Problem highlighted as Arsenal matched unwanted six-year record in West Ham loss

Arsenal fell to a disappointing defeat to West Ham last night, as Mikel Arteta’s side were beaten 2-0 and failed to score in front of their home fans.

It was Arsenal’s third league defeat of the season after 1-0 losses to Newcastle and Aston Villa, and it could have been even worse as David Raya saved a last minute penalty which would have made it 3-0.

Arsenal dominated possession and had plenty of shots, but could not find the back of the net as the attacking trio of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli all underperformed.

It was a dysfunctional performance in attack, and the game saw Arsenal do something no other team has done for over six years.

Arsenal match six-year Premier League record

Squawka have now highlighted that Arsenal fired in 30 shots against West Ham, and this was the first time any Premier League side had taken that many shots and lost in the same game since December 2017.

The last team to fire that many shots in a defeat was also Arsenal, as they fell to a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United in Arsene Wenger’s final season, in a game where United goalkeeper David De Gea was sensational in keeping the home side at bay.

Arsenal failed to score this time, and conceded two frustrating goals in what was a setback in the Premier League title race.

Arsenal’s frustrating display against West Ham

Arsenal fired in plenty of shots, but even their biggest chances were not of the highest quality, and it was a poor attacking display from the front line.

Although Arsenal dominated the ball and pushed high up the pitch, as they had 77 touches in the opposition box, Arteta’s side could not fashion a big chance or a shot which threatened Alphonse Areola too much.

Arsenal fans left the game calling for a new striker to be signed in January, with Ivan Toney linked, but it is questionable whether a different centre-forward would have made much difference yesterday. Although Jesus missed some chances, his highest xG opportunity was a header with an xG value of 0.25.

The Brazilian placed his effort over the bar after excellent work from Martin Odegaard helped set Ben White up for a cross, but the ball was just behind Jesus and he could not keep his effort down.

Beyond that, Arsenal’s shots were more out of desperation than creative brilliance, and it was an incredibly frustrating display in both boxes.