Arsenal needed more than one late intervention to get through West Ham. Leandro Trossard scored in the 83rd minute, David Raya made a huge one-on-one save, and a stoppage-time equaliser was then ruled out by VAR for a foul on Raya. It was also a night when Mikel Arteta kept changing the shape and still found a way to leave with three points.

How Arteta kept reshaping the game

The most striking call came before a ball was even kicked. Arteta named an unchanged starting lineup for the third successive game, something he last did two years ago. Then, as the game tightened up, he changed the shape twice and even pulled substitute Zubimendi back off, which is not the sort of in-game management that usually feels comfortable in a title race.

Gary Neville said it plainly: "I'm stunned, actually. Taking him out of the middle of the pitch is a big call." That reaction fits the afternoon. Arteta was not leaving the game alone, he was adjusting it until Arsenal found a route through.

The late winner came after that constant tweaking had already stretched the match. Trossard's finish was the decisive moment, but the way Arsenal got there mattered just as much, because the side never settled into a tidy rhythm and still kept control of the result.

Why Arsenal are still in command

The other part of the story is the table. Arsenal are five points clear of Manchester City with only Burnley and Crystal Palace remaining, so every win now protects a lead rather than trying to create one.

That makes this sort of ugly victory useful. Arsenal are top on 76 points from 35 matches, and the margin is thin enough that a draw at West Ham would have changed the mood around the run-in. Instead, they left with a result that keeps the title picture in their hands.

Trossard's role in that matters too. He now has 30 Premier League appearances this season, with 6 goals and 6 assists, and the 83rd-minute strike was another reminder that he keeps delivering in the final third when Arsenal need a clean finish rather than a long spell of pressure.

Raya's contribution should not be separated from the rest of it either. His save denied Mateus Fernandes one-on-one, then VAR intervened in the fifth minute of added time when West Ham's equaliser was disallowed for Pedro fouling him. Arsenal did not coast through this one. They survived the awkward parts and still came away with the points.

What happens next is straightforward enough. Arsenal now move on to Burnley and Crystal Palace in the league, with Paris Saint Germain waiting in the Champions League final. The title race is still open, but this was the kind of night that keeps Arsenal in front.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 7 outlets. How we work →