Arsenal

Alex Howell
Arsenal reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal defender Ben White is set to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury - and is a huge doubt for England's World Cup squad.

White had just returned to the England team for the first time in more than three years, in the recent friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March, with the defender scoring in the draw against Marcelo Bielsa's side.

It will also be a personal blow to miss out on what could be an historic end to the season for the Gunners with the chance for two trophies just three games away.

White put in an excellent performance in the Champions League second leg against Atletico Madrid and his partnership with Bukayo Saka on Arsenal's right-hand side has flourished since he returned to the side.

Now the worries about the season run-in and who to play right-back will be on the Arsenal manager's mind.

Jurrien Timber is still out with a groin injury and Mikel Arteta played Declan Rice at right-back against West Ham before putting Cristhian Mosquera into that position for the rest of the match.

Mosquera has shown that he has the potential to be an elite defender but at just 21-years-old, it would be a big ask for him to start in a Champions League final against Paris St-Germain's elite attack.

In March, Thomas Tuchel recalled White to the England squad for the first time since the defender left camp at the Qatar 2022 citing "personal reasons".

White has six England caps and scored his first international goal in March after Tuchel introduced him in the second half of a friendly against Uruguay.

Read Sami Mokbel's piece on the news

The latest news and views on the Gunners in two minutes, every weekday afternoon.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Mikel Arteta might have prioritised solidity over excitability at times this season, but it could be a decision which brings Arsenal their first Premier League title in 22 years.

On the latest episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said people "should be praising" the Gunners' approach, after going within touching distance of the title with an edgy 1-0 win over West Ham.

"Arsenal have done something different," Sutton added. "We should be applauding them because not everybody can keep up with the likes of Manchester City, Bayern Munich or Paris St-Germain in terms of playing the beautiful and expansive game.

"So if other teams have adapted to that, we shouldn't be kicking them for it because, at the end of the day, the end justifies the means.

"If Arsenal go on and win the Premier League and the Champions League, we should all be praising Mikel Arteta to the hills. It is genius from him.

"Arsenal tried to play the beautiful game for years under Arsene Wenger, but they didn't win a Premier League."

The Observer's football correspondent Rory Smith added: "Arsenal have exploited it and they should be credited for their ingenuity, but that doesn't mean it is a good thing [for the game].

"Dressing it up as a good thing is sophistry because it has ruined the spectacle [of modern football]."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

Laura Kirk-Francis
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

I didn't initially see David Raya's remarkable save from Mateus Fernandes during Arsenal's win on Sunday because I already had my head in my hands.

It was a well-worked piece of play from the home team, with Fernandes just needing to place the ball anywhere but where he actually did to score. As he went through on goal, I simply couldn't watch.

Several hundred replays later and Raya's save could be the moment of the season. He has quietly become Arsenal's most important player and, in my opinion, should be considered our player of the season.

The Spaniard's rise to winning his third Golden Glove award in a row should be recognised as one of the early signs of Mikel Arteta's ability to identify and coach potentially elite players, all while being unafraid at upsetting the status quo.

It's easy to forget that when Raya was first brought into Arsenal, Aaron Ramsdale was one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Many fans, myself included, wondered why Arteta would upset his current number one by bringing in an outsider. Moreover, when Raya was eventually picked to start over Ramsdale, his first few games left fans wondering whether the fuss was worth it.

Arteta, and the coaching staff at Arsenal, deserve immense credit for what they saw in Raya and how he has improved season after season. His showreel of saves from this season, including Saturday's point-blank stop against West Ham, is extensive.

Fast-forward to 2026 and it's almost impossible to overstate the impact Raya has had on this team. In addition to his remarkable shot-stopping capability, he is integral in orchestrating Arsenal's build-up through his decisive distribution.

With Ramsdale the exception, Arsenal have for decades managed with a good, but perhaps not elite, goalkeeper.

Raya is perhaps the finest example that the much espoused "defence wins titles" almost definitely starts with exactly that - a world-class goalkeeper.

Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast, external

Image source, Getty Images

Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney believes Martin Odegaard was the difference for Arsenal on Sunday, as they beat West Ham United 1-0.

The Norwegian came off the bench in the 67th minute at London Stadium and assisted Leandro Trossard for the winning goal.

