Arsenal blow another 2-0 lead, draw at West Ham as title hopes take a hit

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LONDON – Arsenal blew a 2-0 lead for the second game running, as they drew 2-2 at West Ham and their Premier League title hopes took another hit.

WEST HAM vs ARSENAL FULL MATCH REPLAY

After letting a 2-0 lead slip at Liverpool last week, Mikel Arteta’s young side are wilting at precisely the wrong time.

Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard both scored inside the first 10 minutes as the Gunners were flying early on but a first half Said Benrahma penalty kick flipped the momentum.

Moments after Bukayo Saka had missed a penalty kick to put Arsenal 3-1 up early in the second half, West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen made it 2-2 and the Hammers looked the more likely to win it late on.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

The point puts West Ham on to 31 as they inch further away from the relegation zone.

Arsenal are now on 74 points and have a four-point lead over Manchester City but the latter have a game in-hand and if they win that and beat Arsenal in their massive showdown on April 26, they will go two points clear at the top of the table.


Pure boredom behind Gunners blowing 2-0 leads

Arsenal were so dominant in the first half it was scary. They went 2-0 up inside 10 minutes and looked like they would score with every attack. But a pattern is emerging. All season long they’ve scored early in games and rode that euphoria to victories. But now they’re stuttering when they go 2-0 up. Why? Boredom. Plain and simple. Thomas Partey was getting bored with having so much of the ball and so much space that he switched off and allowed Declan Rice to win it back. That led to Gabriel making a poor challenge to give West Ham the penalty for their first goal. They then allowed one long ball over the top to find a completely unmarked Jarrod Bowen to make it 2-2. How does that happen?

These sloppy defensive mistakes are creeping back in to Arsenal’s game and they have been there all season. Perhaps missing William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko is having a bigger impact than we thought? After all, Arsenal have a small squad and Arteta has run them into the ground this season, focusing on keeping them together while the chemistry has been so good. Perhaps he is now paying the price for Arsenal being so good for so much of the season that he didn’t feel the need to rotate his team? Fatigue mixed with boredom is why they are crumbling in games to hand Man City the initiative in the title race.


Stars of the show; West Ham vs Arsenal player ratings

Declan Rice: After a slow start, dominated midfield and dragged the Hammers back into the game. He will

Martin Odegaard: Started superbly with a hand in the first goal and scored a beauty himself. Faded a little but still oozed class.

Jarrod Bowen: A fine finish for his goal and never stopped running. Gave Rob Holding and Gabriel and torrid time.

West Ham vs Arsenal live
Graphic via FotMob.com

Mikel Arteta reaction: Arsenal ‘can only blame ourselves’

“Very disappointed because the way we started was superb again and we had the game in total control. Then we can only blame ourselves. We lost that purpose to really attack them and threaten their goal. We gave them hope and conceded a terrible penalty. Then credit to [West Ham]. They started to play their way.

“What we did in the second half with changes, it wasn’t enough. A crucial moment at 2-1, you have a penalty to put It 3-1 is a different game. Two minutes later, you concede a goal.”

On Bukayo Saka’s missed penalty: “Any player who takes penalties misses penalties [sometimes]. I haven’t known anybody who doesn’t and still we should’ve done things much better.”


Martin Odegaard reaction: Arsenal gave West Ham what it wanted

“A lot of the same things to last week, started well but then we stopped, allowed them to play on their qualities. We gave them the game they wanted, we gave them hope, and that’s on us. We have to look forward now. We started to do a lot of stupid things on the ball, we allowed them to play on the long balls.”

On their table lead being down to four points: “We have to remember we are still top of the league with everything in our own hands. The same mindset, same mentality to make sure we win the next one.”


What’s next?

After hosting Gent in the second leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League quarterfinal on Thursday, West Ham head to Bournemouth on Sunday, April 23 in a massive relegation six-pointer.

Arsenal host bottom side Southampton on Friday, April 21.


How to watch West Ham vs Arsenal live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 9am ET, Sunday
TV channel: USA Network
Online: Stream via NBCSports.com

West Ham vs Arsenal live analysis! – By Joe Prince-Wright at London Stadium

FULL TIME: West Ham 2-2 Arsenal – What a comeback from the Hammers and the Gunners will be kicking themselves. They were 2-0 up and cruising, again. Will this draw cost them the title? There is still a long way to go but this feels like a crucial moment in the title race.

5 minutes of stoppage time. Eddie Nketiah is on. Cane he be the hero?

POST! Michail Antonio hits the post with a header. So close to a third for West Ham!

