Our Arsenal week 30 match review discusses Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against West Ham at the London Stadium. The Gunners once again wasted a two-goal lead and are now only four points clear of Manchester City with a game against Southampton next. This was a frustrating result. Let’s dive into it.
Arsenal Week 30 Match Review: The Positives
A Strong Start
The Gunners started out very well. Gabriel Jesus scored in the seventh minute and Martin Odegaard scored a second goal in the tenth minute. Arsenal started out similarly well at Anfield before Liverpool came back and the game ended in a draw.
Gabriel Jesus Scores Again
As previously mentioned, Jesus played very well again. He looked dangerous throughout the game and scored his goal confidently. Jesus continuing to return to form is an excellent sign, particularly ahead of a must-win game against Southampton.
Martinelli Continues His Fine Form
Gabriel Martinelli got the assist for Martin Odegaard’s goal. Martinelli has demonstrated much-improved play-making this season and that is great to see. I expect Martinelli to continue to be a major threat to opposing defenses moving forward.
Martin Odegaard Remains Confident in Front of Goal
Martin Odegaard played well and took his goal with confidence, too. Odegaard now has 10 goals and eight assists so far this season. Odegaard put in a true captain’s performance and will no doubt continue performing well for the remainder of the season.
Gabriel Magalhaes Had Another Good Performance
Gabriel Magalhaes also played well, too. He was definitely the standout player in Arsenal’s defense. Gabriel won duels both on the ground and in the air while remaining composed on the ball. Gabriel has been one of Arsenal’s most consistent defenders this season.
Ben White Provided Another Assist
Ben White defended well and remain composed on the ball against West Ham, as usual. His defensive contributions have been consistently excellent for the vast majority of the season. However, White got another assist in this game, this time to Gabriel Jesus. White has been more of a threat on the right flank of Arsenal’s attack lately and this bodes well for the Gunners.
Arsenal Week 30 Match Review: The Negatives
The Gunners Wasted a Two-Goal Lead
Once again, the biggest negative was that Arsenal wasted a two-goal lead. This is even more frustrating given that West Ham are fighting to avoid relegation and the Gunners beat West Ham twice last season. Arsenal cannot afford to drop points in any more games this season aside from the game against Manchester City.
Arsenal’s Defending Was Uncharacteristically Poor
Arsenal’s defending was lackluster to say the least in this game. The Gunners could have prevented both West Ham goals with better defending. Arsenal gave away a needless penalty for the first West Ham goal and failed to stop Bowen from scoring a fairly straightforward equalizer for the second West Ham goal. Rob Holding was poor once again in this game and his last two performances are concerning, especially with Saliba still not yet ready to return from his injury. The Gunners will have to defend much better in upcoming matches to continue their title challenge.
Bukayo Saka Struggled and Missed a Penalty
Saka also didn’t have a great game. He wasn’t as dangerous down the right flank of Arsenal’s attack as usual. Additionally, Saka missed a penalty earlier in the first half, which proved costly for the Gunners. Arteta might have to consider putting Saka on the bench and letting him rest against Southampton so that he can be at full effectiveness in the pivotal match against Manchester City.
Manager Rating: 6/10
Arteta failed to get Arsenal to kill off the game when they were leading 2-0 early. That cost them two points in the end and this pattern is a concerning one. The Gunners need to maintain a strong performance fro the full 90 minutes. Additionally, Arteta’s substitutions were reasonable but he brought on Eddie Nketiah too late in this game. Arteta will need to make sure Arsenal maintain the level of their performance much better against Southampton so the Gunners actually win that game.
Arsenal Have a Must-Win Game Against Southampton Next
The Gunners return home to the Emirates to face Southampton. Southampton are at the bottom of the Premier League table and will likely get relegated. Arsenal have also played extremely well in home Premier League matches this season, so this should be and must be another home win for Arsenal. I would bet on Arsenal returning to winning ways against Southampton.
Check back in next week for more Arsenal content.