Fourteen months after they last put a major dent in Arsenal’s title aspirations, a goal from Jarrod Bowen secured West Ham’s second successive Premier League away win over their north London rivals as Mikel Arteta’s side saw their hopes of maintaining the pressure on leaders Liverpool evaporate.
Teenager Ollie Scarles was one of four changes for their defeat at home to Brentford last week and he managed to keep Ethan Nwaneri largely quiet on his first Premier League start at left wing-back at the ground where he helped West Ham win the FA Youth Cup two years ago.
The Euro 2024 winner has had mixed success since joining in August for €32m from Real Sociedad and hadn’t been selected in a Premier League line-up since playing in his more conventional midfield role against Aston Villa here five weeks ago that saw Arsenal surrender a 2-0 lead.
Bowen was inches away from doubling West Ham’s lead just as Lewis-Skelly and Oleksandr Zinchenko were about to come on and the decision to withdraw their former captain Declan Rice only increased the volume in the jubilant away end.
Zinchenko’s last league appearance came in the win over Tottenham here last month but suddenly the Ukrainian was thrust into an attacking midfield role and only a block from Soucek denied his goalbound shot before Areola saved well from Trossard.
