Two own goals from West Ham players and an equalizing goal in the 82nd minute by Lacazette helped Arsenal tie the game 3-3. A comeback in the second half after their disastrous first half display in which they saw themselves go 3-1 down. It was an entertaining 90 minutes of football where both the sides made mistakes and at the end of the day shared one point each. With his one point, Arsenal go up to 9th place with 42 points whereas, West Ham united are still at 5th position with 49 points.
The Gunners fans may have questioned their manager Mikel Arteta for starting Callum Chambers in the right-back position as he didn’t looked confident and made mistakes but he looked a different player in the second half assisting and making important crosses. They may be arguing for his decision to play Bukayo Saka on the left flank and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the right but still, he may have made amends by substituting the right players at the right time as Arsenal made a strong comeback in the second half after being 3-1 down in the first half by eventually tieing the game 3-3 and grabbing a points from the game.
ARSENAL PLAYERS’ REPORT
Brend leno had a bad day in the goalpost as he conceded 3 goals. The first and the third goal couldn’t be saved but the second goal Jarrod Bowen in the 17th minute was a mistake by leno as it could have been saved. Still, he made an important save of Declan Rice in the ending minutes of the game which eventually lead to the match being levelled at 3-3. The defense line is also to be blamed for conceding the 3 goals.
David Luiz had a passive game as he wasn’t at his best. He was getting beaten up in ariel duals and failed to intercept the ball in many occasions. He wasn’t even trying or challenging for the ball. Overall, he had a disappointing outing. His centre-back partner Pablo Mari also had a poor outing as he looked shaky on the ball and was sloppy in his passing. His overall movements on the ball was slow and couldn’t give a fight for the ariel duals but still, kept trying and made a couple of important tackles.
The left-back Kieran Tierney had a good offensive show as he made the ball move forward and made some crosses throughout the match. He had a terrible defensive outing in the first half as he has to be blamed for conceding the second goal as he lost his concentration and sight of his player which costed them in conceding a goal. Still, he made amends by giving an aggressive defensive performance in the second half by double blocking Antonio and Bowen. The right-back Callum Chambers was brought into the starting XI for his defensive abilities but had the most impact offensively as he registered himself 2 assists in the game. Still, he wasn’t able to cope up with the Hammers attack as they mostly attacked from the right flank in the first half but he looked like a different player altogether in the second half as he defended his flank perfectly and continued his superb offensive form.
The midfielders worked hard to keep Arsenal in the game. Thomas Partey had an average performance as his passing was fine but still his movements off the ball were too slow. And also, he couldn’t shoot from the distance which is seen as a negative for a player as Thomas Partey’s caliber. Granit Xhaka too had an average game but still there were many times where he gave the possession away when the ball was in the West Ham’s half. He was replaced by Emile Smith Rowe in the 74th minute and played a deeper role. He did a good job on the field as he helped the team in the forward movement of the ball and kept Arsenal’s attacking momentum going. But one player, who had the best of his games and led his team was the young Norweigan Martin Odegaard as he looked lethel in the midfield.
Martin found the gaps between the back four of the West Ham side and his movements on the ball was excellent as well. He linked up plays well and made himself hard to pick up. He is in-form and is looking dangerous. He was the best player in the game by far for the Gunners.
Bakuyo Saka started the game in the left flank but he came to effect once he was on the right flank. He looked lethel with his pressing and his movements on the ball. he linked up the play well but lacked the finishing touch as he missed a couple of chances to score. He was replaced by Nicolas Pepe in the 74th minute and he too looked lethel in the game. He assisted the crucial Lacazette goal which equalized the scoreline. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang started on the right flank and looked dangerous in the opening minutes of the game as he pressed well and ran hard onto his designated right side and made a crucial tackle on Lingard but as West Ham scored their first goal, he lost his mojo and became lazy and played awfully throughout the whole game so, he was replaced by Gabriel Martinelli in the 81st minute.
Alexander Lacazette replaced his good friend Aubameyang for the striker position and didn’t disappoint. He pressed well as his off the ball movements were really good. His energy was much needed in the game. He was unlucky to not score in the early minutes of the second half but eventually scored in the 82nd minute to tie the game 3-3. He also played in deeper roles and helped Arsenal to link up their plays upfront.
MATCH TO LOOK FORWARD
Their next match will be on the 4th of April as they play hosts to Liverpool F.C, who are currently sitting in 7th position with 46 points. The Reds are having a disastrous title defense season as their squad is suffering from major injury issues. They are now trying their best to grab a spot in the top 5 positions and Jurgen Klopp will look to attack Arsenal defense and grab another 3 points. Arsenal, on the other hand, will also look to win their fixture against a suffering Liverpool and get the important 3 points and move up in the points table. Either way, it is going to be an entertaining match as both the team will be desperate to win the match and grab an important 3 points.
