Arsenal moved another step closer towards the Premier League title after edging past West Ham United 1-0 in a tense and dramatic London derby that was ultimately decided by a late Leandro Trossard goal and a huge VAR decision deep into stoppage time.
Mikel Arteta’s side arrived in East London carrying momentum from their Champions League semi-final triumph earlier in the week, but this was a far more uncomfortable evening for the Gunners.
For long periods it looked like Arsenal’s title charge would suffer another frustrating setback against a West Ham side fighting desperately for survival.
The visitors dominated possession from the opening stages and repeatedly pushed the Hammers back into their own half.
Trossard almost gave Arsenal the lead during a lively first half when he struck the woodwork twice in quick succession as the pressure continued to build around the West Ham penalty area.
Yet despite Arsenal’s territorial control, clear openings remained limited.
The game also became more awkward for the Gunners after Ben White was forced off injured during the first half, prompting Arteta to reshuffle his side and temporarily move Declan Rice into defence.
That change disrupted Arsenal’s rhythm and gradually allowed West Ham to grow into the contest.
The hosts became far more dangerous after the interval and twice came close to taking the lead themselves.
David Raya produced a superb save to deny Taty Castellanos before making an even more important stop from Mateus Fernandes when the midfielder looked certain to score from close range.
Those moments felt enormous once Arsenal finally found their breakthrough late in the game.
Substitute Martin Odegaard helped inject fresh creativity into the visitors and his pass eventually created the decisive moment.
Trossard collected the ball inside the area before his effort deflected off Tomas Soucek and beyond the helpless goalkeeper to send the away end into celebration.
But the drama was still not over.
West Ham thought they had rescued a point in stoppage time when Callum Wilson turned home from close range following a chaotic corner.
However, after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was ruled out for a foul on Raya inside the six-yard box.
The decision sparked furious reactions around the stadium and ultimately secured another priceless victory for Arsenal.
The Gunners now move even closer towards a first Premier League title in 22 years.
It was not their most fluent performance.
But at this stage of the season, resilience matters just as much as style.
