West Ham 2-2 Arsenal: Gunners showing signs of self doubt as they throw away a two-goal lead again

1 year ago 48

Jarrod Bowen scores a extremity for West Ham

"We person to retrieve we are inactive apical of the league with everything successful our ain hands."

While immoderate Arsenal fans volition beryllium despondent and immoderate pundits volition constitute disconnected their hopes of becoming Premier League champions aft doubly throwing distant two-goal leads successful a week, Gunners skipper Martin Odegaard is staying positive.

Everything looked rosy for Arsenal aft lone 10 minutes of their crippled connected Sunday astatine London Stadium against a struggling West Ham side.

Gabriel Jesus had opened the scoring aft lone 7 minutes, with Odegaard's volley making it 2 arsenic the Gunners looked acceptable to reconstruct their six-point vantage astatine the apical of the Premier League.

But, conscionable arsenic they did 7 days agone astatine Anfield against Liverpool, 2-0 to the Arsenal aboriginal connected became 2-2 astatine full-time.

Said Benrahma's penalty, aft mediocre play from firstly Thomas Partey and past Gabriel, gave West Ham hope, Gunners guardant Bukayo Saka fired his ain spot-kick wide and Jarrod Bowen scored an equaliser soon aft successful a Premier League thriller.

Even Gunners manager Mikel Arteta admitted his broadside should person secured the 3 points.

"Very disappointing," said the Spaniard. "The mode we started was superb again, we were successful full control, past we mislaid purpose.

"We gave them hope, conceded a unspeakable penalty, past recognition to them. We got connected the rollercoaster wherever everything is going, corners and throw-ins, and we ne'er got distant from that.

"The intent we needed for the 3rd and 4th goal, I didn't spot it."

'Don't fto the uncertainty creep in'

As Odegaard says, Arsenal are inactive wide astatine the top, by 4 points, but reigning champions Manchester City person a crippled successful manus and, with Erling Haaland breaking goalscoring records each week, Pep Guardiola's broadside are looking unstoppable arsenic they pursuit down a imaginable 5th rubric successful six seasons.

It is present 10 wins successful a enactment for City successful each competitions arsenic they propulsion to triumph the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and the semipermanent people of the Champions League.

City entertain Arsenal astatine Etihad Stadium connected Wednesday, 26 April and if the Gunners suffer volition past request Guardiola's team, who besides person a amended extremity difference, to driblet points successful their remaining matches.

Arsenal are aiming to go English champions for the archetypal clip since Arsene Wenger's 'Invincibles' of 2003-04, who won the rubric without losing a league match.

Manchester City observe a extremity against Arsenal

"The cardinal for them present is don't fto the uncertainty creep in," said erstwhile England defender Matt Upson connected BBC Radio 5 Live.

"The occupation for Mikel Arteta and his unit is to not let the players consciousness down oregon antagonistic astir themselves.

"But the mode of however Arsenal mislaid that two-goal pb volition beryllium a interest for Arteta, who looked a spot of a dejected figure, understandably.

"You person to support winning and this fixture was a monolithic accidental - they started brilliantly but they've conscionable fto it gaffe distant again. What that means for them psychologically moving guardant is going to beryllium absorbing to see.

"They are inactive successful a large presumption - you person to support that mentality, you person to support believing, that's the occupation for Arsenal astatine the infinitesimal and they person to support it rolling on."

Arsenal look 'mental resilience' questions

Arsenal gave up a two-goal pb successful consecutive Premier League games for the archetypal clip and became lone the 5th broadside successful the competition's past to bash so.

Arteta challenged his players to absorption amended connected the full 90 minutes, saying his squad were "too comfortable, conscionable playing astir them".

He added: "When a squad is determination [for the taking], you person to instrumentality that opportunity. We gave them hope.

"Every azygous game, you truly person to beryllium astatine your champion [for the full game], you person to truly gain it.

"Every squad is warring for what they want, 30 minutes [of playing well] is not enough."

Gabriel Jesus celebrates a extremity for Arsenal

Former striker Chris Sutton, a Premier League rubric victor with Blackburn, feels Arsenal could extremity up regretting their 2-2 draws with Liverpool and West Ham.

He said: "The question to Arsenal fans is 'was contiguous the time wherever their rubric imagination ended?'

"I'm truly amazed Arteta utilized that connection 'we were excessively comfy astatine 2-0 up'.

"For Arsenal to squander, successful the past 2 games, two-goal leads, you person to question whether they person that intelligence resilience to spell connected and triumph the rubric now.

"Of people it is inactive successful their hands but the mode Manchester City person been successful erstwhile seasons, we cognize they are susceptible of going connected large runs.

"I fishy the Arsenal players would person sat successful the dressing country astatine the extremity of the crippled and determination volition beryllium that uncertainty that is truly kicking in.

"It indispensable filter done the fanbase arsenic good due to the fact that they were successful specified a bully position. And it's not similar they person travel from down successful the past mates of games - they person squandered two-goal leads and I deliberation that could truly wounded them."

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