Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says his side “need to feel the pain” after their Premier League title ambitions were dealt a massive blow on Saturday.
West Ham United pulled off a shock win at the Emirates Stadium after Jarrod Bowen scored the 50th top-flight goal of his career on the stroke of halftime.
The Hammers, whose task was made easier when Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity in the 73rd minute, held on for their first win at the ground since December 2023.
Arsenal ‘deserve the pain’ as Premier League title hopes fade
After the final whistle Arteta lamented Arsenal‘s lack of control in their first league defeat of the calendar year.
“We never got a grip of the game because we’re so inconsistent with the ball,” he said. “We give so many balls away.
“We never get enough positive sequence of actions, one after the other, that could generate threat and momentum in the areas we want to conquer. That allowed the game to be the flick of a coin.
“We allowed them to run with simple giveaways. They are a dangerous team. They have the quality to deliver the moment. After that is becomes a difficult game.
