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.
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
20 mins: Another Arsenal corner is sent in by Martinelli and Fabianski gets a strong punch to it while under pressure from a host of players. Mike Dean then blows for a foul on the keeper.
Definitely a flat atmosphere inside the London Stadium which hasn’t been helped by this lazy start to the game from both sides.
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
18 mins: Nketiah tries his luck from 25 yards out and it cannons off Cresswell for an Arsenal corner.
Odegaard swings the corner in and Zouma leaps highest to power a header away.
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
16 mins: Saka cuts inside and tries his luck from the edge of the box but Cresswell gets in front of the effort to clear away.
West Ham come forward at the other end but Fornals’ low cross deflects off Tavares and ends up safely in the arms of Ramsdale.
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
14 mins: You won’t see a much more forgettable opening quarter of an hour than this. It’s been rather dull.
Elneny is stamped on by Zouma and that’s a painful one for the Arsenal midfielder. Free-kick to the visitors on the halfway line.
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
12 mins: Its West Ham’s turn to play keep ball without real threatening the final third.
Not a great deal of tempo to this game so far. You’d probably have expected Arsenal to come out the traps a little faster.
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
10 mins: Coufal and Fornals link up with a neat one-two and Tavares gets in front of the attempted cross as West Ham win a corner.
Bowen delivers and Ramsdale punches clear.
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
8 mins: Benrahma darts down the left and pulls the ball back into the penalty area but Xhaka is there to mop up.
West Ham come again though before Bowen’s slide pass is miscontrolled Coufal and Arsenal have themselves a throw-in.
West Ham 0-0 Arsenal
6 mins: After several misplaced passes, it’s Arsenal who bed down into a sustained period of possession. You imagine West Ham will be happy for the visitors to have the lion’s share of the ball today.
The Gunners eventually lose the ball as Martinelli fouls Noble. The referee today: Yours truly Mike Dean.
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