Date: February 22, 2025
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
Competition: Premier League, Matchweek 26
Attendance: 60,704
The last result of the match became Arsenal 0-1 West Ham United.
The Gunners delivered a shocking loss to West Ham United by a 0-1 margin during their match at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday February 22, 2025. The match ended with West Ham United achieving a 0-1 victory that halted Arsenal’s 15-game undefeated run and reduced Arsenal’s opportunity to challenge Liverpool for the title by 11 points with 13 matches left. With West Ham occupying 16th position the team achieved their crucial second victory in eight matches under new manager Graham Potter which saved them from facing relegation.
Match Background and Context
The Gunners prepared for the match as a sucsessful team that maintained a remarkable 15-match Premier League win streak and occupied the second position of the table with 25 matches played and 53 accumulated points. The football world recognized Mikel Arteta’s team among the three clubs expected to pose serious threats to Liverpool’s leadership position while City stood in fourth place.
The Gunners had an outstanding home performance during the 2022-2023 season because they went unbeaten for 15 consecutive Premier League matches at their Emirates Stadium stadium just like they did in the 2018-2019 season. The Gunners displayed their strong offense and dependable defense through decisive victories like their February 2 Manchester City defeat 5-1 win and their February 15 2-0 victory against Leicester City while players Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Kai Havertz led the team.
However
The Hammers entered Emirates Stadium while facing a serious crisis. The Hammers maintained only a single victory from nine Premier League matches since Graham Potter took over from Julen Lopetegui as manager in January 2025. West Ham occupied position 16 after playing 25 matches with 27 points and their defensive fragility allowed opponents to score 47 goals which positioned them as the only team worse than the bottom fourth. A previous triumph over Arsenal with a 2-0 score at the Emirates Stadium in December 2023 gave fans reason for optimism. The passing formation of Potter’s side demonstrated improvement during recent matches yet they struggled to defend effectively along with converting scoring opportunities.
The game would significantly affect the competitive positions of the two sides. The victory for Arsenal at that point would have reduced Liverpool’s advantage to five points which would have extended their title hopefuls’ chance. Three points for West Ham could create mental advantages that would help their position in Premier League relegation battles. A narrow London derby between Arsenal and West Ham developed because Arsenal faced injuries to Bukayo Saka (hamstring) along with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee injuries) while West Ham dealt with knee injuries to Michail Antonio and Lucas Paqueta during the match.
During the first half West Ham United displayed remarkable defensive resistance which pushed them to victory.
During the first twenty minutes of the match The Gunners maintained control of the ball to the extent of 65 percent. They started with aggressive press tactics yet Potter’s team deepened their defensive block into a 4-2-3-1 shape that used the wide defenders Wan-Bissaka and Coufal to protect their back line throughout the opening half. The game strategy of West Ham included playing with defensive patience against Arsenal before using their speed with attacks from Bowen and Kudus and relying on Fabiański’s goal-saving abilities.
The early shots taken by Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz found no success as Fabiański performed exceptionally during those first attempts. West Ham successfully restricted Arsenal’s attacking runs because Martin Ødegaard led the team from midfield yet West Ham players maintained their disciplined defensive set-up. The hosts sent numerous crosses into the box as their trademark offense (13 goals through crosses this season) yet West Ham’s aerial defense from Zouma and Mavropanos cut off those opportunities.
The first goal against the normal match flow appeared in the 44th minute for West Ham. A fast counter-attack unfolded when Mohammed Kudus obtained possession from Declan Rice in central areas before sending the ball to the right toward Jarrod Bowen. Following a gap in Arsenal’s defensive line created by their high positioning Bowen moved inside to fire a dipping strike from his spot 20 yards out that beat Raya in the near post. West Ham received first-half disbelief from Arsenal supporters and their own players when they managed to take the lead at the Emirates Stadium. The halftime score stood at Arsenal 0-1 West Ham despite its contradiction of the Gunners’ superior ball possession (68%) and shooting attempts (7-2).
Second Half: Arsenal’s Frustration Mounts
When halftime arrived Mikel Arteta responded to the dire situation by swapping out Trossard and Mikel Merino for Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri in order to enhance both speed and creativity in attack. West Ham faced continuous pressure from Arsenal as the Gunners forced their opponent to defend in their own half. The 56th-minute combination between Havertz and Ødegaard failed when Zouma cut out Havertz’s attempt to shoot. Sterling fired a measured cross from the penalty spot toward Fabiański who managed to save the effort. The Polish goalkeeper maintained his successful defensive performance.
