Arsenal 1-0 West Ham United: Hits and Flops from the entertaining fixture at the Emirates| Premier League 2019-20
Arsenal kept their top-four hopes alive in the Premier League after securing a narrow, but crucial 1-0 win over London rivals West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium.
Alexandre Lacazette's tap-in finish in the 78th minute proved to be the difference between the two sides in this fiercely contested fixture, which was only allowed after intervention by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
West Ham would be kicking themselves for not converting their chances, especially in the first half and this defeat leaves them at 16th in the league standings with only the goal difference keeping them above the relegation zone.
The hosts have now gone eight games without a defeat in the Premier League this campaign, which is also the longest unbeaten streak in the division currently, after Liverpool's dream run came to an end last week.
So, as the Gunners continued their unbeaten run in the top-flight, here we take a look at the hits and flops from the game.
#1. HIT: Jarrod Bowen
West Ham's January acquisition Jarrod Bowen was one of the most impressive players for The Hammers in the fixture and showed glimpses of brilliance throughout the game.
He came close to scoring a goal for the visitors just 93 seconds into the game, only to find it hitting the frame after Bernd Leno got the faintest of touches to it.
His pace from midfield caught Arsenal's defenders flat-footed and he proved to be a nuisance for the home team players. His linkup play with his teammates was impressive and he showed purpose going forward.
#2. FLOP: Nicolas Pepe
Nicolas Pepe is a highly talented player, but he is yet to reach his full potential with Arsenal. In the fixture today, he appeared completely out of sorts and even failed to maintain his position on the right flank and drifted way too often into the middle of the pitch.
He failed to link up well with his teammates, especially Mesut Ozil, who is one of the top creative players of the side and tried to take on too many West Ham defenders on his own too often, failing miserably and was frustrating to watch at times.
Though he broke through opposition defence once or twice in the game, he was guilty of squandering possession in good positions that should have led to chances in either half.