Tusport - News - Redknapp: Arteta risked 'worst call' as Arsenal edge Hammers

Manchester City’s emphatic 3-0 win over Brentford FC laid down an early marker and heaped pressure on Arsenal FC to respond in the Premier League title race. The Gunners ultimately found a way, edging West Ham United in dramatic fashion after a nervy evening that veered from frustration to relief in a matter of minutes. City were clinical at the Etihad, moving briskly through the gears to dismiss Brentford and momentarily swing the momentum their way. With that result in the books, attention turned to Arsenal’s trip across London where, for long spells, Mikel Arteta’s side were short of their highest fluency. The game pivoted on two late moments. First, David Raya stood tall in a one‑on‑one to deny Mateus Fernandes, a vital stop that preserved parity and steadied his teammates. Then, with West Ham stretched, Martin Odegaard slalomed into the box and squared for Leandro Trossard, whose low strike threaded through bodies and found the net. It was the ruthless incision Arsenal had been missing, arriving just in time to keep pace with Manchester City at the top end of the table. After the final whistle, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp did not shy away from a pointed assessment. He suggested Arteta had flirted with “one of the worst decisions a manager could make” with an in-game tactical call that disrupted Arsenal’s balance. Crucially, Redknapp noted, the head coach had the presence of mind to correct course at half-time, tightening structures and restoring control. That adjustment, paired with Raya’s big save, meant the storyline ended in praise rather than post-mortem. Tactically, Arsenal’s second-half tweaks were evident: a cleaner press, closer connections between midfield and the front line, and sharper occupation of the half-spaces that invited Odegaard to dictate and Trossard to attack the box. West Ham, who had threatened in transition, gradually found fewer outlets as Arsenal reasserted their grip. In the grander context of the Premier League run-in, this was the type of grind-it-out victory champions often require. City’s 3-0 earlier left no margin for error; Arsenal’s response, though imperfect, was the answer they needed. With fine margins defining the narrative, the Gunners will pocket the points, the lessons, and the reminder that, sometimes, fortune follows the brave—and the quick to rectify.