April 16, (THEWILL) – Arsenal’s lead at the top of the English Premier League took a hit on Sunday, as they squandered a two-goal advantage for the second consecutive time this season to draw 2-2 with West Ham with Bukayo Saka’s first penalty miss this season.
The Gunners were off to a blazing start, with goals from Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard within the first 10 minutes. However, the Hammers pulled one back through Said Benrahma’s penalty, and then levelled the scores thanks to Jarrod Bowen’s volley, following Saka’s missed spot-kick.
Saka’s miss proved costly, as it gave West Ham the impetus to push for the equaliser. The Gunners’ nerves were evident, with Thomas Partey committing a costly error, allowing Declan Rice to set up Lucas Paqueta, who won a penalty for the home team. Arsenal goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale, saved the spot-kick but the Hammers persisted and eventually found the back of the net.
A late scare ensued when Michail Antonio’s header hit the crossbar but Arsenal survived with Mikel Arteta ringing in changes, introducing the likes of Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah, to push for a winner. However, West Ham held on for a valuable point.
With Manchester City’s win over Leicester City, the gap between the top two teams has been reduced to just four points. Arsenal will need to bounce back quickly if they are to maintain their title challenge with a clash against City on the cards. The Gunners face Southampton in the EPL on Friday, while West Ham take on Gent in the Europa Conference League quarter-final on Thursday.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
