West Ham 0-1 Arsenal: VAR Drama, Trossard Winner & 6 Points From Glory || Burnley Preview

What a finish. Arsenal beat West Ham 1-0 in the most dramatic fashion — Raya's heroic save, Trossard's winner, VAR ruling out West Ham's 94th minute equalizer. Six more points and we're champions. Burnley at the Emirates on Monday night. This is it. The final push.

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West Ham 0-1 Arsenal: Roller Coaster Of Emotions  But Still Top

What a finish!!! Like I said in the preview, supporting Arsenal can be an absolute roller coaster of emotions. The feeling when David Raya makes that world-class 1v1 save against Fernández right before half-time. The feeling when Arsenal finally break the deadlock via Trossard's composed finish. The gutted feeling when for a brief moment we all thought West Ham had equalized in the 94th minute. And then the opposite swing again when VAR rightfully ruled it out. Shay Given, Schmeichel and all the haters losing their minds over that decision I am looking at you lot. It was the correct call. Save you BP & move on. Arsenal now have a firm grip on this title. Six more points and we are over the line. Three more wins and these lads write their names into the history books of Arsenal folklore as The Unforgettables — according to King Henry himself. Credit to Mikel and the lads for the win and how they have stood up to the adversity up to this point. But they almost lost it. They really did. 

ImageCredit: Arsenal.com

Mikel's strange tactical tweak when Benny Blanco went off injured instead of doing the obvious remains an inflection point that swung the momentum of play firmly in West Ham's favour. Mikel and his coaching crew deliberated and came up with a weird solution: Rice at right-back with Zubi coming into midfield. I can understand Mikel's thinking. Arsenal were in full flow at that point. Retain the ball. We are dominating the midfield. So no problem, right? Wrong.

The problem is, nothing is ever straightforward like that. You cannot just snap your fingers and make it work. Our midfield dominance slipped and the Hammers started to put it on us properly. Summerville and Fernández were getting a bit of joy down the flanks and Raya had to absolutely bail us out right at the death of the first half with that incredible save from the header. Mikel recognized his error at the break and swapped Rice back into the middle of the park by replacing Calafiori with Mosquera. MLS moved to left-back and suddenly we had some defensive balance again. But the Hammers were not letting go. They kept pushing and battling away as expected. The Gunners were not exactly able to reassert their authority like in the early part of the first half. It now became a case of keep plodding away and make absolutely sure not to concede a sloppy goal.

In the last 20 minutes on came Madueke and then captain Martin Ødegaard. Slowly, Ødegaard started to help knit things together in midfield and Trossard was able to break the deadlock after some brilliant footwork from Ødegaard, Rice and Madueke all contributing to that passage of play. A proper team goal and Trossard finished it clinically.

Naturally, Arsenal switched to self-preservation mode. Keep a clean sheet. Do not concede. It got nervy. It got tense. And it got dramatically chaotic with VAR ruling out rightfully, I will say it again,West Ham's supposed equalizer in stoppage time. Cue the naysayers and pundits losing their absolute minds over that decision. But in the end it was the correct call and the Gunners came away with all three points, thus maintaining their lead at the top of the table.

Three points. Clean sheet. Burnley up next at the Emirates. Another must-win game. #COYG

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 #TheRunIn: Six Points From History With ManCity Still Lurking

Truth be told, Arsenal should have been out of sight with the league title sewn up and in the bag weeks ago. City had dropped silly points here and there, giving us a nine-point cushion at some point going into April. But here we are. Still grinding. Still fighting. Still needing to win our remaining games to get this done.

On the flip side, winning seven games in a season by a single goal is a hallmark of defensive solidity. Arsenal have kept 31 clean sheets so far this season and just three of them were 0-0 stalemate draws against Liverpool, Porto and Nottingham Forest. That is a massive platform for a team trying to win a title and these lads are right on the cusp of doing exactly that.

