Even prior to Lewis-Skelly’s dismissal – upgraded from a yellow card following a VAR intervention after the teenager denied Mohammed Kudus a clear scoring opportunity – Arsenal’s failure to sign a striker during last month’s transfer window had been brutally exposed.
Sterling was handed 10 minutes to save both his and Arsenal’s season, but his free-kick on the edge of the area cannoned into the West Ham wall before Gabriel scooped his effort over.
Eight minutes of stoppage time followed but West Ham saw out the win – only their second of the year so far – as the home fans headed to the exit wondering whether this was the afternoon that their title quest unravelled.
Ten-man Arsenal’s Premier League title bid was dealt a major blow after they suffered a torrid 1-0 defeat against West Ham at the Emirates.
The visitors nicked the ball on the edge of Arsenal’s penalty area, with Bowen playing in the impressive Wan-Bissaka on West Ham’s right-hand side.
