West Ham vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction as Gabriel earns vital win
The Brazilian defender earned the win at the London Stadium after Jarrod Bowen cancelled out Rob Holding’s opener
Arsenal tightened their grip on fourth place in the Premier League after goals from centre-backs Rob Holding and Gabriel delivered a 2-1 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium.
The Gunners struck from corners in each half to secure a crucial three points in their race for Champions League qualification and for the time being hold off closest rivals Tottenham, who overcame Leicester 3-1 earlier in the day.
Bukayo Saka was an influential figure throughout and Arsenal would have won more comfortably had Eddie Nketiah not been so wasteful, but West Ham were magnificent given their Europa League semi-final commitments and shortage of defenders.
Star forward Michail Antonio only appeared as a second-half substitute after Thursday night’s 2-1 defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt and Declan Rice started even though the away leg is only four days away.
West Ham’s biggest problems were in defence, however, where injury and suspension left Kurt Zouma as the only fit centre-back and at times even he appeared to still be hampered by his recent ankle injury.
But they emptied the tanks and took the game to their London rivals for long spells, looking the stronger side and equalising through Jarrod Bowen before eventually falling to a defeat that mathematicaly ends their own designs on fourth place.
For all the demands of their European campaign, West Ham started brightly and Aaron Ramsdale needed to act decisively to deal with an inswinging corner by Bowen.
Saka was determined to make something happen for Arsenal during a promising attack that eventually came to a halt.
West Ham were on top but there were few thrills at either end and when Holding inexplicably passed the ball into touch it summed up a lifeless opening spell.
When action did occasionally break out it took place at Arsenal’s end and in the 30th minute it needed a determined block from Holding to deny Manuel Lanzini from close range after Vladimir Coufal’s pass had deflected off Nuno Tavares.
Rice shot straight into the arms of Ramsdale but soon after it became the Gunners’ turn to threaten, with Nketiah the catalyst as they crept ahead against the run of play.
Nketiah threaded his way into the box to force a save from Lukasz Fabianski and from the ensuing corner Saka found Holding, who nodded home his first Premier League goal.
Rice was at the heart of West Ham’s response that meant they entered half-time all square as he forced a smart save from Ramsdale before launching the move that led to their equaliser.
A long pass into the box found Coufal and the Czech defender controlled the ball brilliantly before picking out Bowen, whose shot deflected off Gabriel and into the net.
The second half started at a frantic pace as Bowen was shown a yellow card for simulation as he avoided Ramsdale’s lunge, amid a breathless spell for West Ham that ended abruptly when Arsenal added a second.
Once again they pounced from a corner as the ball found Gabriel Martinelli, who crossed to his unmarked namesake and fellow Brazilian for a diving header that beat Fabianski at the far post.
A flare hurled from the away fans’ section was cleared off the pitch and play resumed with Nketiah failing to make the most of a strong chance as Arsenal broke incisively.
Nketiah’s wasteful afternoon continued as he sent his best opportunity yet wide of the right post, but the visitors had already done enough for the win in spite of West Ham’s late endeavour.
HT: West Ham 1-1 Arsenal
Here is West Ham’s equaliser. Jarrod Bowen’s 10th Premier League goal of the season.
HT: West Ham 1-1 Arsenal
Rob Holding gave Arsenal the lead with his first Premier League goal. Here it is.
HT: West Ham 1-1 Arsenal
Half-time: That West Ham goal was the final action of the first half. Mike Dean brings proceedings to a close as the two sides go in level at the break.
Rob Holding’s header canceled out by Jarrod Bowen’s deflected equaliser on the stroke of half-time.
GOAL! West Ham 1-1 Arsenal (Bowen, 45)
45 mins: And there’s the equaliser!
Declan Rice plays a wonderful crossfield pass to Coufal on the right-hand side. He sends it in to Jarrod Bowen and the English forward brings it under control before firing beyond Ramsdale with the help of a deflection off the leg of Gabriel.
West Ham 0-1 Arsenal
44 mins: Nketiah plays a loose pass in his own half and Rice intercepts to get West Ham on the move.
West Ham looking to respond in the closing stages of this first half. It’s been a rather forgettable 45 minutes of football which have come alive in the last few moments.
West Ham 0-1 Arsenal
42 mins: The game is opening up now. About time! Coufal sends a cross in which Holding heads behind for another West Ham corner.
West Ham 0-1 Arsenal
41 mins: CHANCE! West Ham almost immediately level.
Benrahma whips a corner in and as it flicks off a head at the near-post Ramsdale acrobatically flings himself at it and parries the ball away from the top corner.
Great save.
GOAL! West Ham 0-1 Arsenal (Holding, 39)
39 mins: Rob Holding with his first Premier League goal!
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
38 mins: CHANCE! And we have a shot on target!
It comes for the visitors as Nketiah finds some space on the edge of the box and curls an effort towards the bottom corner which is tipped away by Fabianski.
But hang on...
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
38 mins: Coufal looks for Bowen down the line... it drifts aimlessly out for an Arsenal goal kick. That sums up both sides in the final third so far.
West Ham probably look the slightly more likely to score. But that’s more a damning indictment of Arsenal. But here the come...
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