Arsenal title bid on the brink after West Ham loss

Ten-man Arsenal's Premier League title bid was dealt a major blow after they suffered a torrid 1-0 defeat against West Ham at the Emirates.

Jarrod Bowen scored what would prove to be the only goal of the game on the stroke of half-time before Gunners substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off with 18 minutes remaining.

Even prior to Lewis-Skelly’s dismissal – upgraded from a yellow card following a VAR intervention after the teenager denied Mohammed Kudus a clear scoring opportunity – Arsenal’s failure to sign a striker during last month’s transfer window had been brutally exposed.

Makeshift forward Mikel Merino was tasked with leading the line, but the Gunners managed only two shots on target on a chastening afternoon for Mikel Arteta and his players.

The defeat, Arsenal’s first in the league in four months, leaves them eight points adrift of Liverpool, who face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Following his match-winning cameo at Leicester last weekend, Arteta turned to Merino from the start. Raheem Sterling, who has started just four league games since his loan arrival from Chelsea, was dropped to the bench.

But Arsenal, without Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus – who are both out for the season – and first-choice wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, lacked any threat.

For much of the first half it was the visitors who looked more likely to score, with Bowen scuffing a shot wide following a fine run and pass by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, before Tomas Soucek headed Kudus’ cross over.

The warning signs were there for Arsenal and as they continued to fail to muster anything of note, the Hammers landed their breakthrough.

The visitors nicked the ball on the edge of Arsenal’s penalty area, with Bowen playing in the