here. But he was eclipsed by the elder statesman back there.

At 35, Ogbonna is clearly coming to the end of his career, and has been written off by some in recent performances. Defending deep, the Italian put in arguably his best showing for the club. There were clutch challenges, dominance in the air and on the ground, clearances and blocks galore.

It was a tense watch as the time ticked away, but Arsenal didn't really create any more chances. Saka hit into Areola's arms, Nketiah tried an overhead with too little power, and the only real moment of fear came when Michael Oliver was told to pause play and let the video officials check a challenge by Ogbonna on Saka in the box.

The winger had skipped through bodies and fallen to the ground, but there was minimal contact. He appeared to hurdle the challenge and then fall after contact - maybe - at the knees. The on-field decision was no penalty, and there was nowhere near enough on replay to overturn that decision.

In the end, the major incident in the final stages was a mistimed Declan Rice tackle on Emerson that gave West Ham a chance to round their performance off with a goal from the penalty spot.

But Benrahma's effort was saved to Raya's left, not far enough in the corner and at a good height for the goalkeeper. It mattered little, the whistle blowing seconds later, and after 23 attempts, Moyes had his win at Arsenal.

It was West Ham taking the points in their final game of 2023, a wild year that looked so worrying in parts, but comes with a first trophy win in decades, a record breaking Premier League start as The Hammers got their highest ever points tally (33) after 19 games in a PL season, a near record amount of wins in a calendar year.

To confirm all that with a win at Arsenal, their first home defeat of the season as they missed the chance to go top, was all the sweeter.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year, long may the good times roll.


Manager's Rating

David Moyes 9/10: A lot of credit goes to his team for carrying out difficult instructions against very good players, but that was a performance in the manager's image. They were drilled, knew their roles and their opponents, worked hard across the team. He's banished that period of rough performances and proven he can get points when the team aren't on song, can outplay teams and can bloody the noses of the title chasers.

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Player Ratings

Alphonse Areola
A real return to form, made some crucial saves. The save from Saka's header and the Trossard chance were the most crucial and difficult.


Vladimir Coufal
Martinelli looked a shadow of the player he can be. Some absolutely vital back post headers, and he was really strong in the air throughout. Slightly let down by the amount he gave the ball away, too readily just slinging a ball down the line, managing a 39% pass success rate.


Emerson Palmieri
Got to be Bowen's closest competition for Hammer of the Year, at the moment. Saka is as testing an opponent as you'll find, even if he's off form, but Emerson was controlled in his defensive work, decisive when required, and carried the ball with his usual superb skill.


Angelo Ogbonna
Rolled back the years. A truly fantastic performance, 100% ground duels won, 87% pass accuracy, six clearances, four blocks, three headed clearances and two recoveries. Immense.


Konstantinos Mavropanos
The better defender was Ogbonna, but Mavropanos was excellent himself and rounded it off with a wonderfully headed goal.


Tomas Soucek
Not quite as brilliant in defence as Alvarez was, but he also got forward to score the first goal. He'd have basically been excused for staying back and not making those runs, but he still had the ambition to do it and picked his moment wisely.


Edson Alvarez
He very tirelessly works in small areas. It's constant shuffling movement, covering gaps, being the second man so often to support a defender. He's relentless off the ball, both when his team has possession and when they don't.


James Ward-Prowse
10th assist of the season. Another tireless performance, and showing that his defensive skills are sharp enough to be a supplement to such efforts. His set-pieces are vital in a match like this and it was such a fantastic corner that Mavropanos guided home to make it 2-0, with real whip and bend.


Lucas Paqueta
Did a fine job defending that flank and holding onto possession during his time on the pitch. Hopefully a short injury.


Mohammed Kudus
Faded a little in the second half but was an enormous source of relief for the defence, especially in the first half. The carries may have mostly just won territory up the field, but the rest was an absolute necessity to relieve the pressure and give the team time to move up. He bullied Zinchenko, who looked miles short of the required standard to match him.


Jarrod Bowen
Fantastic awareness and effort levels to keep that ball in play - maybe - for the first goal. Worked thanklessly up top, bouncing between Saliba and Gabriel, but never stopped and is proving himself in the role.



Substitutes

Said Benrahma
(Replaced Paqueta, 33) Did his defensive work really well, although his passing was often poor. Still, worked hard and was part of the defensive unit, and that's the part people expect he'd be poor at. The penalty was poor and probably going to lose that role to Ward-Prowse now.


Lucasz Fabianski
Did not play.


Ben Johnson
Did not play.


Aaron Cresswell
Did not play.


Thilo Kehrer
Did not play.


Pablo Fornals
Did not play.


Maxwel Cornet
Did not play.


Danny Ings
Did not play.


Divin Mubama
Did not play.



Match Facts

West Ham United: Alphonse Areola, Vladimir Coufal, Emerson Palmieri, Angelo Ogbonna, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Tomas Soucek, Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse, Lucas Paqueta, Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen.

Goals: Tomas Soucek 13 Konstantinos Mavropanos 55                .

Booked: None.

Sent off: None.

Arsenal : Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko (Nelson 64), Rice, Ødegaard, Trossard (Smith Rowe 79), Martinelli (Nketiah 64), Saka, Jesus.

Subs not used: Ramsdale, Cédric, Kiwior, Jorginho, Nwaneri, Elneny.

Goals: .

Booked: Nelson.

Sent off: None.

Referee: Michael Oliver.

Attendance: 60,261.

Man of the Match: Edson Alvarez.