West Ham Have Injury-Time Goal Disallowed as Arsenal Extend Lead
This season has not always been aesthetically pleasing, yet Arsenal stand on the verge of securing their first Premier League title in 22 years.
The Gunners endured another tense encounter in their dramatic 1-0 victory against relegation-threatened West Ham, with Leandro Trossard’s goal and a disallowed West Ham equalizer proving decisive for Mikel Arteta’s squad.
This crucial win extended Arsenal’s lead to five points over Manchester City, who still have a game in hand, bringing the league trophy within reach after three consecutive second-place finishes.
Some observers suggest Arsenal have reached this point the hard way, while others contend that securing wins by doing just enough to prevail is the hallmark of champions.
The 1-0 scoreline marked the seventh occasion this season that Arsenal have won by that margin in the Premier League.
This victory concluded a pivotal week for the club, with title contenders Manchester City dropping points midweek.
Prior to their win over Fulham last weekend, Arsenal had managed only two victories in their previous eight matches across all competitions and had suffered back-to-back league defeats for the first time during that span.
However, following three consecutive clean-sheet wins, including one that secured their place in the Champions League final, Arsenal are on the cusp of making history.
"What a moment, what an afternoon, what a week it's been for us," Arteta said. "So full of emotions, I cannot praise enough the attitude, the desire, the courage and the quality of the team shown throughout this week, because there was so much at stake and today we knew against a team that is fighting for their life, a club with an incredible history, how tough it was going to be."
Arteta Praises Officials’ Courage for Overturning West Ham Equaliser
The final moments of the match against West Ham were marked by intense drama.
David Raya made a crucial save to deny Hammers midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who appeared certain to score. Shortly after, Trossard scored the winning goal, and a significant VAR decision disallowed Callum Wilson’s stoppage-time effort due to a foul on Raya by Pablo.
Arteta described the disallowed goal as occurring under "the most chaotic circumstances," with both teams "playing for their lives." He commended referee Chris Kavanagh for his decision.
"A call from the refs that I think is very brave, but very consistent with what they've been talking about all season. And today I have to praise them, at least for giving the option to a referee to decide.
"Away from the lights and the chaos, to give clarity to him to make the right call. And when you look at the action in that way, I think it is an obvious error.
"So congratulations because they made a big call in very, very difficult circumstances."
Arteta has frequently highlighted the importance of his 'finishers'—substitute players who influence the outcome late in matches—and on Sunday he emphasized captain Martin Odegaard’s "incredible impact" in assisting Trossard’s winning goal.
"I said to the boys, we're really going to go for it. So get ready, because if the game is not panning out in the manner that we [want], we're going to have to change it," he added.
Raya the Golden Glove
David Raya has kept 27 clean sheets in 49 games in all competitions this season.
In a team pursuing a Premier League and Champions League double, it is uncommon for the goalkeeper to be a leading candidate for player of the season, yet Raya has earned such recognition.
Arsenal have recorded 18 clean sheets in 36 league matches this season, the highest in the Premier League.
With his performance against West Ham, Raya secured the Premier League Golden Glove award for the third consecutive season. With three games remaining, no other goalkeeper in the division can surpass his tally.
Raya has accumulated 27 clean sheets in 49 appearances across all competitions this season and has been praised by teammates as the "best goalkeeper in the world" for his performances.
"He has helped us a lot this season," said match-winner Trossard. "You can see his quality and the amount of saves he can do, and different ones too. A lot of credit to him for keeping us in the game."
Arteta echoed this sentiment, noting that Raya’s save to deny Fernandes was among many impressive stops.
"When you talk about magic moments, this is certainly one of the most needed moments as well to pull off with that save, it was incredible," Arteta said.
Raya now holds the fourth-best goals conceded per match ratio among goalkeepers with at least 100 Premier League appearances—0.79—behind Petr Cech (0.72), Edwin van der Sar (0.76), and Ederson (0.78).
With this personal accolade secured, Raya and Arsenal will aim to add the Premier League trophy to their achievements.
Next Stop: Premier League Title?
Arsenal’s path is clear: winning their final two matches will secure the Premier League championship.
The remaining fixtures are at home against already-relegated Burnley and away at Crystal Palace on the season’s final day.
However, with Crystal Palace competing in the Conference League final after the Premier League season concludes, there is a possibility that manager Oliver Glasner may rest key players, potentially weakening the opposition.
Arsenal have played 60 matches this season across all competitions, achieving 42 wins and a 70% win rate—the best in the club’s history.
They are three victories away from accomplishing a club-first Premier League and Champions League double.
"I don't need to explain what is at stake, everyone knows," Trossard said. "Two very important games from us, and we have all the belief that we can do it, but we have to work hard to get three points in the next games as well."
Latest Arsenal news, analysis, and fan views.
Ask about Arsenal - what do you want to know?
