After Liverpool dropped two vital points against Aston Villa on Wednesday night, Arsenal knew a win would put themselves within five points of the Premier League leaders.
However, in front of a packed crowd inside the Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta’s men were left frustrated by a stubborn West Ham team.
In the end, the Hammers came away 1-0 winners thanks to Jarrod Bowen’s first-half goal. The Gunners were also reduced to 10-men during the second half, with defender Myles Lewis-Skelly receiving a red card.
This means that Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League remains at eight points with 12 matches to play.
Taking to social media, Arsenal fans slammed captain Martin Odegaard after he appeared to make a wrong movement during an attack.
One fan expressed their frustration, saying, “I don’t even know what to say about Odegaard anymore. I’m just sad.”
Another tweeted, “Odegaard was literally running away—what was that movement?”
A third simply added, “State of the captain.”
Someone else questioned, “What was Odegaard thinking?”
A fifth fan commented, “What’s up with Odegaard for real? He’s better than this, honestly.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live after the match, former West Ham and England goalkeeper Robert Green called it “a hammer blow for Arsenal’s season.” He added, “At the start of the game, you wondered where the goals would come from. There was a real lack of thrust and cutting edge up front.
“West Ham were disciplined in their defensive shape throughout the game. A brilliant performance from them but a disastrous afternoon for Arsenal.”
The Gunners will look to bounce back on Wednesday night when they face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are set for a massive showdown on Sunday afternoon as they visit the Etihad Stadium to take on reigning champions Manchester City.