Arsenal reclaim top-four spot with win at West Ham – Ghana Latest Football News, Live Scores, Results

Rob Holding scored his first Premier League goal on his 81st appearance

Arsenal reclaimed fourth spot in the Premier League with an important victory at West Ham and dented the Hammers’ own chances of securing European football next season.

The Gunners knew only a win would lift them back into the Champions League places after Tottenham beat Leicester earlier in the afternoon, but Mikel Arteta’s side responded by grinding out a vital three points at London Stadium.

It was Arteta’s centre-backs who came up with the goods, with Gabriel Magalhaes nodding the winner early in the second half after Rob Holding had opened the scoring from Bukayo Saka’s 38th-minute corner.

Jarrod Bowen did pull the Hammers level just before the break, controlling Vladimir Coufal’s cross and squeezing a strike into the bottom corner in what was a reward for a strong first-half performance.

But David Moyes’ outfit failed to reach those levels after going behind for a second time – and defeat leaves them seventh, three points behind sixth-placed Manchester United with three games remaining.

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Gunners grind out vital win

The Gunners are desperate to return to Europe’s elite competition next season and Arteta’s side have enjoyed the advantage of having no continental football this term, meaning all their resources can be focused on achieving a top-four finish for the first time since 2015-16.

West Ham’s only realistic chance of qualifying for the Champions League now is to win the Europa League – and Moyes’ team would be forgiven for having one eye on overturning their 2-1 deficit in the semi-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany on Thursday.

Arsenal struggled to get a foothold, though, before Eddie Nketiah’s clever run and low shot forced a corner, from which Holding climbed highest to head in Saka’s delivery for his first Premier League goal.

Bowen’s smart finish pulled the Hammers level on the brink of half-time. But, after the hosts failed to properly clear a corner, Gabriel was left unmarked at the back post to head in Gabriel Martinelli’s 54th-minute cross, beating former Arsenal stopper Lukasz Fabianski at his near post.

Nketiah could have sealed the success on the break, only to curl wide, but the 22-year-old continued to prove a threat after again being trusted to lead the line for Arsenal.

The visitors were not at their fluent best, but as the battle with north London rivals Spurs hots up – and with the Gunners heading to Tottenham a week on Thursday – restoring their two-point advantage was the most important outcome for Arsenal.

Hammers’ season in danger of fizzling outJarrod Bowen scored his 10th Premier League goal of the season

Injuries and suspensions have hit the Hammers and they found themselves without three senior centre-backs in Craig Dawson, Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna on Sunday, with left-back Aaron Cresswell chosen to partner Kurt Zouma.

That may have been partly to blame for the hosts coming unstuck twice from set-pieces, but this was also West Ham’s 52nd match of the season – 11 more than Arsenal have played – and they struggled to unpick the Gunners as the game wore on.

The hosts found themselves behind despite having the better of the opening half an hour. They responded to Holding’s opener within seven minutes when Bowen grabbed his 10th top-flight goal of the campaign, becoming the first Englishman to reach double figures for the club since Kevin Nolan in 2012-13.

Moyes turned to Michail Antonio, rested before Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg, with 19 minutes remaining to try to find a leveller for the second time, but the forward only managed one touch in the opposition box.

The Hammers have now dropped points in each of their past four Premier League matches following a Europa League fixture, while this loss brought their six-game unbeaten home run in the league to an end.

More worryingly for Moyes, his side are winless in their past four Premier League outings – and the Scot will not want what has been a productive season to fizzle out now.