It is not done yet. That was the rallying cry from Rice when the lads fell dejectedly to the floor after the narrow loss to City at the Etihad weeks ago. City may have been forgiven for thinking they had the league title wrapped up with their wild celebrations after that game, but their run-in was not as favourable as Arsenal's. Everton away proved a bridge too far for Pep's side and they dropped two crucial points there. Although they have since swatted Brentford and Palace aside by three clear goals each, boosting their goal difference and putting some real pressure back on the Gunners.

I am sure Mikel would have drilled it into the lads: you cannot go into any of the last two games thinking a draw might be good enough at this point. Obviously a win against Burnley, while not guaranteed, is an expectation. It has to be. But let us not forget that Man City could only beat Burnley 1-0 themselves a few weeks ago. Nothing can be taken for granted. Not now. Not this close to the finish line. Man City also have a tough game against Bournemouth on Tuesday. I suspect more dropped points from City because the Cherries are unbeaten in their last 10 games, although more laden with draws is that run of theirs. The good thing is they are fighting to play in Europe which is all but confirmed now. Liverpool losing to Villa over the weekend has suddenly made Champions League qualification surprisingly within reach for Iraola's boys. What a story that would be. If Bournemouth qualify for the UCL, Iraola has to be manager of the season for me, even if Arteta finally wins the league with Arsenal. Absolutely incredible job he has done down there.

Let us not get ahead of ourselves yet though. We have to beat Burnley at the Emirates on Monday night and hope the Cherries add the cherry on top for Arsenal by taking points off Man City on Tuesday. Semenyo may try to spoil the party for us. Hopefully not. We know about the drama at Real Madrid, Barca winning the La Liga title, we know Chelsea is all but in agreement with Xabi Alonso to take charge next season, we also know Liverpool is likely giving Arne Slot another shot and ManCity, we know it may be Peps last season and he wants the domestic treble on his bow.... Squeaky bum time !!

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Arsenal vs Burnley Preview: Last Home Game, Six Points From Glory

Gameweek 37. Arsenal vs Burnley. The last home game at the Emirates this season. The penultimate match of the 2025/26 Premier League season finale. The title is still undecided although the Gunners are leading the charge as clear favourites now. Some pundits think this is it Arsenal finally get it done. Others think the greatest Arsenal bottle job may still be on the cards. Everyone feels justified in their hot takes at this stage of the season.

Mikel and the lads remain focused though. According to Mikel in his pre-match press conference:

"It's been extremely demanding from the beginning, but the team has coped with that in a really fantastic way. There is no other choice. We have the opportunity, and our supporters. It's going to be on a Monday night, let's take it in a really positive way. Hopefully, we do something incredible with our supporters.

"I think the fact that we've been at the top for a long time shows the level of consistency and how well the team has done. We're still there in this league, it's where we are now. More than ever, obviously, we want to finish in that position."

What I hear from that is simple: There is no other choice. We have to seize the opportunity and win. Burnley will no doubt want to play party poopers. Our preparation should be just like it was for West Ham  expect a battle. Mike Jackson ( no, not the King of Pop) has made it clear his lads are not just going to roll over and let us have an easy night. They may already be relegated but are looking to fight for pride and professional respect. We have to match that and then go beyond it, we have a title to win.

The Gunners have to play with the poise and freedom that we know they are capable of playing with. Saka did not have a great game against West Ham. Now is the time to man up. This is his moment to deliver when it matters most. We may also have to put Eze on the left to accommodate Ødegaard back in the middle, or we give Martinelli a proper run out. He should be fresh from the break he has had on the bench recently. The rest of the team picks itself. We need goalsss. The last home game of the season. The Emirates crowd will be absolutely bouncing. The atmosphere will be electric. The players know what is at stake. Win this game and we are one victory away from the Premier League title. One more game after this. That is all that stands between this squad and immortality.  My teams sheet would be:

#ArsBur

Let us finish the job at home. Let us give the fans something to roar about. Let us take another massive step towards that trophy. Come on you Gunners. One game at a time. Burnley first. Then we deal with what happens between Bournemouth & City, maybe we dont need the title to decided on the final day, who knows? That's it from us here at #Anaijagunner HQ. Drop your predictions and starting XI in the comments below. Like and share the post. Enjoy the game wherever you are.....#COYG

Arsenal 1-0 Atletico: UCL Final Secured! Now Win West Ham Away & The EPL Title Is....

