Three Things We Learned after West Ham beat Arsenal 

Here's Ian Mills with his regular column Three Things We Learned after Arsenal 

An abject home performance all but ends our title challenge for another year. 

Here are  things that stood out for me, writes Ian Mills.

1 - The low block is Arteta’s nemesis

– Graham Potter set his team up to defend and counter attack with three at the back and just like our struggles against the likes of Newcastle United and Bournemouth this season we had no answer to it.

We had 20 shots however only two were on target, the same as our opponents and in truth the away side looked the more threatening throughout the game.

Wan Bissaka was allowed far too much time by Riccardo Califiori to get in his cross in whilst Declan Rice lost Bowen for the winning goal and the rest of our back four were static as the only West Ham player in the vicinity was given the freedom of our six yard area.

To have a team in 16th place have the attacking options both on the pitch and available from the bench was further damming evidence of the negligence of both Arsenal’s summer and winter transfer windows.

The decision to hook Rice early in the second half and replace hm with Zinchenko was a move that smacked of desperation and did nothing to shift the game’s momentum.

2 - More chances squandered

– There are three certainties in life, death, taxes and the inability of the Gunners to take advantage when their rivals drop points.

For the first time this season, we finally had a game in hand on the leaders and with Liverpool having dropped two points at Villa, a win would have seen us reduce their lead to five points and with them facing Manchester City away on Sunday. Incredibly, a good weekend could have put the Title race back in our control.

Admittedly, any team would miss the likes of Saka, Martinelli, Havertz and Jesus however the decision not to replace Smith-Rowe and Vieira in the summer and the last-minute capture of Sterling have been shown to be horrendous mistakes.

The bid for Ollie Watkins in January feels more and more like an opportunist move rather than anything pre planned and just like the ‘attempt’ to sign Sesko in the summer, once failed bid led to us walking away from any potential deal.

The mentality of this squad in now under serious scrutiny as we are looking down the barrel of a fifth successive season without a trophy. Lewis-Skelly’s dismissal compounded a really bad day and this time we could have no complaints about the colour of the card brandished in his direction.

3 - A short-term solution is a must

– With the Nottingham Forest game on the horizon in midweek, and knockout ties versus PSV bookending a trip to Old Trafford, things are not going to get any easier.

Neither Saka or Martinelli are close to a return to the first team, so we have to find some of Arteta’s famed ‘internal solutions’. I also wonder if there is not someone in the entire football stratosphere that is available as a free agent who would improve our attacking options?  

Assuming we do not add anyone, we have to get more out of this group of players.

Clearly our attacking options are very limited however now is the time for a re-think and a re-group if our season is not to fizzle out completely.