Arsenal were hoping to take inspiration from their dominant away performance at West Ham last season when they put five past the Hammers but yet again, the Gunners were unable to get things going away from home.
West Ham were structured and tough to break down and Arsene Wenger’s decision to start Olivier Giroud backfired as the Frenchman offered little in terms of movement in the final third and was unable to hold the ball up effectively when they decided to go direct.
The constant sideways passing didn’t penetrate the West Ham defence enough and it was the hosts who arguably created the more dangerous chances on the counter.
Another draw away from home sees Arsenal lose further ground on Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United in the race to secure a top-four finish this season. Here are our player ratings.
Petr Cech - 5
Flapped at a few crosses and didn’t really look comfortable.
Hector Bellerin - 6
Got up and down well but offered little in attack.
Laurent Koscielny - 6
Comfortable in possession but was hassled by Antonio all game. Nearly gifted the Hammers a winner late on.
Nacho Monreal - 5
Was caught of of position a few times and was isolated by the sizeable West Ham attackers. Doesn’t look at home at the heart of a back four.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles - 6
Had a reasonable game but made a few rash challenges.
Jack Wilshere - 7
Arsenal’s best player, always looking for the final pass but lacked movement from his forwards.
Granit Xhaka - 5
Tried too many distance shots when better options were available. Just not effective in this type of game.
Alex Iwobi - 5
Came closest for Arsenal when he hit the post in the first half but spent large parts of the game on the periphery.
Mesut Ozil - 6
Struggled to create given the static attack.
Alexis Sanchez - 5
Struggled to find the space to carve out opportunities.
Olivier Giroud - 5
Was outmuscled by the West Ham defenders and his limited movement forced arsenal to change their style.