'It is a foul, that is the bottom line'published at 19:27 BST 10 May
19:27 BST 10 May
Image source, Getty Images
Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann agrees with VAR's decision to rule out Callum Wilson's stoppage time goal for West Ham due to a foul on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
"It is a foul by Pablo holding David Raya's arm and clearly impeding Raya," Cann told BBC Radio 5 Live. " Also, he is having his shirt pulled by Jean-Clair Todibo as well.
"Unfortunately, I know it is a shame for West Ham given the timing of the game, but it is a foul, that is the bottom line.
"The arm is across Raya from Pablo, but crucially he is holding Raya's arm. He's not going to punch the ball, he is trying to catch it. The fact he has an arm on the keeper means he can't catch it and he is clearly impeded."
Ex-Premier League goalkeeper Rob Green also agrees "it is a foul" on Raya and VAR made the correct decision to overturn the goal.
"You are looking at two players fouling the goalkeeper," added Green. "There have been so many of these this season, it has been such a talked about topic, there has been such inconsistency with it so for it to come down to this is huge.
"In isolation: foul. There were five or six fouls going on at the same time in there, but it's where the ball landed.
"Then you think consistency: there hasn't been any. The rest of the season everyone is going to say, 'hold on a minute'."
Analysis: Gunners on brink after late scarepublished at 19:21 BST 10 May
19:21 BST 10 May
Phil McNulty Chief football writer
Image source, Getty Images
Arsenal took a giant stride towards that elusive Premier League title after this win at West Ham United - but the nerves jangled throughout, right up until that remarkable conclusion.
The celebrations from Arsenal's supporters were just as wild when West Ham's stoppage time goal, which would have almost certainly denied them victory, was ruled out for a foul on David Raya as he tried to collect a corner.
It was a decision that not only decided the destiny of the points here - it may also have decided the destiny of the Premier League title and condemned the Hammers to the Championship next season.
The celebrations were purer minutes earlier, when Leandro Trossard scored, but this was a win earned the hard way by the Gunners.
In the opening exchanges, their superiority was so great it looked like it would only be a matter of time before they scored.
Arteta's puzzling decision to move Declan Rice to right-back in place of injured Ben White, a mistake he corrected at half-time, stopped Arsenal in their tracks.
And once again they were grateful to Raya for two superb stops from Valentin Castellanos and Mateus Fernandes to ensure they left east London with three points.
It completed a superb week for Arteta's side after they also reached the Champions League final, where they will face Paris St-Germain on 30 May.
West Ham 0-1 Arsenal: What Arteta and Trossard saidpublished at 19:18 BST 10 May
19:18 BST 10 May
Media caption,
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "I think we started the game so well. We created three big chances but didn't manage to score the goal, then Ben White's injury comes in and we have to adjust that. It doesn't really work out and half-time we have to change Calafiori as well, another change, so it's not ideal. But I think we showed a lot of courage with the changes and the persons that bring. I think we got rewarded because Martin made an incredible action to win us the game, apart from David's save in the 70th minute.
"In the end, this is the beauty of the Premier League. In all this chaos and with the keeper in your box, they managed to score. The referee and the VAR today had a lot of courage to stop and analyse the action and give the opportunity to the referee to make the call. I think nobody would disagree that it is a clear foul because David has the ball almost in his hands and they don't allow him to do that and they take advantage to score the goal."
On the wait for the disallowed goal: "My instinct, because I watched it live, is that it was going to be a foul. But I understand and today I realised for the referees to be in that position and make that call and change the course of one the two teams, what a responsibility. What a big call."
On David Raya's save: "If you want the chance to major trophies, you need moments and actions and the individuals creating those magic moments and David certainly - like Martin Odegaard - created a moment to win us the game."
Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "Joy. We knew what we had to do today, and that was to take three points. It was tough, we knew up front what they were playing for and they put up a good fight. It is so nice for us to get three points here and go home with a win.
"A lot happened as you could see. At the first moment I did not see what happened with the foul on David [Raya] because I was in the pack as well. He was quite convinced that it was a foul, so I was quite relieved in that moment. I thought it was a foul but in that moment you are never sure what the referee and VAR are going to do. From the moment he said it was a foul I was obviously really relieved.
"Most of the time you know it will go in your favour if they go to the monitor because it means that VAR have seen something. It should be a foul."
On his goal: "It's an amazing run from Martin [Odegaard]. He does so well to get the ball to me and then just in that moment I put all my power and precision on the ball to get it into the back of the net. It was such a relief to score that goal."
On being two games from the title: "I don't need to explain what is at stake, everyone knows. Two very important games from us, and we have all the belief that we can do it, but we have to work hard to get three points in the next games as well."
Did you know?
Arsenal's opener was timed at 82 minutes and six seconds, their latest goal in a 1-0 Premier League win since November 2023 against Brentford (Kai Havertz in 89th minute).