 1-0 to the Arsenal. We're through to the Champions League Final for the second time in our history and the first time in the Emirates era. PSG await in Budapest. But before we get too carried away. West Ham away on Sunday. Win that and the league title is more than one hand on the trophy. This is it. The final push.

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Arsenal 1-0 Atletico Madrid: We're In The UCL Final 

What an evening. 1-0 to the Arsenal. The Gunners are through to the Champions League Final for only the second time in their history and for the first time in the Emirates era. It was absolute bedlam in and around the Emirates Stadium after that final whistle. We now know PSG would be waiting on the other side of the ring in Budapest. What an absolute treat that final is going to be. We earned this. We absolutely earned this and no one, I mean no one can take any credit away from us. Not even the celebrations police who seem to pop up every time Arsenal fans dare to enjoy a moment. Go somewhere and relax please. Life is for living and these lads have suffered, battled, and at times struggled through poor form or injuries to get through this season thus far. So to be in this position, closing in on the Premier League title (touch wood) and now in a Champions League Final? That deserves to be celebrated. Look, its a final right, We may Win it, We may Lose It but for now, lets just celebrate this!

Image Cred: Arsenal.com

Now, we are not getting ahead of ourselves or counting chickens that are not hatched. Not at all. The lads have to forget about the wild night at the Emirates, put the premature jubilations aside — according to the celebrations police anyway — and do the needful. REFOCUS. We have a game at the London Stadium to hammer out with West Ham on Sunday. Win that and the league is more than one hand on the trophy, affording us serious breathing room with just two games to go after that. But let me take you back to Tuesday night first.

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Arsenal came into the second leg of the Champions League Semi Final against Atletico Madrid with the bit between their teeth. The atmosphere was absolutely rocking. The players could not have asked for more. The Red Army put on a proper show, pulling out all the stops for the occasion. The tifo was absolutely beautiful. The pyrotechnics. The flares. The songs echoing around the ground. Victoria Concordia Crescit -Victory Comes Through Harmony. It was magical. These fans made the players feel on top of the world and the players delivered by winning in classic Arsenal style. Not free-flowing, swashbuckling attacking football, but professional. Disciplined. Clinical when it mattered. 

MLS put in a disciplined display in midfield. He knew this opposition was a different level to Fulham and he made sure to keep things tidy, taking no unnecessary risks with his time on the ball. Rice gave a near man-of-the-match performance making blocks, running, harrying, not allowing too many dangerous Atletico transitions. Absolutely immense when we needed him to be.

Victor Gyokeres? Oh my word. He was an absolute beast with his running, his pressing, just making himself a constant nuisance to the Atletico defence. He was colossal in attack which helped the whole team defend from the front when out of possession. It was never going to be a goal fest like the PSG-Bayern first leg,  their second leg ended 1-1 by the way  and I do not think anyone was under any such illusions. But it was not a borefest either. It was a tactical game that had the robustness and physicality you would expect. Any Diego Simeone team you face will give you a proper fight nine times out of ten. The good thing is, our Gunners were absolutely up for it.

Ben White deserves some credit here. He has been the weak link in our backline for several games now, but he rolled back the years on Tuesday night with a composed performance to complement arguably one of the best centre-back pairings in world football today, Big Gabby and Saliba. Those two were absolutely imperious. Calafiori brought his forward-thinking chaos as usual, but apart from that moment where he caught Griezmann in the penalty box with a stamp on his foot,  which thankfully VAR waved off , he was assured in possession, gave us an outlet from the back and was generally safe until Hincapié came on for him as he started to tire.

