Wenger lacking the answers
ARSENE WENGER seems to be one of the few managers who have not conceded defeat to Manchester City in the title race but with every dropped point his team drift further away.
Wenger’s side were the better team at the London Stadium last night, but they ran into a West Ham newly energised and fused with determination by David Moyes, and as so often this season, they had no answer.
Arsenal have won only two of their nine away league games this campaign, and the old failings were there again. Plenty of good football, with a recalled Jack Wilshere prominent, but no end product.
For Moyes’ West Ham, this was an excellent point to follow up their defat of Chelsea on Saturday, and further confirmation of their improvement under the Scot.
They could have secured all three points had Nacho Monreal not saved the Gunners with a clearance off the line and when substitute Javier Hernandez hit the bar in injury time, but they will happily take this result.
Wenger sprang a surprise before kick-off as he gave Jack Wilshere – a potential West Ham target according to Moyes – his first start in the league since May 2016.
Olivier Giroud also made his first league start of the season and Ainsley Maitland-Niles his full league debut.
Moyes kept the same team that had impressively beaten Chelsea on Saturday in their first win since he took over.
The Hammers started brightly at the London Stadium and Marko Arnautovic thumped a header into the net but saw his effort disallowed for offside.
With Arthur Masuaku again impressively raiding down the left, Moyes’ men were causing Arsenal problems.
But the Gunners were moving the ball well and after a typical surge forward from the lively Wilshere, Alexis Sanchez saw his shot deflected just over the bar. MaitlandNiles then shot just wide from the edge of the area.
But West Ham, as they did against Chelsea, were sitting deep, defending doggedly, and challenging their opponents to try to break them down.
The Gunners almost did that when Alex Iwobi found space in the area from Sanchez’s pass, but his shot on the turn came back off the post with Adrian scrambling.
Wilshere, for so long out in the cold at the Emirates, was everywhere, prompting, pushing.
But when Manuel Lanzini was sent tumbling in the area by Granit Xhaka, referee Jon Moss waved away West Ham’s appeals, though there did look to be contact. With the rain sheeting down on the London Stadium, West Ham almost caught Arsenal out after the break when Mark Noble cleverly chested the ball down, and Arnautovic lifted his volley over Petr Cech, but also just over the bar.
Xhaka thundered a longrange effort straight at Adrian, and Giroud saw his header deflected just wide as Arsenal cranked up the pressure.
Mesut Ozil then pounced on a loose ball just 10 yards out but somehow steered his shot wide of the post.
A goal looked like it was coming, with West Ham barely able to get out of their area.
But when Pablo Zabaleta crossed, Cech made a mess of his punch. If Arnautovic had connected properly, he would have scored, but the Austrian only half hit his volley, and Monreal was able to race back and boot the ball off the line.
At the other end, Wilshere shot wildly over from 10 yards from Giroud’s nod down when he should have scored. Then Adrian made an excellent stop from Sanchez’s free-kick from 30 yards out.
However, it was West Ham who could have won it at the death after woeful Arsenal defending, but Hernandez’s effort from eight yards out came off the bar.