Arsenal's recent title run-ins have been negatively impacted by their performances against West Ham, raising concerns about a potential 'curse.' This situation has provided Manchester City with renewed hope in the Premier League title race.
Key points
Arsenal secured a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
This victory marked Arsenal's first Champions League final appearance in 20 years.
Manchester City dropped points in a 3-3 draw against Everton.
Arsenal is five points ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League.
That victory came 24 hours after Manchester City dropped points in a crazy 3-3 draw at Everton, leaving the Gunners five points ahead of Pep Guardiola's side at the top of the Premier League table.
Arsenal have three matches left to play and City have one in hand. But, in the first of those this weekend, a lumbering, bubble-blowing monster lies in wait.
Mikel Arteta's side won't blow this against West Ham... will they?
How have Arsenal's performances against West Ham affected their title chances?
Arsenal's struggles against West Ham in crucial matches have contributed to their faltering title run-ins, creating doubts about their championship prospects.
What recent results have influenced Arsenal's position in the Premier League?
Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid and Manchester City's 3-3 draw with Everton have significantly impacted the Premier League standings.
What does the term 'West Ham curse' refer to in relation to Arsenal?
The 'West Ham curse' refers to Arsenal's historical difficulties in securing wins against West Ham during critical moments of title races.
How close are Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League standings?
Arsenal currently holds a five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.
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Arsenal and West Ham have played 154 times across all competitions. The Gunners have 74 wins to the Hammers' 38 victories. The other 41 games have finished as draws.
In the Premier League era, Arsenal are similarly dominant in the rivalry, with 38 wins to West Ham's 10 and 11 draws.
So, with relegated Burnley and Conference League finalists Crystal Palace still to come for Arsenal, nothing much to fear, right? Well, across three consecutive second-place finishes for Arteta's side over the past three seasons, this fixture has not always been so straightforward.
West Ham 2-2 Arsenal, 2022/23
Arsenal recovered from a 1-0 halftime deficit to win 3-1 at home to West Ham on Boxing Day 2022, their first game back after the mid-season break for the Qatar World Cup.
Arteta's side were not expected by many observers to be in title contention that season but romped to a magnificent 50 points from their first 19 games. City gradually began to haul them in, however, and a run of three consecutive draws that preceded a 4-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium saw the title get away.
Perhaps the most galling of these stalemates was a 2-2 draw at London Stadium on April 16. Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard put Arsenal 2-0 up inside the opening 10 minutes, but Said Benrahma reduced the arrears from the penalty spot and Jarrod Bowen ensured a share of the spoils.
Arsenal 0-2 West Ham, 2023/24
A repeat of the 6-0 win Arsenal secured at London Stadium on February 11, 2024 would do very nicely indeed this weekend, yet West Ham had already dealt out some punishing title-race damage that season.
The 2023/24 campaign went down to the final day, with City outlasting Arsenal as the top two finished on 91 and 89 points respectively. It meant Gunners fans could rue any of the 10 occasions when they dropped points, with the 2-0 post-Christmas defeat to the Hammers at the Emirates one that loomed large.
West Ham also beat Arsenal 3-1 in the Carabao Cup in November of that season.
Arsenal 0-1 West Ham, 2024/25
Liverpool ran away with the title last season, although it might have been different had Arsenal not coughed up a 1-0 defeat to West Ham on home soil on February 22. Arteta's side had demolished a bedraggled Manchester City 5-1 earlier that month, but Bowen scored the only goal shortly before halftime to ensure the points went back to east London.
The result left Arsenal eight points behind Liverpool with 12 games to play and they never looked like hauling that in. Looking ahead to this weekend, the fact Arsenal won last season's corresponding fixture 5-2 at the former Olympic Stadium is certainly a positive.
Jarrod Bowen record vs. Arsenal
During the neck-and-neck title race of 2018/19 between Manchester City and Liverpool, some Reds supporters on social media changed their avatars to the star forward of whoever City were playing. This unusual trend peaked when pictures of Burnley striker Ashley Barnes were all over Liverpool Twitter the weekend Sergio Aguero's goal pilfered a 1-0 win at Turf Moor.
If City fans were to reprise the joke this weekend, they'd be sticking Jarrod Bowen all over their accounts. West Ham are in a relegation battle despite having one of the most dependable wide forwards in the Premier League in their ranks. The England international has eight goals and 10 assists this season and boasts a fine record against Arsenal.
As mentioned above, he scored in the 2023 2-2 draw and 2025 1-0 win that shook the Gunners' title ambitions. Overall, he has five goals and an assist in 13 appearances against Arsenal. Four of those have come in the Premier League, where Bowen has only scored more frequently against Wolves (six) and Brentford (five)
