Arsenal fans including myself were fairly optimistic heading into today's clash with West Ham, but that optimism slowly turned into nerves ahead of kick-off.
The Gunners arrived at the London Stadium in good form after beating Chelsea and Manchester United in their last two games. West Ham meanwhile found themselves enduring a mixed run of form and recently lost 2-1 in the Europa League semi-final first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt.
David Moyes' side travels to Germany next week for the crucial second leg decider, leading to many believing he would name a significantly weakened starting eleven. However, that didn't quite turn out to be the case as the likes of Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen were included in the team.
READ MORE: West Ham vs Arsenal LIVE: Bowen equalises before HT after Holding had given Gunners lead
Speaking to Sky Sports prior to kick-off, Mikel Arteta admitted that he was unaware of how the Hammers would line up against his side.
"It is what it is. We didn’t have a clue what David wanted to do with his team. They have some big players and they’re resting some big players. They’re a really strong team," Arteta said.
The uncertainty from Arsenal's point of view is certainly clear to see, with West Ham proving to be difficult to break down and keep quiet. Despite a slow start from both sides, Rob Holding gave the Gunners the lead via a Bukayo Saka corner before the aforementioned Bowen instantly replied just before the break to make it level.
Gabriel Magalhaes restored his side's lead shortly into the second half, but West Ham look far from down and out at the moment. Arsenal are under pressure to secure the three points after Tottenham's victory over Leicester earlier today saw them climb into the top four once again.