Jarrod Bowen gets in behind but Arsenal block his effort, then Ramsdale is brave to clear out the corner. The home fans are getting right behind their team here. 10 minutes to go…

Jorginho and Leandro Trossard are on for Arsenal. Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey are off. Can the January signings have a big impact?

CLOSE! So close to for Arsenal. A cross flashes just past Gabriel Jesus who was ready to tap in.

This is all West Ham now. Wow. Who saw this coming!? Martin Odegaard is furiously waving his hands around, trying to get Arsenal to calm down and regain some control.

GOALLLL! West Ham 2-2 Arsenal – Moments after Bukayo Saka missed a penalty kick to put Arsenal 3-1 up, West Ham have equalized. This is crazy. A lovely finish from Jarrod Bowen and Arsenal have coughed up a 2-0 lead for the second week in a row. What a game!

PENALTY to Arsenal! After a handball in the box by Michail Antonio as he blocked Gabriel’s shot, a penalty kick is given to Arsenal… but Bukayo Saka misses it! He puts the ball well wide. What a missed opportunity for Arsenal.

We are back underway and the hosts are pushing for an equalizer.

HALF TIME: West Ham 1-2 Arsenal – A stunning start from the Gunners as Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard were both on target but the Hammers have found their feet and Said Benrahma’s penalty kick has made this a game. What a turnaround from the opening 10 minutes. Surely Arsenal aren’t going to chuck away another 2-0 lead, right? Right!?

CLOSE! Lucas Paqueta, who has been really good in recent weeks, smashes a shot over. Arsenal totally flat. West Ham are purring after that goal. Who saw this coming!?

SAVEEE! Aaron Ramsdale tips over a header from Michail Antonio, who just couldn’t get enough power on it. The Hammers having a real go here. A corner is then whipped in and Ramsdale was not convincing as he tried to punch clear.

GOALLLL! Said Benrahma slots home the penalty kick and after all of that Arsenal dominance, it is 2-1 and the home fans are loving it. Game on.

Penalty to West Ham! Lucas Paqueta taken down by Gabriel in the box. Declan Rice wins the ball back against Thomas Partey and finds Paqueta. Clumsy from Gabriel.

“You’ve only come to see the Arsenal!” sing the away fans. To be fair, why wouldn’t you? The way they are playing right now is absolutely scintillating. The next song from Arsenal’s fans: “Are you Tottenham in disguise?” Banter.

This is going to be a longgggg outing for West Ham now. They are already chasing the ball a lot and this huge pitch must look twice as big for the West Ham players now.

What a DREAM start for Arsenal. Absolutely perfect response to those dropped points at Liverpool last weekend.

GOALLLL! West Ham 0-2 Arsenal – Martin Odegaard with a lovely volleyed finish at the back post after a great ball from Martinelli. He was wide open!? Less than 10 minutes on the clock. Wow. Ruthless from the Gunners.

GOALLL! West Ham 0-1 Arsenal – Gabriel Jesus taps home after a lovely move. Odegaard slots in Ben White and he crosses for Jesus to tap home. Brilliant Arsenal goal.

KICK OFF! We are underway at London Stadium. Fantastic atmosphere here. Decent start from the hosts too, who want a penalty for a handball on Rob Holding but nothing is given. Holding’s arm was down by his side.

Some analysis from our crew here, as they focus on how Arsenal should be feeling as the intense title race cranked up a few more notches this weekend.

The atmosphere is bubbling up (pardon the pun!) nicely here. Arsenal players are looking sharp in their warm ups.

Turns out the whispers were correct. Tierney is in for Zinchenko at left back, while Eddie Nketiah is back in the squad. There are a host of changes for the Hammers, with eight players coming in and only Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Vladimir Coufal staying in the starting lineup.

Arsenal will of course want to regain their six-point lead atop the Premier League table after City cut it to just three, while West Ham are scrapping against relegation and are just three points above the drop zone heading into this game.

Welcome to east London for this huge London derby! Just 4.8 miles separate these clubs (Arsenal and Spurs are 4.4 miles apart) so they are big rivals and there is no love lost between these sets of fans. In the bustling press room in the bowels of London Stadium there are whispers floating around that Oleksandr Zinchenko may not be fit to start due to a groin injury so Kieran Tierney is likely to come in.


Key storylines & star players

Arsenal’s seven game winning streak came to a screeching halt last time out, as their 2-0 lead over Liverpool turned into a disappointing (and slightly worrying) 2-2 draw at Anfield — the Gunners’ first wobble of the run-in. Before their colossal clash with Manchester City on April 26 (3 pm ET), Mikel Arteta’s side will face back-to-back relegation fighters as an appetizer, whole Pep Guardiola and Co., juggle a Champions League quarterfinal second leg vs Bayern Munich, as well as an FA Cup semifinal vs Sheffield United, between now and then.

