Leandro Trossard struck five minutes from time to give us a precious, precious win away at West Ham United, and extend our lead at the top of the Premier League back to five points.
The game had looked to be heading for a goalless draw until Trossard pounced from Martin Odegaard’s cutback inside the area. Just moments earlier, David Raya had made a huge save to deny Mateus Fernandes at close range in the area.
We had earlier hit the woodwork, and had an effort cleared off the line, on what was looking like becoming a frustrating afternoon, until Trossard’s late strike, but hearts were in mouths deep into injury time the hosts thought they’d seized an equaliser, but following a VAR review, it was disallowed for a foul on Raya.
Read more Highlights: West Ham United 0-1 Arsenal
POSITIVE START
We started the game enjoying a lot of possession, and soon began to create chances, and Trossard was at the heart of it. First, the Belgian found the overlapping Riccardo Calafiori with a clever pass into the area, but Dino Mavropanos got across in time to divert his shot over.
From the resulting corner, Trossard’s header at the far post was well saved by Mads Hermansen on the line, and the Belgian’s follow-up header hit the post. Still the ball bounced around until Eberechi Eze’s shot skewed over from another corner. Gabriel headed that set piece over.
We continued to look positive in possession, and Calafiori’s shot from 25 yards flew just over the angle of post and crossbar. Our left-back then saw his flicked on header from Declan Rice’s dangerously inswinging free-kick cleared off the line by Mavropanos. We had racked up nine attempts on goal in the opening 20 minutes, but had nothing to show for it.
Read more Arteta lauds “phenomenal” week after a big victory
RESHUFFLES REQUIRED
Our rhythm and momentum was disrupted somewhat by an injury to Ben White. He was replaced by Martin Zubimendi, with Rice moving to right-back, and at that point the hosts started to come back into it. Aaron Wan-Bissaka volleyed wide at the far post before Crysencio Summerville turned Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield and ran at our defence, shooting just wide.
Raya was called into action late in the half, springing to his right to keep out Taty Castellanos’s diving header at full stretch, after the Hammers had broken away on the left wing. Cristhian Mosquera came on at right-back at half-time to push Rice back into midfield, and Bukayo Saka had two shots from long range sail over the bar as we patiently looked for openings.
Read more Five talking points following our win at West Ham
TROSSARD’S BREAKTHROUGH
As the game entered the final 25 minutes, the manager made two more changes, bringing on Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard, and we saw appeals for a penalty turned down for a possible handball against a grounded Pablo as West Ham scrambled to clear a free-kick.
The hosts, desperate for points themselves in their relegation battle, began to exert more pressure in the later stages, and Raya made a huge save to deny Fernandes when he was through on goal. Our keeper stayed big as the Portuguese midfielder bore down on goal, saving with his legs.
It was a massive moment, and there was an even bigger one at the other end six minutes afterwards. Odegaard picked his way into the area before cutting the ball back for Trossard to strike home in front of the jubilant travelling supporters.
Callum Wilson saw his shot blocked by Gabriel in injury time, and the former England man had the ball in the net from the resulting corner. The goal was given on the pitch, but then disallowed after a lengthy VAR check as Raya had seen his arm pulled downwards as he attempted to grab the corner.
Drama upon drama, but the points are ours.
Read more Match-winner Trossard reflects on vital win
FACTS AND STATS
Our goal was timed at 82 minutes and six seconds, our latest opening goal in a 1-0 Premier League win since November 2023 against Brentford (Kai Havertz in 89th minute).
West Ham United have lost back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since suffering defeats in their first two of 2026 – it ends a streak of six league games unbeaten at home (W3 D3), their joint-longest run in the top-flight at the London Stadium.
We have won each of our last three Premier League games, the longest ongoing winning streak in the English top-flight.
The only scoreline to occur more frequently in the Premier League this season than us winning 1-0 (7th time today) is Manchester City winning 3-0 (8).
Leandro Trossard has only scored more goals in his Premier League career against Liverpool (6) than West Ham United (5) – today ended a run of 14 appearances without a league goal for the Belgian.
No player has more Premier League assists for us this season than Martin Odegaard (6 – level with Leandro Trossard).
Among managers to take charge of at least 20, Mikel Arteta has the best points-per-game rate (2.1) and the best win rate (63%) in Premier League London derbies (P72 W45 D17 L10).
Read more Every word from Arteta’s post-West Ham presser
WHAT’S NEXT
We have just two league games remaining. Next up it’s Burnley, in our final home game of the campaign, next Monday night. That’s followed by the Premier League finale, away to Crystal Palace, on Sunday, May 24.
Once the Premier League season is complete, attention will turn to the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on Saturday, May 30.
Copyright 2026 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.