Player of the match

HoldingRob Holding

with an average of 7.11

West HamWest Ham UnitedWest Ham UnitedArsenalArsenalArsenal

West Ham UnitedAvgSquad number20Player nameBowenAverage rating

6.36

Squad number41Player nameRiceAverage rating

6.12

Squad number22Player nameBenrahmaAverage rating

5.72

Squad number1Player nameFabianskiAverage rating

5.70

Squad number8Player nameFornalsAverage rating

5.62

Squad number16Player nameNobleAverage rating

5.51

Squad number3Player nameCresswellAverage rating

5.50

Squad number5Player nameCoufalAverage rating

5.44

Squad number10Player nameLanziniAverage rating

5.37

Squad number24Player nameFredericksAverage rating

5.27

Squad number9Player nameAntonioAverage rating

4.80

Squad number7Player nameYarmolenkoAverage rating

4.72

Squad number28Player nameSoucekAverage rating

4.64

Squad number4Player nameZoumaAverage rating

4.48

ArsenalAvgSquad number16Player nameHoldingAverage rating

7.11

Squad number10Player nameSmith RoweAverage rating

7.04

Squad number7Player nameSakaAverage rating

6.96

Squad number6Player nameGabriel MagalhãesAverage rating

6.75

Squad number8Player nameØdegaardAverage rating

6.71

Squad number32Player nameRamsdaleAverage rating

6.70

Squad number18Player nameTomiyasuAverage rating

6.64

Squad number17Player nameCédric SoaresAverage rating

6.64

Squad number30Player nameNketiahAverage rating

6.61

Squad number35Player nameGabriel MartinelliAverage rating

6.57

Squad number25Player nameMohamed ElnenyAverage rating

6.54

Squad number34Player nameXhakaAverage rating

6.49

Squad number23Player nameSambi LokongaAverage rating

6.16

Squad number20Player nameNuno TavaresAverage rating

5.94

Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text

Line-upsWest Ham

Formation 4-2-3-1

1Fabianski5Coufal4Zouma3Cresswell24Fredericks16Noble41Rice8Fornals10Lanzini22Benrahma20Bowen

1Fabianski5Coufal4Zouma3CresswellBooked at 90mins24Fredericks16NobleSubstituted forSoucekat 77’minutes41Rice8Fornals10LanziniSubstituted forAntonioat 71’minutes22BenrahmaSubstituted forYarmolenkoat 81’minutes20BowenBooked at 52mins

Substitutes

7Yarmolenko9Antonio11Vlasic13Areola23Diop26Masuaku28Soucek33Král42Alese

Arsenal

Formation 4-3-3

32Ramsdale18Tomiyasu16Holding6Gabriel20Tavares8Ødegaard25Elneny34Xhaka7Saka30Nketiah35Martinelli

32Ramsdale18TomiyasuSubstituted forCédric Soaresat 78’minutes16Holding6Gabriel20Tavares8ØdegaardSubstituted forSambi Lokongaat 90+2’minutes25Elneny34Xhaka7SakaBooked at 48minsSubstituted forSmith Roweat 87’minutes30NketiahBooked at 90mins35Martinelli

Substitutes

1Leno9Lacazette10Smith Rowe17Cédric Soares19Pépé23Sambi Lokonga54Kirk65Oulad M’hand69Swanson

Referee:Mike DeanMatch StatsHome TeamWest HamAway TeamArsenalPossessionHome56%Away44%ShotsHome8Away13Shots on TargetHome3Away7CornersHome3Away7FoulsHome8Away9Live TextPost update

Match ends, West Ham United 1, Arsenal 2.

90’+6’Full Time

Second Half ends, West Ham United 1, Arsenal 2.

90’+5’Post update

Foul by Michail Antonio (West Ham United).

90’+5’Post update

Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90’+4’Post update

Attempt missed. Albert Sambi Lokonga (Arsenal) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Eddie Nketiah.

90’+2’Substitution

Substitution, Arsenal. Albert Sambi Lokonga replaces Martin Ødegaard.

90’+2’Booking

Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card.

90’Booking

Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card.

90’Post update

Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90’Post update

Foul by Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal).

89’Post update

Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

89’Post update

Foul by Cédric Soares (Arsenal).

87’Substitution

Substitution, Arsenal. Emile Smith Rowe replaces Bukayo Saka because of an injury.

84’Post update

Hand ball by Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).

82’Post update

Offside, West Ham United. Vladimir Coufal tries a through ball, but Andriy Yarmolenko is caught offside.

81’Substitution

Substitution, West Ham United. Andriy Yarmolenko replaces Saïd Benrahma.

79’Post update

Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Lukasz Fabianski.

79’Post update

Attempt saved. Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

78’Substitution

Substitution, Arsenal. Cédric Soares replaces Takehiro Tomiyasu because of an injury.

77’Substitution

Substitution, West Ham United. Tomas Soucek replaces Mark Noble.

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Source: bbc.com