Arsenal 0-1 West Ham: Jarrod Bowen strikes a Hammer blow to the Gunners’ title dreams as Myles Lewis-Skelly is sent off in their first home Premier League defeat of the season

Hope is a killer. Over the past few weeks Liverpool have opened the door, ever so slightly, to Arsenal in the title race.

Here at the Emirates, Mikel Arteta‘s slammed it back shut in their own faces.

Arsenal had the opportunity to cut Arne Slot side’s lead to just five points against West Ham. They didn’t take it, as Jarrod Bowen‘s goal secured West Ham a momentous win.

If Liverpool win at Manchester City on Sunday – they’ll open up an 11 point margin at the Premier League summit.

Even the most optimistic Gunner would surely concede defeat in those circumstances, even if they do have a game in hand. If that happens, Arsenal only have themselves to blame.

Credit to the Hammers. They were diligent and brave; well worth their three points.

Jarrod Bowen scored with a diving header as West Ham United shocked their London rivals

Graham Potter’s impact since his appointment has been hugely encouraging.

But this was a 90 minutes that brutally exposed Arsenal’s deficiencies; or more pertinently their debilitating injury list in attack.

Premier League title races are unforgiving. They offer little sympathy for such ailments – Arsenal found out the hard way here on chastening afternoon.

They enjoyed plenty of possession but very little cutting edge.

It was similar last week at Leicester until Mikel Merino emerged as the team’s unlikely hero.

Merino’s brace as a makeshift striker at the King Power earned him a start at the head of Arsenal’s attacking trio as Arteta dropped Raheem Sterling.

It’s hard to know what to expect from Merino in his unfamiliar role as Arsenal’s No 9.

Arteta clearly sees potential. His double last weekend suggests Arteta’s surprise decision to deploy his midfielder as a central striker is more than just a hopeful whim.

Yet his showing here screamed reality check. He almost got on the end of two lofted passes from Declan Rice and and Thomas Partey – but almost isn’t good enough for Arsenal at the moment.

The Gunners ended the game with 10 men after substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off

Craig Pawson initially issued only a yellow card but changed his decision after a VAR review

As you’d expect the Gunners dominated the ball. West Ham were entirely happy to let that happen safe in the knowledge that Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo – and then Konstantinos Mavropanos – had Merino under control.

Ricardo Calafiori stung Alphonse Areola’s hand’s with a sweetly struck effort from the edge of the box before Rice was thwarted by some excellent defending from Kilman as the England midfielder caught sight of Areola’s eyes.

But West Ham were threatening when they broke, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, in particular, a danger down Arsenal’s left.

The former Manchester United ripped down the right flank to set up Bowen, who really should have hit the target in the 26th minute before Tomas Soucek headed narrowly over the bar from Mohamed Kudus’ cross.

So it was no shock then that Wan-Bissaka instigated West Ham’s winner with another blast down the flank before his dinked cross was nodded home by Bowen from close range.

It was Bowen who started the move, driving forward from the edge of his own box before releasing Wan-Bissaka, who was causing Calafiori – restored to the team ahead of Myles Lewis-Skelly – no end of problems.

Indeed, it was no surprise when Calafiori was hooked to be replaced at left-back by Lewis Skelly just 10 minute into the second half.

There was shock, however, at Arteta’s decision to replace Rice with Oleksandr Zinchenko – a substitution particularly galling for the Arsenal midfielder when you consider the opposition.

Saturday’s result left Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal eight points behind league leaders Liverpool

West Ham’s first victory in five games moved them 13 points clear of the relegation zone

As you can imagine, the away end took glee in Rice’s early departure. The fact their latest academy starlet Ollie Scarles – who is treading the same path as Rice – was having a storming game merely heightened their delight. The 19-year-old looks some prospect.

But any embarrassment Rice may have felt was of little concern to Arteta as the game reached the final 30 minutes.

Arteta’s thinking was clear; Zinchenko’s invention and eye for a pass, in theory, would offer Arsenal a different dimension.

Yet it was a further indication of just how stretched Arteta’s squad is in terms of attacking options.

If Zinchenko – a left-back by trade – is the man you’re pinning your hopes on to change the course of a title race then you’re clutching at straws.

Leandro Trossard tested Areola in the 63rd minute with an low effort well saved by the Hammer’s keeper as the home side rallied.

Arteta tried to encourage but you sensed his frustrations. You detected an unease about the natives, too.

That unease elevated into fury in the 73rd minute when Lewis-Skelly was sent off, following a VAR call, for bringing down Kudus on the halfway line after he was caught in possession by Hammers attacker.

Originally referee Craig Pawson brandished a yellow, but after consulting his screen upgraded his punishment to a red after concluding the Arsenal youngster had denied Kudus a clear goalscoring opportunity.

The home support were incandescent. Just weeks after Lewis-Skelly was wrongly sent off at Wolves, they cried ‘agenda’ again. But there was no agenda here.

Lewis-Skelly got caught and paid the price.

The kitchen sink followed – the returning Ben White flashed a vicious drive across the face of goal.

Yet in the end it was another case of if, buts, maybes for Arsenal.

Maybe City beat Liverpool; if that happens this result won’t feel half as demoralising.

Until then, though, Arsenal have no choice but to suck it up and fear the worst.