Arsenal endured a nail-biting 0-0 draw against their London rivals, West Ham, at the iconic London Stadium on a cool Wednesday evening – a match packed with excitement and near-goals!
First Half
From the kick-off, Arsenal pressed hard, owning much of the play in West Ham’s half. However, West Ham’s resolute defence was well-drilled, keeping the Gunners at bay. David Moyes’ men gradually found rhythm, and Marko Arnautovic nearly opened the scoring with a header that was cruelly ruled out by the linesman for offside.
The visitors launched some slick moves – Jack Wilshere linked up beautifully with Olivier Giroud before teeing up Alexis Sanchez, whose shot had to be deflected over the bar. Around the 30-minute mark, Iwobi tested the woodwork with a sharp strike from a tight angle, assisted by Sanchez after a neat turnover of possession.
Before the interval, West Ham thought they had won a penalty when Manuel Lanzini went down under a challenge from Granit Xhaka, but referee Andre Marriner played it safe, ruling it a 50/50 decision as the whistle blew for half-time on an even keel.
Second Half
The second stanza started with West Ham looking to make their mark. Arnautovic had an early chance after a clever chest from Mark Noble, but his rushed effort sailed over the crossbar.
Arsenal regained control and created several chances – Giroud’s header was narrowly deflected wide, and Mesut Ozil saw a lucky deflection take his effort just wide. Jack Wilshere came close with a volley that flew over after a smart pass from Giroud.
Manager Arsene Wenger pushed his chips in by bringing on Alexandre Lacazette for Sanchez while Moyes introduced Hernandez to shake things up.
The substitution nearly paid off instantly as ‘Chicharito’ had a goal-bound volley that hit the bar and bounced agonisingly on the line but didn’t cross it. The London Stadium was on edge as West Ham applied sustained pressure in the dying moments.
Final Score: West Ham United 0 – 0 Arsenal