"The big difference and why they won the game was Odegaard," Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show

"He hasn't been in his best form this season but he came on and he showed two or three bits of real quality in terms of his passing, his decision-making, when to hold the ball and when to play the ball and then obviously his composure in the penalty box for Trossard's goal and that's the difference.

"He's captain of Arsenal and probably not happy with the season for him personally - to be captain and left out of the team is not a great thing - but he's shown his professionalism and then real quality when Arsenal needed it.

"That was the difference."

Listen to more from this week's The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC Sounds

Find previous episodes

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Uefa have announced the matchday officials for the Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris St-Germain, with referee Daniel Siebert set to make his Uefa club competition final debut.

The German has been an international referee since 2015 and has been at the centre of nine Champions League matches this season; including Arsenal's quarter-final first leg against Sporting, and their semi-final second leg at home to Atletico Madrid.

The 42-year-old also officiated two games at Euro 2024 and three games at Euro 2020. He will be joined by compatriots Bastian Dankert and Robert Schroder on VAR.

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between West Ham and Arsenal.

Here are some of your comments:

West Ham fans

Steve: Thought West Ham frustrated Arsenal for most of the game and could even have won it. Great disappointment when the equaliser was disallowed but it was the correct decision. Arsenal almost there and fully deserve their position.

John: The writing was on the wall very early that West Ham would struggle to survive in the Premier League this season. We didn't start to put up a fight until late January and even then we lost crucial games when Forest and Leeds were fighting more than we were. Unfortunately we will have to take our medicine and do what we always do and bounce back from the Championship!

James: Resolute performance. Tactically we looked like we had the right shape for this game. It was always going to be tough for Taty, but he worked hard. I think we had the best chance of the game with Mateus Fernandes at 0-0 which could have provided a different result. I'll look forward to cheaper tickets next season in the Championship.

Samuel: Furious, absolutely furious. We played fantastically against the best defence in the division and nullified most of their attacks. But that moment at the end has cost us dear. It was never a foul on the keeper and the goal would have been deserved for our battling performance.

Arsenal fans

Sam: That was one of the most stressful matches we could have asked for but the end result is exactly what was needed. It was an ugly watch and at times we struggled to create much up against a resilient West Ham defence. Leandro Trossard came up with the vital moment but full credit to Martin Odegaard who was exceptional when he came on. The disallowed goal was the correct decision in the end, it's probably a little bit soft but it's still a clear foul on David Raya. Just two games away from the trophy now. We've never been in a better position than we are now and it's fully in our own hands.

Mark: Mikel Arteta will know he got away with one today. The decision to put Declan Rice at right back was a shocker - and it almost cost us dear as it meant that he had used up all his subs when we were trying to see the game out. Much as I dislike VAR, today it was used as it should be - to help the referee see something that he missed in real time - not one but two fouls on David Raya, without which he would have caught the ball.

Matthew: The biggest takeaway was Arsenal's maturity. In previous years, this is the kind of match they might have drawn. Instead, they stayed calm, found the breakthrough and managed the closing stages well, even surviving a late VAR scare.

Will: A nervy performance, we were fortunate to come away with three points. Bukayo Saka did not step up and did not give us a captain's performance. David Raya has shown how consistent he is in every game that he plays. We lost 25 minutes of play making without Declan Rice in the first half when Mikel Arteta moved him to right back. We need to do a lot better in our two remaining games.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann has called for a rule change that would stop attacking players from entering the six-yard box before a corner.

Cann suggested the idea after Callum Wilson's late goal for West Ham against Arsenal on Sunday was disallowed because Hammers forward Pablo was judged to have fouled goalkeeper David Raya as the corner was sent into the penalty area.

"I feel the time has come now for a law change, whereby no attackers are allowed in the six-yard box before a corner is taken," Cann told BBC Match of the Day.

"At goal-kicks, forwards are not allowed in the penalty area; at corners, they shouldn't be allowed in the six-yard box until the ball is in play.

"Lots of teams grapple at corners, sometimes before the ball has come into play and then obviously the referee can't give a penalty or an indirect free kick if the ball is not in play, so this would create that natural separation and eradicate these kind of situations."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer

Watch some more episodes on BBC iPlayer

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham United's late equaliser against Arsenal on Sunday was correctly disallowed by the referee and VAR, says former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney.

