Arsenal’s hopes of winning the title suffered another setback as they were defeated 1-0 by West Ham at home on Saturday afternoon.
Jarrod Bowen’s first-half strike secured all three points for the Hammers at the Emirates Stadium, while Arsenal finished the match with ten men after young midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off in the second half.
The 18-year-old academy graduate replaced Riccardo Calafiori but lasted just 20 minutes before being dismissed, despite initially receiving only a yellow card.
Lewis-Skelly fouled Mohammed Kudus as the West Ham forward surged forward from midfield. With goalkeeper David Raya positioned far from his line and no covering defenders, Kudus was denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
Referee Craig Pawson initially issued a yellow card but was advised by VAR to review the incident. After checking the monitor, he upgraded the booking to a straight red.
Shortly afterward, the Premier League Match Centre explained the decision on X, stating that VAR determined the challenge denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and recommended an on-field review, leading to the red card.
This comes just weeks after Lewis-Skelly was controversially sent off against Wolves—a decision that was later overturned following backlash on social media. He had been dismissed for a challenge on Matt Doherty but was ultimately cleared by the FA.
Although Arsenal managed to win that match against Wolves 1-0 thanks to a second-half goal from Calafiori, they could not repeat the feat against West Ham.
The defeat keeps Arsenal in second place in the Premier League, with leaders Liverpool able to extend their lead to 11 points if they beat Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday.
With several key players sidelined due to injury, the Gunners face a challenging period ahead. They travel to an in-form Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, followed by a Champions League clash with PSV. Their upcoming league fixtures include matches against Manchester United, Chelsea, and Fulham.
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