As for the Hammers, it was a win last time out in the Premier League (1-0 over Fulham), but now comes the hard part for David Moyes’ side: back-to-back wins, something they haven’t done in over six months (Oct. 1 and 9). Of course, West Ham are also juggling European fixtures as they played Gent to a 1-1 draw in the Conference League quarterfinals in Belgium on Thursday.


West Ham team news, injuries, lineup

OUT: Gianluca Scamacca (knee)

Arsenal team news, injuries, lineup

OUT: William Saliba (back), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Mohamed Elneny (knock), Oleksandr Zinchenko (groin)

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Premier League table, 2022-23 season

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If it’s the 2022-23 Premier League table you’re after, you’ve come to the right place.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

After the break for the 2022 World Cup, the Premier League returned with a bang and the start to 2023 delivered plenty of fun and it continued into the business end of the season.

Manchester City chased down Arsenal to win yet another Premier League title. Manchester United’s new-look side reclaimed a place in the top four, and so did Newcastle. Brighton and Aston Villa surprised by qualifying for Europe, while Liverpool dips into an unusual competition for its recent standards.

Teams were relegated. Managers were sacked. And here’s how the table looked when all was said and done.


Premier League final table – End of season

Premier League standings

NBC Sports’ standings and scoreboard



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Premier League all-time goal leaders: Harry Kane passes Wayne Rooney

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Alan Shearer is the king of Premier League goal scorers, but Harry Kane is racing to challenge his crown.

Shearer scored 260 Premier League goals during his remarkable career with Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, and that figure’s even more impressive when you consider his first professional seasons were played prior to the Premier League era with Southampton.

Wayne Rooney’s incredible career, played almost entirely in the Premier League, saw him become the second player to bag 200+ goals in the competition. The former Manchester United and Everton star counts 208 goals as his haul.

[ MORE: Premier League all-time assist leaders ]

Now ahead of Rooney? Harry Kane, whose 213 goals are 47 behind Shearer.

Kane, 29, scored 30 goals this Premier League season and would be running away with accolades were It not for some fella named Erling Haaland bagging goal after goal for Manchester City.

Will the Tottenham legend stay in England in a bid to chase down Shearer and, if he does, will he do it?

Read the full list of the Premier League’s all-time goal scorers, after the jump.

Premier League all-time goal leaders

bold denotes active player

  1. Alan Shearer, 260
  2. Harry Kane, 213
  3. Wayne Rooney, 208
  4. Andrew Cole, 187
  5. Sergio Aguero, 184
  6. Frank Lampard, 177
  7. Thierry Henry, 175
  8. Robbie Fowler, 163
  9. Jermain Defoe, 162
  10. Michael Owen, 150
  11. Les Ferdinand, 149
  12. Teddy Sheringham, 146
  13. Robin van Persie, 144
  14. Mohamed Salah, 139
  15. Jamie Vardy, 136
  16. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, 127
  17. Robbie Keane, 126
  18. Nicolas Anelka, 125
  19. Dwight Yorke, 123
  20. Romelu Lukaku, 121
  21. Steven Gerrard, 120
  22. Raheem Sterling, 115
  23. Ian Wright, 113
  24. Dion Dublin, 111
  25. Sadio Mane, 111

Premier League all-time assist leaders: Kevin De Bruyne climbs

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Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne tied Premier League legend Frank Lampard on the all-time assists leaderboard on Wednesday when his free kick service to John Stones gave City a 2-0 lead over Arsenal in their huge Wednesday match at the Etihad Stadium.

“KDB” now has 102 Premier League assists, and 100 PL assists is a feat that can be claimed by only four other players and has never been done faster than De Bruyne’s achieved it.

The assist is De Bruyne’s 16th of this Premier League season.

[ MORE: Premier League assist leaders ]

De Bruyne may not track down Ryan Giggs’ 162 career PL assists, but the other members are the top three are within his reach if he plays at least one more season with Man City.

DC United boss Wayne Rooney is next: He recorded 103.

Second place could take some doing, as Cesc Fabregas record 111 assists between Arsenal and Chelsea.

There are several other active Premier League players in and around the top 25 for all-time assists. Check the full list after the jump.