Back to the attack. Starboy Saka continued to influence games by scoring yet another crucial goal to win us the tie. He prodded home from close range in the 45th minute after Oblak spilled a shot from Trossard. Kudos to Gyokeres on the hold-up play and the ensuing cross to Leo that created the chance in the first place. Gyok worked his absolute socks off for the cause. He also should have buried that chance from Hincapié's whipped cross in the second half. Hincapié has a wicked delivery on the ball, I wonder why Mikel does not tell him to do it more often. 1-0 to the Arsenal on the night. It could or should have been more, but we won it 2-1 on aggregate. Cue the celebrations after the full-time whistle. I would take that result every single day of the week and twice on Sundays. Simeone, for all his antics on the touchline during the game, was very calm and serene in his post-match interview. He said they lost to a much better side. Class from him. Respect where it is due. Now, on to the final. #COYG

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The Run-In: City Close The Gap But We're Still In Control

The two best teams in the land continue to go at it. City won their GW35 game, spanking Brentford 3-0 in the second half at the Etihad. City still appear vulnerable at the back — especially after losing to Everton in midweek — so Pep made sure his team came out swinging in that second half against the Bees. The points gap is now closed to just two and the goal difference is down to +1 in Arsenal's favour.

Over to you, Arsenal, to respond at the Hammers on Sunday. There is very little room for any kind of error now. It is squeaky bum time in the truest sense of the phrase. But here is the thing. We are still in control. We are still top of the league. We still have our destiny in our own hands. City can win every single game they have left and it will not matter if Arsenal do the same. That is the position we have earned by being top of this league for the better part of the entire season. Now we have to close it out. Simple as that.

Three games left. Win them all and the title is ours. No ifs, buts or maybes. Squeaky bum time. #COYG

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West Ham Preview: 

The Gunners rock up to the London Stadium this Sunday knowing they have a job to do. Win at the Hammers. Quite literally hammer away at West Ham. City drawing at Everton meant the momentum had swung things back our way. We can say thanks to the Toffees for that and now we have to make it count. No more slips. Not now. Not this close to the finish line. 

West Ham will likely be in a mood though. Having lost to Brentford last week and then watching Spurs beat Villa away in GW34 would have stung. They are fighting to stay up and they will be up for a scrap. Well, we have to be up for a bigger scrap if we want to be Premier League champions. This league is for those who show mettle and character. No one is going to hand it over to you on a platter. Definitely not City. Definitely not West Ham either, even if they are fighting relegation. Remember what Declan Rice said after the City loss at the Etihad? "It's not done yet." Most pundits were having a proper laugh at his optimism, thinking City would now cruise their way to the title. They were wrong. Rice was right. And the lads need to take that reminder to themselves as well. Until it is mathematically won, we have not done it yet. So pack the wild celebrations for now, go out there on Sunday and get the job done. Get the three points and Arsenal will have a firm hand on that trophy.

This is a test of our mettle. West Ham want to survive relegation. Arsenal want to win a title. Who wants it more? That will be decided on the pitch at the London Stadium. My expectation is simple. Professional performance. No lapses. No gifts. Control the tempo. Win the duels. Take our chances when they come. Havertz, Gyokeres and Saka have to be sharp. Rice and Norgaar have to dominate the midfield. The backline has to be rock solid. Raya cannot afford any mistakes. It is that straightforward. Win on Sunday and the title is ours to lose. Lose or draw and suddenly ManCity are right back in it with the psychological advantage. There is no middle ground here. This is a must-win game in every sense of the phrase. Let's go and do what needs to be done. Let's go and take another massive step towards that Premier League trophy. Let's remind everyone why we have been top of this league all season long. Come on you Gunners. Three more wins. That is all it takes. Let's start with West Ham.

#WHUARS

That's it from us here at #Anaijagunner HQ. Drop your predictions and starting XI in the comments below. Like and share the post. Enjoy the game wherever you are.....#COYG