Arsenal 1-0 West Ham: Trossard Goal Puts Gunners on Brink of First Premier League Title in 22 Years

Arsenal took a giant stride toward their first Premier League title in 22 years on Sunday, surviving a major late scare to beat West Ham 1-0 at the London Stadium through Leandro Trossard's 83rd minute goal. With Callum Wilson's stoppage-time effort ruled out by VAR for a foul on goalkeeper David Raya, Mikel Arteta's side held on for the victory that puts them five points clear at the summit with only two games remaining.

The win was not comfortable. West Ham, battling for their own Premier League survival from 18th position, showed genuine spirit and caused Arsenal problems throughout a match that was tense and scrappy rather than the flowing display the visitors might have preferred. But in the moments that matter most, Arsenal found their quality.

First Half: West Ham's Resistance

Arsenal controlled possession throughout the first half, registering 68 percent in the opening 45 minutes, but they found the West Ham defensive structure difficult to penetrate. Mads Hermansen in the West Ham goal was rarely troubled by direct shots despite the pressure Arsenal applied through wide positions and through the movement of Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli. Ben White's 28th-minute injury forced Arteta into an unplanned reshuffle with Martin Zubimendi coming on to allow a positional reorganisation. West Ham collected two yellow cards before half time through Valentin Castellanos and Crysencio Summerville as their tackling became increasingly desperate in the face of Arsenal's pressure.

Trossard Breaks the Deadlock

The goal came with seven minutes remaining. Trossard, who has been one of Arsenal's most consistent performers across the second half of the season, found space inside the West Ham box after a flowing team move and directed a composed finish past Hermansen. The celebrations among the Arsenal travelling support reflected the relief and joy of a fanbase that has waited two decades for this moment to feel so close.

The joy was almost immediately threatened. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Callum Wilson bundled the ball into the Arsenal net and the London Stadium briefly erupted. But VAR reviewed the goal and ruled it out for a foul by Wilson on David Raya during the build-up. Arsenal held on through the remaining minutes of added time and the final whistle confirmed a victory that leaves them needing just two points from their final two fixtures against relegated Burnley and Crystal Palace to secure the title.

What Comes Next

Arsenal's remaining fixtures are a home game against relegated Burnley and then a trip to a Crystal Palace side whose attention is divided between their Premier League obligations and the Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano. Arteta acknowledged after the match that the job was not done but that his players had shown the character that defines title-winning teams in the moments when matches become uncomfortable and the outcome feels uncertain.