Premier League all-time assist leaders

bold denotes active player

  1. Ryan Giggs, 162
  2. Cesc Fabregas, 111
  3. Wayne Rooney, 103
  4. Frank Lampard, 102
  5. Kevin De Bruyne, 102
  6. Dennis Bergkamp, 94
  7. David Silva, 93
  8. Steven Gerrard, 92
  9. James Milner, 87
  10. David Beckham, 80
  11. Teddy Sheringham, 76
  12. Thierry Henry, 74
  13. Christian Eriksen, 74
  14. Andrew Cole, 73
  15. Ashley Young, 71
  16. Darren Anderton, 68
  17. Gareth Barry, 64
  18. Alan Shearer, 64
  19. Matt Le Tissier, 63
  20. Nolberto Solano, 62
  21. Riyad Mahrez, 61
  22. Stewart Downing, 59
  23. Steve McManaman, 59
  24. Raheem Sterling, 59
  25. Mohamed Salah, 59
  26. Peter Crouch, 58
  27. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, 58
  28. Andy Robertson, 57
  29. Eric Cantona, 56
  30. Theo Walcott, 56
  31. Kevin Davies, 55
  32. Didier Drogba, 55
  33. Damien Duff, 55
  34. Steed Malbranque, 55
  35. Danny Murphy
  36. Paul Scholes, 55
  37. Eden Hazard, 54
  38. Juan Mata, 54
  39. Mesut Ozil, 54
  40. Trent Alexander-Arnold, 54
  41. Jordan Henderson, 54
  42. Leighton Baines, 53
  43. Emile Heskey, 53
  44. Robin van Persie, 53
  45. Heung-min Son, 52
  46. Roberto Firmino, 50
  47. Nick Barmby, 50
  48. Aaron Lennon, 50
  49. Gylfi Sigurdsson, 50
  50. Dwight Yorke, 50

Premier League assist leaders: Kevin De Bruyne wins Playmaker of the Season

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Kevin De Bruyne’s gaudy assist numbers give rise to any number of considerations, and we have to wonder if the Manchester City star has ever wondered if the Premier League record would be his in a world in which Jose Mourinho found better use for him at Chelsea.

De Bruyne’s 16 assists this Premier League season were four more than his nearest competitor s– Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah — and give him 102 for his career. That’s fourth all-time, one fewer than Wayne Rooney and 60 (?!) behind record holder Ryan Giggs.

[ MORE: Premier League Golden Boot race ]

The Belgian star, 31, arrived at Chelsea from Werder Bremen at the age of 22 and managed only 425 minutes in a half-season before being offloaded to Wolfsburg. Back in the Bundesliga, De Bruyne got six assists the rest of the way before setting up 21 goals the next season to set up a move to Man City.

He’s now won the nascent Premier League Playmaker of the Season Award thrice, including a 20-assist 2019-20 season. Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, and Eden Hazard have also won the award, which is only five years old.

De Bruyne also led the Premier League in assists in 2016-17, the year before the league but a name on the honor.

His stats hint that there’s more to come, as ‘KDB’ is creating gaudy numbers. After a season in which he scored 15 times with eight assists, De Bruyne is back taunting those who’d dare chase him in terms of setting up goals (Some guy named Erling Haaland is helping…).

Premier League 2022-23 assist leaders

  1. Kevin De Bruyne, Man City — 16
  2. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool — 12
  3. Leandro Trossard, Arsenal/Brighton — 12
  4. Bukayo Saka, Arsenal — 11
  5. Michael Olise, Crystal Palace — 11
  6. Riyad Mahrez, Man City — 10
  7. James Maddison, Leicester City — 9
  8. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool — 9
  9. Andy Robertson, Liverpool — 8
  10. Ivan Perisic, Tottenham Hotspur — 8
  11. Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United — 8
  12. Christian Eriksen, Manchester United — 8
  13. Morgan Gibbs-White, Nottingham Forest — 8
  14. Pascal Gross, Brighton — 8
  15. Bryan Mbeumo, Brentford — 8
  16. Erling Haaland, Man City — 8
  17. Martin Odegaard, Arsenal — 7
  18. Solly March, Brighton — 7
  19. Jack Harrison, Leeds — 7
  20. Granit Xhaka, Arsenal — 7
  21. Dominic Solanke, Bournemouth — 7
  22. Kieran Trippier, Newcastle United — 7
  23. Alex Iwobi, Everton — 7
  24. Jack Grealish, Man City — 7
  25. Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham Hotspur — 7
  26. Jacob Ramsey, Aston Villa — 7
  27. Andreas Pereira, Fulham — 6
  28. Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa — 6
  29. Rodri, Manchester City — 6
  30. Joe Willock, Newcastle — 6
  31. Mathias Jensen, Brentford — 6
  32. Douglas Luiz, Aston Villa — 6
  33. Heung-min Son, Tottenham Hotspur — 6
  34. Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal — 6