The curiosity of the last Boxing Day meeting lay in the identity of the fall champion. Leader at Christmas, like last year, Arsenal had the opportunity to finish as autumn champions by winning against West Ham. Missed. Trapped at home by its London neighbor (0-2). Arriving with an obviously perfect plan, David Moyes’ very solid team, with renewed confidence for several months, decided otherwise.
Showered by a first goal on the verge of Soucek (13th), the locals were picked up again on their return from the locker room, on a helmet strike from a veteran of the house (Mavropanos, 55th). Saved from humiliation by their goalkeeper, the much-discussed Raya, who saved Benrahma’s penalty for honor (90th 5th), the Gunners nevertheless tried hard. But they will have sinned, through bad luck (Saka’s post), through haste (too often) but above all in front of Areola’s success in the visitors’ goals. Impeccable in front of Saka in the first period (30th), the French number 3 repelled all local attacks at the end of the match, reassuring an already very solid team. On arrival, the Hammers moved back into the top 6 and seriously repositioned themselves in the race for Europe.
A race in which Tottenham lost ground. Yet successful in December, the Spurs fell back into their mistakes at Brighton (4-2), earlier this Thursday. Mitigated by two late goals from Veliz (82nd) and Davies (86th), this rout prevents Son and company from moving back into a top 4 abandoned in November after an idyllic start to the season. But this was the Tottenham of November, the one so easily overwhelmed in defense and so imprecise in attack. Or unlucky, like Richarlison, the man in good form in recent matches, who hit the post before having two goals refused for offside (46th, 62nd).
Opposite, Brighton will therefore have benefited at great cost. First by the young Hinshelwood (12th), brilliantly served by the untenable Joao Pedro, author of a double on penalty (23rd, 76th), his favorite exercise. Enhanced by Estupinan’s missile (63rd), the big success of the Seagulls allows De Zerbi’s squad, although suffering for two months, to move up to 8th place, six Spurs units still unpredictable.
