West Ham trips Arsenal for the top spot with 2-0 win

In a stunning upset, West Ham dealt a blow to Arsenal’s title aspirations by securing their third consecutive Premier League victory, beating their local rivals 2-0.

West Ham displayed ruthlessness, converting two out of three shots on target, while Arsenal squandered numerous opportunities, missing a chance to claim the top spot in the league.

Tomas Soucek capitalized on Jarrod Bowen’s cutback to fire in a goal during the first half. Although there were doubts about the ball potentially going out of play in the build-up, the video assistant referee found insufficient evidence to overturn the goal.

Former Arsenal center-back Konstantinos Mavropanos extended West Ham’s lead with an expertly headed goal from a corner in the 55th minute. Despite Arsenal’s possession and pressure, they failed to find a response.

Konstantinos Mavropanos refused to celebrate after scoring against his former club Arsenal 🙅‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/l1q7oyyBz4

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Arsenal’s night took a dismal turn when Declan Rice conceded a penalty in the final minute of injury time. However, Said Benrahma’s attempt was saved by David Raya, preventing further damage.

The outcome positions Mikel Arteta’s Gunners in second place, trailing league leaders Liverpool by two points. Meanwhile, West Ham concludes the year with 33 points, marking their highest total at the halfway stage of a Premier League campaign.