Callum Wilson scored in stoppage time to salvage a point at London Stadium but referee Chris Kavanagh overturned his on-field decision after being sent to the monitor by VAR, judging that Hammers forward Pablo had fouled Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya as he attempted to collect a corner-kick.

"It's a clear foul I think," Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show.

"A lot of people say it probably should have stood and because it's controversial, Manchester City players, staff and fans are going to say it should have stood and then the Tottenham fans, staff and players saying it shouldn't have stood.

"But it's a clear foul, you can clearly see his [Pablo's] arm across his [Raya's] face, and it impacted him getting to the ball so, I think it's the right decision."

Arsenal's victory meant they went five points clear of City in the Premier League title race while West Ham stay in the relegation zone, a point behind Tottenham.

Rooney added: "It's the one time I actually think VAR's done a really good job in such an important game. I didn't think it was a hard decision – I think it was a simple decision and I get the importance of it but you can't take that into account, you've just got to take it for what it is and it's a foul."

Listen to more from this week's episode on BBC Sounds here

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

When Martin Odegaard came on at London Stadium against West Ham United, he looked like he had a point to prove and he lifted everything about the way Arsenal were playing.

Odegaard has this great pressing ability, which he always does, that sets the tone for the whole team but also, when he got the ball, his passing was crisp and brave. He started playing through West Ham's defensive line and hit a couple of great balls that got Arsenal in on goal.

Then, when that magic moment comes where he has played a lovely little give and go with Declan Rice and found space himself inside the area, did he have the calmness and awareness to wait and play the perfect pass for Leandro Trossard? Yes, of course he does.

We knew Odegaard was capable of that, but we have not seen him do it very often recently. He has not had a great season but it was Odegaard that Arsenal wanted on the ball at that precise moment, in that exact area... and there he was.

These are the kind of moments when your best players come through for you - all of them - and when that quality in your squad counts.

Before now, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka have all played their part in crucial goals at important times. Against West Ham, it was Odegaard and Trossard.

Arsenal are in a wonderful position now but they are not relying on any one player to get them over the line in this title race. Instead it is their squad that is making the difference.

That's down to the strength in depth they have, and their big players producing in the big moments, but the narrative would still be very different if Arteta's big decisions on Sunday had not come off.

Danny Murphy was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

• Read the full column here

Alex Howell
Arsenal reporter

In a side chasing the Premier League and Champions League double, it is not often that their goalkeeper is in the conversation for player of the season.

But that is the case for Arsenal and David Raya.

The Gunners have kept a clean sheet in 18 of their 36 league games this term, more than any other team in the Premier League.

And with his display against West Ham United on Sunday, Raya has secured the Golden Glove award in the Premier League for the third season in a row - with three games to go, he cannot be caught at the top of the rankings by any of the division's other shot-stoppers.

Raya has kept 27 clean sheets in 49 appearances in all competitions this season and has been called the "best goalkeeper in the world" by his team-mates for his performances.

"He has helped us a lot this season," said Sunday's match-winner Leandro Trossard.

"You can see his quality and the amount of saves he can do, and different ones too. A lot of credit to him for keeping us in the game."

That sentiment was backed up by manager Mikel Arteta, who could not say if Raya's save to deny Mateus Fernandes one-v-one was his best of the campaign because of the amount of impressive stops he has made.

"When you talk about magic moments, this is certainly one of the most needed moments as well to pull off with that save, it was incredible," Arteta said.

Raya now has the fourth best goals conceded per match ratio of goalkeepers to have played at least 100 games in the Premier League - 0.79, behind Petr Cech (0.72), Edwin van der Sar (0.76) and Ederson (0.78).

And with the personal accolade now wrapped up, Raya and Arsenal will hope the Premier League trophy will be next to head to north London.

Read Alex's full piece here

Imagine being in Darren England's position as the VAR in Stockley Park.

The pressure on the official must have been huge. He cannot hear the Sky commentary, he has no idea what public opinion is.

In Sunday's critical encounter between West Ham and Arsenal he was presented with a decision that could decide the fate of two clubs.

You can't blame him for taking his time. He had to get this right.

England spent two minutes 41 seconds poring over every angle of the footage, checking the possible foul, the potential penalties.

We have seen pushing, shoving, grabbing and pulling on corners all season. Goalkeepers have been pressuring and harried too.

Is this different? Crucially, it was.

Arsenal have been the kings of it all season, crowding and surrounding goalkeepers at corners, finding ways to create space and score goals from set-pieces.