Arsenal's Leandro Trossard has only scored more goals in his Premier League career against Liverpool (6) than West Ham United (5) – today ended a run of 14 appearances without a league goal for the Belgian.
Arsenal are unchanged for the third game in a row which means Myles Lewis-Skelly continues in midfield. The Gunners have won their last two matches against Fulham and Atletico Madrid without conceding a goal.
Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Rice, Eze, Trossard, Saka, Gyokeres.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Crystal Palace v Everton" or "ask BBC Sounds to play West Ham v Arsenal", for instance.
Sutton's predictions: West Ham v Arsenalpublished at 10:01 BST 10 May
10:01 BST 10 May
Arsenal look like a totally different proposition on the attacking front now Bukayo Saka is back in the team.
It is going to be hard for West Ham to keep them out and it doesn't help the Hammers that they desperately need a victory here after losing last weekend while all the teams around them won.
A draw wouldn't be a disaster for West Ham if you took this game in isolation but, depending on what Tottenham do against Leeds on Monday night, even if they pick up a point they could end up further adrift.
Arsenal have had big wins at London Stadium in each of the past two seasons. I don't see them sticking five or six in again this time but I also don't see them slipping up.
West Ham United v Arsenal: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 13:00 BST 9 May
13:00 BST 9 May
In what is a crucial match for both sides, Champions League final-bound Arsenal continue their bid for a first top-flight title for 22 years against a West Ham United side who dropped into the bottom three after last weekend's results. BBC Sport takes a look at the key themes ahead of Sunday's game (16:30 BST).
Title chances in Arsenal's hands
The equation for Arsenal is simple on paper; win all four of their remaining matches and it will be the greatest season in the club's 139-year history.
Thierry Henry, part of the unbeaten "Invincibles" side, who were the last Arsenal team to win a league title in 2003-04, said that Mikel Arteta's squad would be known as the "Unforgettables" if they were to pull off a Premier League and Champions League double.
The Gunners travel to West Ham still on cloud nine after Tuesday's win over Atletico Madrid, but that euphoria must be put on hold as they get back to the business of trying to end their painful wait for a 14th top-flight title.
After consecutive league defeats last month their mettle and bottle was called into question but successive home wins – allied to Manchester City's draw at Everton on Monday - has handed the initiative firmly back to the Gunners.
If recent history is anything to go by, struggling West Ham are the ideal opposition for Arteta's side to face. The Gunners have only picked up more Premier League wins against Everton (40) than the 38 they have against the Hammers.
They have scored 11 goals across their last two visits to the London Stadium courtesy of a 6-0 thrashing in 2023-24 and a 5-2 victory last season. The only side in English league history to score five or more in three successive away games against the same opponent is West Brom at Birmingham between 1957 and 1960.
If Arsenal do secure a crucial win it will also set a new club record of 42 victories in all competitions within the same season, breaking a tie with their famous Double-winning side from 1970-71.
Their victory over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday also saw them record a 30th clean sheet of the campaign, which is their most since 1993-94.
Hammers endure horror weekend
While Arsenal are on a high, West Ham endured a morale-sapping weekend which ended with Nuno Espirito Santo's side slipping into the bottom three. Their heavy defeat at Brentford, coupled with Tottenham's win at Aston Villa, means with three games to go they are a point adrift of their bitter rivals with an inferior goal difference.
The Gunners are the last team the Hammers will want to meet given their recent record in home league matches against the north Londoners. Mikel Arteta's side have scored a whopping 21 goals across their last six top-flight visits to Stratford.
London derbies on home soil have also been a real Achilles heel for West Ham this season and they will be desperate to avoid making a very unwanted piece of history.
Having already lost at the London Stadium to Chelsea, Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Brentford and Fulham they could become the first side in English league history to lose six home games against fellow London teams within a season.
They are at least unbeaten in their last six home league matches, which is their best run since their final season at Upton Park in 2015-16 (15 games)
Nuno has named the same starting XI for four consecutive Premier League games but will surely be tempted to mix things up after saying his side "lost composure" after conceding the second goal against the Bees.
They did strike the woodwork four times in that match - a joint record in a Premier League game this season – but hard luck stories count for nothing at this stage of the campaign.
I't doesn't happen overnight' - Arteta praises Gyokerespublished at 16:54 BST 8 May
16:54 BST 8 May
Alex Howell Arsenal reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Viktor Gyokeres has scored 21 goals in all competitions this season.
Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on striker Viktor Gyokeres after the forward has produced some of his best performances for Arsenal in recent weeks.
Gyokeres, scored twice in the 3-0 win over Fulham in the Premier League last weekend, before putting in his best performance of the season in the win over Atletico Madrid in midweek as Arsenal secured their place in the Champions League final.
