Arsenal

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Very painful loss. First of all, congratulations to West Ham for the victory. For big parts of the game, our performance was not at the level required. We lacked a lot of precision, quality, repetition of positive actions. We weren't at our level and that allowed very simple giveaways."

On failing to convert chances: "I don't want to put it down to injuries. Our overall play and level was not at the level we needed and first of all it is my responsibility for that."

On Myles Lewis Skelly's red card: "We wanted to be more at it and we looked more of a threat. Then Myles gets sent off and it makes things even tougher and we could not score. Tomorrow is another day. We have to be very disappointed but we are still in February and there are many games to go. What happened today can happen to any team and we can only control what we do."

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

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Liverpool's 2-2 draw at Aston Villa on Wednesday had presented Arsenal with a chance to close the gap on Arne Slot's team to five points ahead of the Reds' visit to Manchester City on Sunday.

It was an opportunity the Gunners failed to grasp as Mikel Arteta's side failed to break down West Ham, who conceded five in the teams' last meeting back in November.

Mikel Merino - Arsenal's match-winner at Leicester City last weekend - was handed a starting berth in attack alongside Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri, but he struggled to have the same impact against the Hammers as the hosts managed only two shots on target.

Jarrod Bowen displayed the kind of attacking instinct Arteta's team were lacking shortly before half-time, collecting the ball on the edge of his own box and feeding Aaron Wan-Bissaka before getting on the end of the full-back's cross to nod home his 50th Premier League goal.

Arsenal's miserable afternoon was compounded when Myles Lewis-Skelly's yellow card for a foul on Mohammed Kudus was upgraded to a red, after the video assistant referee ruled that the teenager had denied the Ghanaian a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Victory at Etihad Stadium on Sunday would lift Slot's team 11 points clear of Arsenal, who visit high-flying Nottingham Forest in midweek.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Arsenal's performance

What did you make of West Ham's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Midfielder Mikel Merino is the main man for Arsenal up front now after two such important late goals against Leicester last week.

With Liverpool dropping points against Aston Villa on Wednesday, Arsenal have them in their sights and it will be really interesting to see how Gunners boss Mikel Arteta approaches this game.

If they beat West Ham, Liverpool's lead at the top is down to five points and the Hammers don't seem to be in the kind of form to stop them.

West Ham have not got going at all under new boss Graham Potter. Like Manchester United, they are not getting relegated, but their fans have not had much to smile about all season.

Arsenal won 5-2 at London Stadium in November, with all the goals coming in the first half. There won't be quite as many this time, but I still think Arsenal's intensity will see them end up convincing winners.

Sutton's prediction: 3-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

There are seven Premier League games on Saturday, and we will bring you every moment.

• Everton v Manchester United (12:30)

• Bournemouth v Wolves

• Ipswich v Tottenham

• Southampton v Brighton

• Arsenal v West Ham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Fulham v Crystal Palace

• Aston Villa v Chelsea (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live (coverage will start on 5 Sports Extra)

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here

Arsenal have been drawn against PSV Eindhoven in the last 16 of the Champions League, with either Real or Atletico Madrid awaiting in the quarter finals.

Broadcaster and Arsenal fan Harry Symeou tells The Football News Show why, despite a challenging draw and several injuries in forwards areas, Mikel Arteta's side must believe they can go the distance in the competition.

Watch The Football News Show on iPlayer

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Mikel Arteta says Raheem Sterling "has to" have a big influence on the Premier League title race.

Arsenal are currently without key attacking options due to injury and when asked if the 30-year-old can still have a big impact on Arsenal's season, Arteta said: "He has to have it because we really need him.

"Raheem is so experienced, and like many other players, we know that what you did yesterday is not whether it was really good or not. That could be relevant to the next game, to the next action.

"He's fully focused, he's trained really well this week, and he is ready to go again."

Sterling was substituted in the 69th minute against Leicester, when the game was goalless and it was his replacement, Mikel Merino, that went on to score a match-winning brace.

The winger has only scored one goal in his 19 appearances for the club, against Bolton in the Carabao Cup, and when asked if Sterling was lacking confidence, Arteta said: "Hopefully not, because we try to give him as much as possible, but that's a question for him.

"We are all behind him, we want the best for him and and it is important that we need his best. We need players only with that mindset, to impact the team. He is doing everything that he possibly can to make it work."

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game at home against West Ham (15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Arteta said there is "no real news" in terms of return dates for injured players but Ben White, who was on the bench for last weekend's win at Leicester, is "ready to play" and a decision over whether he is ready to start will be made on Saturday.

• When asked whether injured forwards Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka could return for the Champions League tie with PSV Eindhoven, he added: "I don't know - that's a question for the doctor. They are progressing really well. Gabby is a bit ahead of Bukayo but we will have to see how the boys are feeling and what we are prepared to do."

• On the last-16 draw: "We've played against them and they are a really good team. We have experienced it and it will be really difficult. We know what we are facing. When the time comes we will be ready for it."

• Victory over the Hammers would cut Liverpool's lead at the top of the Premier League to five points before the Reds play Manchester City on Sunday: "We have to do our job. It's going to be a tough one tomorrow. If we do that we will be looking at that game on Sunday. There are 13 games to go. There is a lot to play for and we need to be there."

• When asked if he has told Mikel Merino to play as a striker after his double against the Foxes, Arteta said: "No, not to him or to other players. I want the players when they are on that pitch taking the initiative. We trained the last few weeks with different players. He [Merino] has been one of them, with other players as well."

