A smash-and-grab job at the Emirates! West Ham stunned Arsenal with a 1-0 victory, as Jarrod Bowen’s 43rd-minute goal punished the Gunners for a night of poor finishing. Mikel Arteta’s men controlled the game, generated high xG, but simply couldn’t break down a resilient Hammers defense.

Match Overview: Arsenal’s xG Woes Continue

Arsenal dominated every aspect of the game except the one that matters-scoring. The Gunners posted an xG of 1.9 from 18 shots, yet West Ham’s defensive resilience and compact structure left them frustrated. On the other hand, West Ham had just five shots (xG: 0.82), but Bowen’s clinical finish from a 0.41 xG chance was enough.

Arsenal: 18 shots | xG: 1.9 | 0 goals

West Ham: 5 shots | xG: 0.82 | 1 goal

It was the story of inefficiency vs. ruthless finishing.

Match Momentum: Arsenal Push, West Ham Absorb & Strike

The xG progression chart paints a clear picture-Arsenal were dominant from the start, but West Ham weathered the storm and struck before halftime.

Bowen’s 43rd-minute goal came against the run of play, but it was a well-worked move that caught Arsenal off guard. Arsenal kept pushing in the second half, but West Ham’s low block and Areola’s solid goalkeeping kept them at bay. The Hammers had zero attacking intent after the goal, opting to sit deep and frustrate Arsenal’s forwards.

Shot Analysis: Arsenal Wasteful, West Ham Precise

A look at the shot maps tells the story:

Arsenal’s 18 shots resulted in 0 goals. Their shot map shows plenty of attempts from outside the box and a lot of wasted opportunities from central areas.

West Ham? Just five shots-but one of them was enough. Bowen’s goal was their only high xG chance (0.41), and they buried it.

Possession & Passing: Arsenal’s Control vs. West Ham’s Defensive Shape

The pass maps reveal contrasting styles:

Arsenal: A fluid attacking shape, with Ødegaard, Rice, and Trossard linking up, but the final product was missing. The ball circulated well, but without penetration.

West Ham: Their pass map shows a deep-lying structure, with Sou?ek and Álvarez screening the backline while Bowen and Kudus looked for counterattacks.

West Ham only had 35% possession, but they made their moments count.

Final Thoughts: West Ham’s Smash-and-Grab, Arsenal’s Nightmare

For Arsenal, this game could be the defining frustration of their season-dominance in stats, but not on the scoreboard. 1.9 xG and 0 goals will haunt them as their finishing issues resurface.

For West Ham, this was a perfect away performance. Take your chance, sit back, defend deep, and frustrate the opponent. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked.

Are Arsenal’s title hopes fading after another wasted game? ?