And after receiving criticism throughout the season, Gyokeres has now scored 21 goals for the Gunners in all competitions.
The 27-year-old's ability to hold-up the ball had been questioned but in the win over Atletico, it was a key aspect of his performance as he dominated the backline.
"Some of the things you see, certain improvements from players probably the work has not been the day before or two days before, it has been done through months. It doesn't happen overnight," Arteta said when asked about the £64m signing's improvement.
"Viktor has been working extremely hard, the level of demands he puts on himself are incredibly high.
"He always wants to learn, he's always asking questions, he always wants to do extra things.
"He is always trying to find ways to find connections with his team-mates whether that is in the canteen, in the dressing room or on the pitch.
"At the end, when you have that kind of behaviour you get rewards."
Arteta on Saka joy, celebrations and 'the audition'published at 16:53 BST 8 May
16:53 BST 8 May
Marissa Thomas BBC Sport journalist
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against West Ham at London Stadium (kick-off 16:30 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Arteta provided a team news update: "Everybody finished the game [against Atletico Madrid] well. Nothing to add."
However, he added there is "no chance" for Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber to make the team for the weekend and he said there is still "a fair bit to do" in order for them to have a chance to play any minutes before the end of the season.
On criticism of Arsenal's celebrations after reaching the Champions League final: "I didn't know about it but you have to respect every opinion and place them where they belong. It is not important. I'm assuming that the criticism is positive and negative. That makes you better. You want to set higher standards and perform at levels that can help you compete for the two most prestigious competitions in Europe. You have to be prepared for that because it does make you better, that's for certain."
Asked about facing PSG in the Champions League final, Arteta said: "It is what it is. We knew the level of the opposition that we had to face, either way, Bayern Munich or PSG. We know the quality that they have, and that's it. But obviously, we're also very confident that when we get to that moment, we're going to deliver what we need to."
Arteta also gave his thoughts on how enjoyable it's been to work with Bukayo Saka: "A joy. I feel extremely lucky, I said it from the beginning, to find somebody at the club that you can lean into at any level, knowing that he's going to respond. Knowing that his heart is in the right place. Knowing that everything that he does comes from certain values, certain education, certain principles. It's been a joy. On the human level, I think we know him. And on the football level, what he has provided to this club, and what he did the other night [against Atletico Madrid], is just remarkable."
On his feeling and messaging to players and supporters: "Stay present, live the moment, prepare and show the same level of energy, hunger and desire that we've shown all season, or more, because we are closer and closer, and everything that we do now is going to matter to win it or not."
Arteta said the next few weeks are the biggest of his career.
Asked if every game now is an audition for the final, Arteta said: "I don't think they think like this because they know the audition is every single day in training, and what they are doing and giving us the headache, like they have been giving us all season, but especially the last few weeks as well."
Referee right not to send off Pope at Arsenal - panelpublished at 16:53 BST 8 May
16:53 BST 8 May
Dale Johnson Football issues correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
Referee Sam Barrott was right not to show a red card to Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope against Arsenal, according to the Premier League's key match incidents panel.
Pope came rushing out of his area in the 74th minute and brought down Viktor Gyokeres during the Gunners' 1-0 win at the Emirates.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta felt Pope should have been sent off for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
"It's a clear red card," Arteta said after the match. "I've watched it 10 times. If you have ever played football, it is a red card."
But the panel unanimously backed the referee's decision to only show Pope a yellow card, with Malick Thiaw close by.
The panel supported the caution "due to the proximity of the covering defender, the ball was out wide, and the attacker didn't obviously have control of the ball".
No video assistant review from Jarred Gillett was also backed 5:0.
Could Arteta leave if Arsenal don't win anything?published at 08:09 BST 8 May
08:09 BST 8 May
Alex Howell Arsenal reporter
We've had a few questions sent in via our Gunners Ask Me Anything form about Mikel Arteta's future and whether the Spaniard might move on if Arsenal end up not winning anything this season.
Arteta has transformed Arsenal since he took over in 2019.
During that time, he has had his job title changed from head coach to manager, which aligns with how much control and say he has in the goings-on around the club.
At the end of this season, Arteta has one year remaining on his current contract. He has built this squad and turned them into serial challengers.
It will be very tough for Arsenal and him if they miss out on trophies again this campaign, but the only way Arteta leaves is if he makes the decision himself.
Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.
We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.
Gossip: Gunners eye Barcolapublished at 08:02 BST 8 May
08:02 BST 8 May
France forward Bradley Barcola could leave Paris St-Germain in the summer, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona interested in the 23-year-old. (Sky Sports Germany, external)
PSG 'slight favourites' against Arsenal in Champions League final - Kanepublished at 17:41 BST 7 May
17:41 BST 7 May
Phil McNulty Chief football writer
Image source, Getty Images
Harry Kane believes holders Paris St-Germain will be slight favourites for the Champions League final against Arsenal – but expects an even contest in Budapest.