• He added academy strikers could get opportunities: "We have players training with us now regularly, learning our system and getting very close. Obviously, we might have to use them. They look ready, which is a good thing."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to live commentary of Arsenal v West Ham on Saturday from 15:00 on BBC Radio 5 Live

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Arsenal have faced Peter Bosz's PSV side twice previously in the Champions League, beating them 4-0 at the Emirates and drawing 1-1 away in the 2023-24 group stage.

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The Champions League draw has been completed, with teams now knowing who they play in the last16 and their possible route to the final.

• Club Brugge v Aston Villa

• Borussia Dortmund v Lille

• Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid

• Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen

• PSV v Arsenal

• Feyenoord v Inter Milan

• Paris St-Germain v Liverpool

• Benfica v Barcelona

The first legs will take place on 4/5 March, with the return meetings the following week.

Read more about the Champions League schedule on our live page

Arsenal have been given encouragement to sign Spanish goalkeeper Joan Garcia, 23, from Espanyol this summer. (Teamtalk), external

Meanwhile, the Gunners have agreed a deal for 15-year-old defender Callan Hamill from St Johnstone. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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We asked for your views on the things going on at Arsenal that are being overlooked.

Here are some of your comments:

Martin: How Arsenal are the worst-hit team with injuries this season and still grinding results and being within touching distance of Liverpool, whereas other teams are being allowed to use it as an excuse for poor form.

Al: What's causing the injuries? Hasn't been this bad since Wenger.

Stefan: We don't have a permanent director of football and there are some big players (Saliba, Saka, Gabriel, Martinelli) whose deals need updating before 2027. That's on top of the obvious lack of depth that needs addressing, especially in the forward line.

Guy: The future of players at the club. I feel like some of our top players are going to be requesting to leave if we don't win cups and titles soon. If big-money bids come in from Madrid, Bayern, Juventus, Manchester City etc, I can see some of them leaving and the rebuild having to start again. We only have a small window to win something before players are going to look for greener grass.

Abiodun: Arteta and the board should have a big plan for a trophy next season. A prolific striker and a nice midfielder, else the likes of Saka and Odegaard might push for exits.

JD: We have a great first XI and some of our reserves are working hard to show why they deserve more minutes. But we are worryingly light in goal. Raya had a couple of games out and Neto looks out of his depth and past it. We need a back-up keeper. Whether this is Setford or Hein, who knows. But we are one broken finger away from a disaster!

Arsenal are optimistic of signing Real Sociedad and Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi, 26, who decided to stay with his club rather than join Liverpool last summer. (Teamtalk, external)

The Gunners are monitoring the situation of 22-year-old French striker Hugo Ekitike and could test Eintracht Frankfurt's resolve with a bid in the summer. (Metro, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Title races, injuries, strikers (or lack of), pressure on Mikel Arteta... the list of hot topics generating much debate goes on.

But you know your club best - so we want you to tell us the one thing - good or bad - that nobody is talking about at Arsenal but really should be.

Let us know here

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Mikel Arteta has a big decision to make about who to play as striker after Mikel Merino's heroics in the 2-0 win over Leicester last week.

The Gunners are without Kai Havertz for the rest of the season after his hamstring injury and Arteta named a front three of Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri last time out.

Those three players are the only fit attackers Arteta can call on and the Arsenal manager then turned to Merino as a makeshift centre forward.

Merino, who was signed due to his stature and his ability to win duels, gave Arsenal a more obvious focal point and the players looked instantly more confident to whip crosses into the box, leading to both of the Arsenal goals.

After the match, Merino and Arteta revealed that they had not trained with the 28-year-old as a striker but it would make sense that they had practiced the possibility after the success last time out.

The next big question is whether Arteta will start the match with Merino or look to continue with the traditional attackers against West Ham.

Nwaneri was Arsenal's standout player in the victory over Leicester and hit the frame of the goal twice before Merino's double.

It may be that Arteta thinks having the impact of Merino off the bench is better if Arsenal are desperate for a goal in the latter part of a match but either way, he will be delighted to have found a central figure to get them through the next few weeks.

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Arsenal have won 37 Premier League games against West Ham - only beating Everton (38) more often in the competition. It is the most defeats the Hammers have suffered against a side.

West Ham won 2-0 at Emirates Stadium last season - they last won at Arsenal in consecutive campaigns in 2005-06 and 2006-07, when they became the last team to beat the Gunners at Highbury and then the first to do so at the Emirates.

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Arsenal have confirmed defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has had "successful" operation on his knee, with his recovery "expected to be completed towards the end of this year".

Tomiyasu first sustained the injury in pre-season but after initial surgery returned to feature in the Premier League against Southampton in October - his only first-team minutes this campaign.

However, the Japan international continued to have issues and had a further operation and has been absent since.

The 26-year-old - who signed a new two-year contract, external in March 2024 to keep him at the club until 2026 - posted on his Instagram, external on Tuesday with a message to Gunners fans.

"I've had a surgery on my knee few days ago and I've already started my rehab to do what I love the most again," it read.

"It has been the toughest period in my career for sure and it carries on a bit more but I won't give up. Thank you for your support and see you again."

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Arsenal have published improved financial results for the year ending 31 May 2024.

The Gunners lost £17.1m for the year compared to a loss of £52.1m in 2023.

The club said the improvement was thanks to Champions League revenue and a "strong performance in the Premier League".

The change in year-on-year revenues was stark, with 2024 seeing the club produce £616.6m in income, up from £466.7m.

Champions League participation had a clear impact on the results, as broadcasting revenues rose to £262.3m from £191.2m in 2023.

Wages increased to £327.8m from £234.8m, with the club stating the jump was "mainly driven by investment in player wages in both men's and women's teams".