By Victor Kanayo
Arsenal may have to rue missed chances, including a penalty miss by Bukayo Saka after West ham United came from behind to pull a 2-2 draw in an English Premier League clash on Sunday April 16, 2023.
The result led the gunners to drop two more points in their quest for the Premier League title.
The leaders were two ahead and cruising towards restoring their six-point cushion over Manchester City with Gabriel Jesus tapping home in the seventh minute and Martin Odegaard doubling Arsenal’s lead with a volley three minutes later.
But everything changed when they conceded a sloppy penalty that Said Benrahma tucked away in the 33rd minute.
Just as they did in the 2-2 draw at Liverpool last Sunday, Mikel Arteta’s side could not hold on to their advantage and dropped valuable points in their title battle with Manchester City.
Said Benrahma’s penalty, after Gabriel had brought down Lucas Paqueta, gave the Hammers a way back into the game, before Arsenal got a spot-kick of their own, following Michail Antonio’s handball, but Bukayo Saka shot wide.
That proved costly as the hosts scored less than three minutes later through Jarrod Bowen’s superb volley from Thilo Kehrer’s lofted pass.
West Ham, still 15th in the table but now four points above the relegation zone, could have won it when Antonio’s header bounced off the crossbar in a frantic finish.
Arsenal now have 74 points from 31 games, with reigning champions City on 70 having played a game less.
The top two meet at the Etihad on April 26.
