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 1-2 Arsenal
This is how Gabriel put Arsenal back in front with his head.
West Ham 1-2 Arsenal
57 mins: Incidentally, the commentators felt that Ramsdale/Bowen moment was handled correctly. I could not disagree more.
Moments later Arsenal are back in front.
Terribly unlucky for West Ham.
GOAL! West Ham 1-2 Arsenal (Gabriel, 55)
55 mins: And moments later Arsenal are back in front!
A corner is swung in and West Ham deal with the first ball. But as it comes back in from the other side Gabriel is waiting at the back post to nod home from close range.
West Ham 1-1 Arsenal
54 mins: Wow, well that is a strange one?!
Bowen gets set off down the right and Ramsdale comes charging out of his penalty area to meet him. Bowen gets there first to touch the ball around Ramsdale and then goes down. The Arsenal keeper didn’t make contact with Bowen but clearly went straight through him and got none of the ball.
Mike Dean chooses to book Bowen for diving! I’m sorry, but that was not a dive. Ramsdale has got away with one there.
West Ham 1-1 Arsenal
53 mins: Saka sends Nketiah away on the break down the right-hand side. But the Arsenal man has no support and has to go back towards his own goal.
West Ham 1-1 Arsenal
51 mins: Holding tries a crossfield ball towards Saka which Fredericks deals with by heading back to Cresswell.
Safe to say the start of this second half has not picked up where the end of the first left off. The tempo has dropped again.
West Ham 1-1 Arsenal
49 mins: YELLOW! Bowen chests the ball down and wriggles clear of Saka in the middle of the pitch. The Arsenal man brings him down and goes in the book for his troubles.
West Ham 1-1 Arsenal
48 mins: No changes for either side at half-time. Mikel Arteta clearly believes his starting XI deserve another opportunity to prove themselves after that drab first period. David Moyes probably has more than one eye on Thursday.
West Ham enjoying possession of the ball in the opening moments of the second half. Fornals slides a pass into Benrahma on the edge of the box. He goes for goal but Holding blocks it well.
West Ham 1-1 Arsenal
46 mins: Back underway! West Ham resume for the second period of this London derby.
HT: West Ham 1-1 Arsenal
Almost ready to resume for the second half of this one.
Can West Ham land a huge blow on Arsenal’s top four hopes? Mikel Arteta’s men have to do more in the final third.
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