If Arsenal’s wait for the Premier League title is to extend beyond the end of the season, this will go down as the day when their challenge faltered. After the 2-2 draw at Liverpool last Sunday, Mikel Arteta and his coaches were happy with the point, even if they accepted that the game management had to improve. There were not so many ‘what ifs?’ – even though they led 2-0.
It was an entirely different feeling here. This was a game that Arsenal held in their palms, initially after they surged into an early 2-0 lead. At that point the West Ham natives were restless, Arsenal’s superiority pronounced to an almost excruciating degree.