Former Tottenham striker Kane suffered the disappointment of a semi-final exit after Bayern Munich went out 6-5 on aggregate to Luis Enrique's outstanding side.
England captain Kane, who scored Bayern's late goal in a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night, admitted it was tough to take as Vincent Kompany's side failed to claw back a 5-4 deficit from the first leg in Paris.
Looking ahead to PSG's meeting with Arsenal on 30 May, Kane said: "It is really even. They are two totally different teams in the way they play, but two very strong teams. It will be an interesting final.
"PSG, being champions, probably hold the right to be slight favourites but overall, it will be two top teams going at it and it will be an even match."
Kane is not even sure he will watch the final, adding: "I don't know. It depends where I am. Right now I am just disappointed."
'It's a different Arsenal now'published at 15:37 BST 7 May
15:37 BST 7 May
Adwaidh Rajan BBC Sport journalist
Tuesday's 1-0 win was Arsenal's ninth clean sheet in 14 matches in Europe - they have only conceded two goals in six knockout games - and their 30th overall this season.
They have allowed their opponents an expected goals (xG) of just 0.84 per game, and seven of the past 13 Champions League winners conceded fewer than 1.0 xG per game on average during their successful campaigns. In comparison, PSG's average xGA - expected goals against - in Europe this season is 1.38.
There is no denying it will take a monumental Arsenal effort against PSG if they are to lift the Champions League trophy for the first time.
Reigning champions PSG have netted 44 goals in just 16 matches in Europe - with six of them coming in the semi-final against Bayern, who themselves scored 43.
Only Barcelona, who scored 45 times in 16 matches in 1999-00, have more in a single season.
One only has to look at last season's final to appreciate how quickly Luis Enrique's PSG side can blow teams away. Inter Milan conceded just once in their eight league-phase matches, but shipped five in one of the most one-sided European finals.
The Gunners defeated PSG 2-0 at Emirates Stadium in the league phase of last season's competition, but the French side prevailed in the semi-finals, running out 3-1 aggregate winners on their way to clinching their maiden title.
Arsenal will now hope to avenge that heartbreak in perfect fashion in Hungary at Puskas Arena.
"The final will be fascinating," former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves said. "PSG will be more attacking than they were against Bayern, but this is a different Arsenal now.
"They went through a little blip the last few weeks. They believe now. They have a chance. They just have to believe."
Was Man City defeat a blessing in disguise?published at 12:41 BST 7 May
12:41 BST 7 May
Image source, Getty Images
Arsenal have been able to play with more freedom since losing to Manchester City in the Premier League because there was no longer an expectation on them to win the title, believes former top-flight defender Stephen Warnock.
Mikel Arteta's side have gone on a four-game unbeaten run in the league and Europe since the away defeat by City on 19 April, and have regained their lead in the title race alongside now reaching the Champions League final.
"The pressure was off because people thought City had won the title," said Warnock on BBC Match of the Day. "And now suddenly they are playing with a little bit more freedom.
"The pressure hasn't been on them as much as it shifted to Manchester City.
"But the pressure will now be on Arsenal in the final because they've got to go and win it against a very good Paris Saint-Germain team.
"I think the pressure will also come back on them in the league too because everyone will say they have the advantage to go and win it. Then we will see where they are at."
Arsenal have a five-point lead on Manchester City, who have a game in hand on the Gunners, with three matches remaining.
Arsenal 'right not to take anything for granted'published at 12:40 BST 7 May
12:40 BST 7 May
Pat Nevin Former footballer and presenter
Image source, Getty Images
Arsenal are clearly favourites again for the Premier League title but they are right not to take anything for granted. The weekend's super-efficient dispatch of Fulham in the first half, certainly looked like the work of champions.
The mature swagger was back and so was Bukayo Saka. The importance of having the England winger in the team and at his best has never looked starker. It is not only what he does with the ball himself, it is what he does for team-mates.
Viktor Gyokeres looks a different player with Saka on the field and there are a few reasons for this. It is no surprise to say that strikers love wide players who provide chances with classy crosses, but Saka also stretches defences. It is not because he runs beyond them that often, but because they know how dangerous he is and they have to double up and over cover.
This leaves just a little more space for the strikers – and good strikers don't need a lot as Gyokeres showed with the opening goal. To be fair it was served up on a plate by Saka with more class than a royal state dinner.
One warning for Arsenal fans is that the league isn't theirs yet. Two of the past three games are away from home, against West Ham and Crystal Palace, these are not certainties.
Arsenal have drawn or lost eight of their 17 Premier League away games this season - and they have dropped points at Wolves and Nottingham Forest since January, other teams who were in the relegation dog fight. It is a long way from being over even if they are favourites.
Image source, Getty Images