During their powerful display The Gunners found it challenging to generate decisive offensive opportunities. West Ham’s defensive tactics relying on Wan-Bissaka’s numerous interceptions as well as Souček’s strong defensive presence led them to maintain their tight defense. Both Kudus and Bowen penetrated the Arsenal defense through counterattacks yet Raya performed consistently to maintain the 1-0 score.
West Ham obtained victory against Arsenal because their offensive goals count and defensive stability surpassed Arsenal’s ball ownership and total shots and expected goals metrics. Relative to their total number of crosses Arsenal achieved only 38% accuracy resulting in 12 unsuccessful attempts yet West Ham successfully launched their counterattacks through 3 of their 4 attempts while attacking the high Arsenal position.
Historical Context
History shows that this result represents the second Premier League victory for West Ham at the Emirates Stadium after their previous 2-0 December 2023 win. The previous West Ham win against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium occurred in October 2019 (3-1) with Unai Emery in charge while breaking a 17-match home undefeated streak against the Hammers. In the Premier League history the rivalry is heavily dominated by Arsenal who have won 37 games from a total of 64 but West Ham’s recent defensive competency and managerial skills of Potter now shape this matchup.
With their loss, The Gunners saw their 15-game unbeaten run at home expire which also stopped their quest for Premier League title domination after 2004. The victory under Potter at West Ham brought outcomes similar to their 2016 Boleyn Ground triumph versus Manchester United which maintained their Premier League position.
Fan and Pundit Reactions
Social media platforms contained an enormous display of anger from Gunners supporters who felt Fabiański’s save and poor finishing were key reasons behind their defeat. Fans questioned in online posts how Arsenal let West Ham United win their home stadium match. The loss today proved fatal because Saka’s absence and Fabiański’s poor performance left everyone devastated. A few supporters maintained positive thoughts about Arsenal by encouraging the team to regain strength during the upcoming match against Manchester United.
Pundits were equally stunned. Gary Neville commented on Sky Sports about Arsenal losing 1-0 to West Ham following their 17 shots and taking 68% possession in a match against a relegation-fightening West Ham team. Their championship aspirations will suffer a severe setback because of this game. Jamie Carragher gave West Ham credit for their performance. The improving West Ham along with their football signs attract appreciation but Arsenal continue to struggle with goal conversion.
West Ham fans declared the win a “miracle” as Bowen received X praise for his “savior” role and Potter earned compliments for his “genius” tactic.
Tactical Analysis
When Mikel Arteta maintained his high-pressing and possession-oriented system at the start, Arsenal experienced success but their dependency on crosses along with their reduced creativity with Saka left them defenseless. The match against West Ham turned problematic for Arsenal because their main winger Saka wasn’t available while Tomiyasu and White remained injured. This exposed their defensive disadvantages when West Ham counterattacked on the right side of the field.
The tactical formation and defensive system which Graham Potter employed was an exceptional display of defensive organization. The defensive block of West Ham shifted to protect their narrow defense when Wan-Bissaka and Coufal joined their teammates in a deep defensive position alongside Álvarez and Souček. Counterattacks from Arsenal’s defensive line were successful when Bowen and Kudus overplayed Zinchenko and Saliba to exploit the spaces in front of them at the attacking end of the field. The tactical structure can be displayed through this text:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Merino (Nwaneri 46’), Ødegaard; Trossard (Sterling 46’), Havertz, Nketiah.
High press, wide play, heavy reliance on crosses from the flanks, but vulnerable to counters due to a high defensive line.
West Ham (4-2-3-1): Fabiański; Wan-Bissaka, Zouma, Mavropanos, Coufal; Álvarez, Souček; Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus; Ings.
Deep blocking defense together with a narrow field setup and swift transitions from Bowen and Kudus required Fabiański to produce his team-saving stops.
The tactical matchup confirmed how West Ham limited Arsenal from attacking while taking advantage of minimal opportunities that arose.
Reactions and Implications
The manager Mikel Arteta expressed his assessment that Arsenal controlled the match while producing multiple scoring opportunities yet failed to convert them. Łukasz Fabiański delivered an exceptional performance during the match while the team succumbed to an opposing goal following a single careless mistake. The unpleasant result demands immediate recovery measures. The remaining 13 games of the season will be fought until the very last match.
The victory brings us a huge boost according to Graham Potter who serves as West Ham manager. The team members displayed remarkable defensive strength combined with strong belief throughout the match. Arsenal are one of the best teams in the league yet we implemented our tactical approach while defending excellently and converting our one chance into victory. The victory empowers us to keep fighting against relegation.
The Gunners experience a substantial setback because of their defeat. Their diminished goal difference enables Liverpool to consolidate their lead as Manchester City continues to narrow their distance behind the leaders. After earning their spot in 15th position West Ham now have 30 points which helps them avoid relegation pressures before their upcoming match versus Southampton.