That they benefit from it in such a crucial way won't be lost on some.

But it is hard to argue that the Spain international was not impeded. Without the foul contact by Pablo, Raya would surely have had a simple catch.

Pablo had his arm across Raya and he was holding on to the goalkeeper's left arm too.

England checked the other possible fouls too, by Trossard on Pablo and Rice on Summerville.

Importantly, the first foul that had a direct impact on play was Pablo on Raya. You cannot give a penalty for a foul that may come after this.

England had to get that right - and he did.

Referee Chris Kavanagh spent one minute 15 seconds at the monitor. He too would have known the consequences of his final decision.

In total, four minutes 11 seconds potentially deciding the title and the final relegation place.

If it takes that long, can it really be clear and obvious? That is the wrong way to look at it. With such a huge, season-defining call, take as long as necessary to make sure you are getting it right.

England will have spent the final few minutes of the game wondering if he'd made the right call.

There are no communications inside the VAR room, no mobile phones, no way of gauging if you've done the right thing.

Imagine the relief when he walks out of the room and is told he's got it right, that Pablo has impacted Raya from playing the ball.

• Read more on the decision

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya's late save to deny West Ham's Mateus Fernandes from point-blank range could be the "decisive moment" which sees Mikel Arteta's side lift the Premier League trophy, believes former top-flight striker Clinton Morrison.

With just 15 minutes left on the clock, Fernandes found himself in a one-versus-one situation with Golden Glove winner Raya, who "stood up and made himself massive" to shut out Nuno Espirito Santo's relegation-fighting side.

"There has been a lot of instances this season where David Raya has made those big saves but, for the life of me, I don't know how Mateus Fernandes doesn't score," Morrison told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily.

"I will credit Raya because it isn't the first time he has done it. It was a fantastic save, in a big moment, in a big game.

"I just don't know why Fernandes took the second touch to try to beat Raya on his near post, when the whole goal was gaping on the far side. It was clear he isn't someone who is a natural in that position.

"You're looking to bend your shot into the far corner nine times out of 10 in that position. Instead, Fernandes was waiting for Raya to go early so he could beat him on his near post, but Raya stood up and made himself massive.

"If Fernandes doesn't take the touch as soon as Pablo plays it to him and he whips it into that far corner instead, Raya doesn't save it.

"If West Ham went 1-0 up in that moment, I believe they also go on to win the game. Therefore, it was a defining moment and it is probably why Arsenal deserve to win the Premier League.

"It's all ifs and buts so huge credit to Raya - what a save. If that is the decisive moment [in Arsenal's title charge] then he thoroughly deserves it because he has been outstanding this season."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

The most consequential decision in the history of the video assistant referee in the Premier League was played out over four minutes 11 seconds of nerve-shredding drama inside London Stadium.

That time span, which felt like an age, became the moment that has the capacity to alter the immediate course of history for Arsenal and West Ham United.

Darren England had to pore over the most significant domestic VAR decision since its inception in 2019 before sending referee Chris Kavanagh to the screen.

VAR decisions have been important before - but none have been quite so heavy, with the consequences potentially giving Arsenal a decisive push towards their first Premier League title in 22 years, while at the same time sending West Ham towards the Championship.

When Callum Wilson's shot crossed the line, West Ham fans exploded in delirium and then everyone held their breath before Arsenal's followers, packed into a corner of the stadium, reacted in similar fashion when the referee announced: "After review, West Ham number 19 committed a foul on the goalkeeper."

And with those few fateful words, Arsenal now hold a position of huge strength five points ahead of Manchester City - having played a game more - while West Ham look increasingly doomed, sitting a point behind Tottenham Hotspur, who play their game in hand at home to Leeds United on Monday.

West Ham and their fans melted into a mutinous fury that continued long after the final whistle, feeling they had been robbed of a vital point in their fight for survival, as Arsenal celebrated a victory of huge importance.

• Read analysis from Phil

Italy full-back Andrea Cambiaso has emerged as an option for Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United as Juventus could make the 26-year-old available for transfer this summer. (Teamtalk), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Pundits Shay Given and Danny Murphy join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• West Ham 0-1 Arsenal

• Burnley 2-2 Aston Villa

• Nottingham Forest 1-1 Newcastle

• Crystal Palace 2-2 Everton