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Rob Holding scored his first Premier League goal on his 81st appearanceArsenal reclaimed fourth spot in the Premier League with an important victory at West Ham and dented the Hammers' own chances of securing European football next season.
The Gunners knew only a win would lift them back into the Champions League places after Tottenham beat Leicester earlier in the afternoon, but Mikel Arteta's side responded by grinding out a vital three points at London Stadium.
It was Arteta's centre-backs who came up with the goods, with Gabriel Magalhaes nodding the winner early in the second half after Rob Holding had opened the scoring from Bukayo Saka's 38th-minute corner.
Jarrod Bowen did pull the Hammers level just before the break, controlling Vladimir Coufal's cross and squeezing a strike into the bottom corner in what was a reward for a strong first-half performance.
But David Moyes' outfit failed to reach those levels after going behind for a second time - and defeat leaves them seventh, three points behind sixth-placed Manchester United with three games remaining.
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Gunners grind out vital win
The Gunners are desperate to return to Europe's elite competition next season and Arteta's side have enjoyed the advantage of having no continental football this term, meaning all their resources can be focused on achieving a top-four finish for the first time since 2015-16.
West Ham's only realistic chance of qualifying for the Champions League now is to win the Europa League - and Moyes' team would be forgiven for having one eye on overturning their 2-1 deficit in the semi-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany on Thursday.
Arsenal struggled to get a foothold, though, before Eddie Nketiah's clever run and low shot forced a corner, from which Holding climbed highest to head in Saka's delivery for his first Premier League goal.
Bowen's smart finish pulled the Hammers level on the brink of half-time. But, after the hosts failed to properly clear a corner, Gabriel was left unmarked at the back post to head in Gabriel Martinelli's 54th-minute cross, beating former Arsenal stopper Lukasz Fabianski at his near post.
Nketiah could have sealed the success on the break, only to curl wide, but the 22-year-old continued to prove a threat after again being trusted to lead the line for Arsenal.
The visitors were not at their fluent best, but as the battle with north London rivals Spurs hots up - and with the Gunners heading to Tottenham a week on Thursday - restoring their two-point advantage was the most important outcome for Arsenal.
More to follow.
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West Ham United
Squad number1Player nameFabianski
Squad number5Player nameCoufal
Squad number4Player nameZouma
Squad number3Player nameCresswell
Squad number24Player nameFredericks
Squad number16Player nameNoble
Squad number41Player nameRice
Squad number8Player nameFornals
Squad number10Player nameLanzini
Squad number22Player nameBenrahma
Squad number20Player nameBowen
Squad number7Player nameYarmolenko
Squad number9Player nameAntonio
Squad number28Player nameSoucek
Arsenal
Squad number32Player nameRamsdale- Squad number18Player nameTomiyasu
Squad number16Player nameHolding- Squad number6Player nameGabriel Magalhães
- Squad number20Player nameNuno Tavares
- Squad number8Player nameØdegaard
Squad number25Player nameMohamed Elneny
Squad number34Player nameXhaka- Squad number7Player nameSaka
- Squad number30Player nameNketiah
- Squad number35Player nameGabriel Martinelli
- Squad number10Player nameSmith Rowe
- Squad number17Player nameCédric Soares
- Squad number23Player nameSambi Lokonga
Line-ups
West Ham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Fabianski
- 5Coufal
- 4Zouma
- 3CresswellBooked at 90mins
- 24Fredericks
- 16NobleSubstituted forSoucekat 77'minutes
- 41Rice
- 8Fornals
- 10LanziniSubstituted forAntonioat 71'minutes
- 22BenrahmaSubstituted forYarmolenkoat 81'minutes
- 20BowenBooked at 52mins
Substitutes
- 7Yarmolenko
- 9Antonio
- 11Vlasic
- 13Areola
- 23Diop
- 26Masuaku
- 28Soucek
- 33Král
- 42Alese
Arsenal
Formation 4-3-3
- 32Ramsdale
- 18TomiyasuSubstituted forCédric Soaresat 78'minutes
- 16Holding
- 6Gabriel
- 20Tavares
- 8ØdegaardSubstituted forSambi Lokongaat 90+2'minutes
- 25Elneny
- 34Xhaka
- 7SakaBooked at 48minsSubstituted forSmith Roweat 87'minutes
- 30NketiahBooked at 90mins
- 35Martinelli
Substitutes
- 1Leno
- 9Lacazette
- 10Smith Rowe
- 17Cédric Soares
- 19Pépé
- 23Sambi Lokonga
- 54Kirk
- 65Oulad M'hand
- 69Swanson
Live Text
Match ends, West Ham United 1, Arsenal 2.
Second Half ends, West Ham United 1, Arsenal 2.
Foul by Michail Antonio (West Ham United).
Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Albert Sambi Lokonga (Arsenal) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Eddie Nketiah.
Substitution, Arsenal. Albert Sambi Lokonga replaces Martin Ødegaard.
Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card.
Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card.
Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal).
Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Cédric Soares (Arsenal).
Substitution, Arsenal. Emile Smith Rowe replaces Bukayo Saka because of an injury.
Hand ball by Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).
Offside, West Ham United. Vladimir Coufal tries a through ball, but Andriy Yarmolenko is caught offside.
Substitution, West Ham United. Andriy Yarmolenko replaces Saïd Benrahma.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Lukasz Fabianski.
Attempt saved. Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Substitution, Arsenal. Cédric Soares replaces Takehiro Tomiyasu because of an injury.
Substitution, West Ham United. Tomas Soucek replaces Mark Noble.
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