‘Angry’ Mikel Arteta names who to blame for West Ham upset

Jarrod Bowen clinched all three points for the Hammers with a header just before halftime, with Arsenal suffering a significant blow to their title aspirations.

Arsenal struggled to break through West Ham’s solid defense and lacked incisiveness in attack, while a momentary lapse in focus allowed Bowen to score with a free header.

The situation worsened when Myles Lewis-Skelly, who had recently come off the bench, was sent off for preventing a clear goal-scoring opportunity in the second half.

After the match, Arteta vented his frustration over his team’s lackluster performance and their failure to build positive momentum. He also accepted responsibility for not ensuring that his players met the expected standards.

“Very disappointed, obviously very angry as well,” said the Spaniard. “You have to congratulate West Ham for the victory. For as well a lot on our side. It didn’t allow us to get enough momentum.

“I never felt that we were at the level or the standard. It’s my responsibility. We have to change that.”

Mikel Merino was positioned as the sole forward, but he appeared out of sorts at times. The 28-year-old had trouble making the correct runs and leading the attacking line effectively.

His underwhelming performance further highlighted concerns about Arsenal’s decision not to secure a striker during the January transfer window.

When asked if the defeat was down to the lack of attacking options, Arteta replied: “No, I refuse that completely. I’m talking about the standards, me included. It was nowhere near the level that we need to win the Premier League.

“I think we have to look in the mirror of ourselves of what we can do better, what we have done and the will and the desire and the way we run and the way we want it, zero question about that. But at that level, this is not enough.

“You have to deliver and it has to be with a lot of quality to break a really good team down, to win many more games than we have done and to put actions that can end up in really threatening moments to win the games and today we haven’t done that.”

With Arsenal’s loss, Liverpool have the chance to extend their lead over the Gunners to 11 points in the Premier League table, provided they secure a victory against Manchester City on Sunday.

“It’s not in our hands,” said Arteta when quizzed on what the result could mean for the bigger picture. “I’m really, really annoyed of the things that were in our hands.”