Leandro Trossard struck with less than 10 minutes remaining to give Arsenal a vital 1-0 Premier League victory over West Ham.
The Belgian netted at the end of a largely tense affair at the London Stadium to ensure Mikel Arteta’s side move five points clear of title rivals Manchester City, albeit having played one game more.
West Ham saw a goal chalked off with just seconds of the match remaining to leave the Hammers’ survival hopes hanging in the balance.
It is now a two-team fight with Tottenham to avoid the drop.
A flurry of early chances
Bukayo Saka, the Gunners’ hero in midweek, tested Mads Hermansen in the West Ham goal with a tame effort early on.
Riccardo Calafiori had the game’s first real chance when his poke was deflected over after- being put through down Arsenal’s left courtesy of a wonderful Trossard pass.
From the resulting corner, a melee in the box saw Hermansen claw away a header before Trossard’s follow-up header rebounded back off the post as Arteta’s men searched for an opener.
Another skirmish in the West Ham area, this time from Declan Rice’s teasing free-kick, ended with Konstantinos Mavropanos somehow hooking away Calafiori’s goal-bound flick.
The Gunners were dealt a blow when Ben White hobbled off midway through the half, replaced by Martin Zubimendi in a move that saw Rice deputise at right-back.
Crysencio Summerville had the hosts’ first chance of the half when he skipped away from Myles Lewis-Skelly in the middle of the pitch before bending an effort just wide of David Raya’s goal.
Having been little more than a bystander for much of the first 45, the Arsenal goalkeeper suddenly had to be at his very best with just moments of the half left to play, palming away Taty Castellanos’s fierce diving header to keep the scores level.
A tense second half
The Hammers had the first sight of goal after the break but Jarrod Bowen’s low drive flew straight into the grateful hands of Raya.
A couple of Saka efforts that sailed high over the West Ham bar were all the visitors could carve out as the minutes ticked away.
With the tension beginning to ratchet up inside the London Stadium, there were chances at both ends, with Viktor Gyokeres nodding over before Bowen again tested Raya.
With less than 15 minutes remaining, Mateus Fernandes had a glorious opportunity to give the Hammers the lead when the midfielder found himself clear in the box.
However, Raya was quick the narrow the angle before producing a fine stop with his right leg to keep his side in the game.
It was a breathless few minutes for Gunners fans. But it soon turned to delirium for the north Londoners when Trossard struck with eight minutes remaining.
Following some neat interplay between Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, the Belgian arrowed an effort that took a slight deflection to take it past Hermansen and cue jubilant scenes in the away dugout.
But that wasn’t to be the end of the drama. Deep into stoppage time, Gabriel produced a vital block to deny substitute Callum Wilson.
From the resulting corner, Wilson’s half-volley flew over the line, however, replays showed a suspected foul on Raya seconds before.
Referee Chris Kavanagh was summoned to the screen and after a lengthy VAR check, it was deemed to be an infringement and the goal was ruled out.
