At 23:30 Beijing time on May 1, a match in the 35th round of the Premier League began to compete, and Arsenal challenged West Ham United away. Arsenal's league record this season has been decent, in the fourth group. Although Arsenal have a certain lead over Manchester United, the strongest opponent for the fourth place is Tottenham Hotspur. If Arsenal want to qualify for the Champions League, the next game needs to try to win. Arsenal face West Ham United, who are 7th in the world. In the first leg of the two sides, Arsenal won at home. Now, although Arsenal are playing away from home, the goal is still to take all three points.
In this game Arteta discharged in a 433 formation. Ramsdale served as the starting goalkeeper. Nuno Tavares, Gabriel, Holden and Kenyo Fuan are paired at 4 defenders. Xhaka, Herneny and Erdegaard make up the 3 midfield. The combined attacking trident of Martinelli, Nketiah and Saka joined forces. Pepe, Lacazette, Smith Ronaldo and Lokunga sit on the bench.
Arsenal, who played away, played more steadily after the start of the game, and did not rush to attack, the game scene was once more anxious, and the competition for the ball between the two sides was more fierce. Over time, the two sides have been more aggressive in their attempts on the offensive end, with West Ham failing to take advantage of multiple chances, with neither Fornals nor Lancini's shots on target. Arsenal took the lead in seizing one of the few opportunities to score and Holden headed in the lead! West Ham United, who were behind, fought harder and were rewarded seven minutes later, with Bowen breaking through the goal guarded by Ramsdale and pulling both sides back to the same running line. At half-time, the score was 1-1! Arsenal had 49% possession in the first half, with four shots on target, two shots on target and one goal. West Ham United scored six shots on goal in the first half and also scored one goal.
In the second half, Arsenal stepped up their attacks, after all, Arsenal desperately needed three points. Arsenal's attack quickly paid off. Gabriel's header was headed in the 54th minute to give Arsenal another lead. After scoring, Arsenal did not become conservative, but maintained the offensive intensity it should have, and the shooting opportunities kept appearing, but the quality of the shots was average, and they failed to score again. The West Ham players are physically weak, it is difficult to organize a decent attack, and the opportunities are pitiful. The final score was set at 2-1, and Arsenal beat West Ham United to take all three points.
This game also changed the pattern of the scramble for four. West Ham have completely lost hope of reaching the top 4. Arsenal squeezed into the Champions League zone with 63 points, finishing 4th, pushing Spurs down. Tottenham Hotspur ranked 5th with 61 points. United are 6th with 55 points. Arsenal's win also made United desperate, and the situation in the United race for four deteriorated rapidly. United have one more game than Arsenal and eight points less than Arsenal. In other words, even if United wins all the remaining games, it will have a maximum of 64 points. Arsenal and Tottenham have another direct match to play, which means that at least one of the two teams has at least 64 points. Clearly, United's top four is only theoretically possible.