By Martyn Herman
Arsenal’s Premier League title jitters returned in a potentially costly 2-2 draw at West Ham United on Sunday as for the second week in a row they threw away a two-goal advantage.
The league leaders were 2-0 up and cruising towards restoring their six-point cushion over Manchester City after Gabriel Jesus tapped home in the seventh minute and Martin Odegaard doubled Arsenal’s lead with a volley three minutes later.
Jarrod Bowen beats Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to score for West Ham.Credit: Getty Images
But everything changed when they conceded a sloppy penalty that Said Benrahma tucked away in the 33rd minute.
West Ham, needing points themselves to stay out of the relegation zone, suddenly looked like a different team.
Bukayo Saka had the chance to restore Arsenal’s two-goal lead early in the second half only to blaze a penalty well wide.
That miss looked even more costly moments later when Jarrod Bowen volleyed in West Ham’s equaliser in the 54th minute.
Just as at Anfield last week when Mikel Arteta’s team led 2-0 but ended up hanging on desperately for a 2-2 draw with Liverpool, there was a nervousness about Arsenal’s play as the pressure of winning their first title since 2004 intensifies.
City’s destiny is now very much in their own hands as Arsenal lead the table with 74 points from 31 games, four more than City who have played a game less and who host Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side on April 26.
West Ham, who looked the stronger side after levelling and hit the crossbar through Michail Antonio, have 31 points from 30 games, four ahead of the relegation places.
Arsenal had won all five of their London derbies away from home this season without conceding a goal and had lost only two of the previous 29 league games against West Ham.
“Very disappointing. The way we started was superb again, we were in total control, then we lost purpose,” Arteta said.
“We gave them hope, conceded a terrible penalty, then credit to them. We got on the rollercoaster where everything is going, corners and throw-ins, and we never got away from that.”
Arsenal remain in a position that they could have hardly imagined back in August, but with City steaming up behind them after collecting 25 points from the last 27 on offer, the odds are shifting towards Pep Guardiola’s treble chasers.
