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Arsenal were held by a resolute West Ham United as the London stadium witnessed a drab goalless draw. David Moyes went with the same eleven that beat Chelsea and got the desired result once again. Meanwhile, Arsenal have had a week to forget as consecutive draws have made them fallen off the pace in the race to the top four.
Arsene Wenger rotated his side and gave first Premier League starts of the season to as many as three players from his squad. But a change in personnel and a change in formation could not help Wenger to break down a West Ham side.
Without wasting more time, let's discuss the 5 talking points from the game
#5 A change in formation does not help Arsenal's cause
An injury to Shkodran Mustafi meant that Arsenal started in a 4-2-3-1 formation for the first time in a league game this season. This system has brought Arsenal success in the past but as per the personnel available for Wenger at his disposal, his 3-4-3 system gives them a finer cutting edge.
Against the Hammers, the defence was exposed on a couple of occasions on the counter-attack and due to having a man less in the back line, the Hammers could dominate the proceedings in the 18-yard box. Because of 4-2-3-1, the fullback duo of Hector Bellerin and Ainsley Maitland-Niles had to be extra aware of their defensive duties and could not take those overlapping runs which are synonymous with the 3-4-3 formation.
Arsenal have looked dangerous with a three at the back system, scoring in each of their previous 11 league matches. It gives this side a sense of balance on both sides of the game - while going forward and at the back as well.
Though the traditional 4-2-31 formation is also a brilliant tool for this team to succeed, Wenger needs a solid defensive midfielder marshalling his defence which frankly, Granit Xhaka is incapable of doing to make the system work.
#4 Olivier Giroud fails to deliver
After scoring a glancing header against Southampton, Olivier Giroud finally started his first league game this season. Giroud has been impressive coming off the bench and was longing for a chance to impress from the first minute. His opportunity arrived against the Hammers but sadly for the Frenchman, he could not make the most of it.
With West Ham sitting deep, Arsenal could not play a style which is favourable to Giroud's strengths. The Gunners attempted just 23 crosses in the game, the majority of which was not won by the striker. Arsenal have impressed this season when they have displayed pace, aggression and off the ball movements in their positions to have more options going forward.
The Gunners lacked that against West Ham with the style which brings out the best of Arsenal not being a strong point for Olivier Giroud. With him up front, Arsenal's attack looked blunt going forward in the first half. The second half brought some urgency to their cause but Giroud could not be more influencing on either side of the break.
He has been a consistent performer for this Arsenal side but his lacklustre display made the Gunners miss Alexander Lacazette in this game. Giroud has become Arsenal's Plan B after the arrival of Lacazette and he has to move next month if he intends to become a club's Plan A.
#3 West Ham United starting to look like the real deal
No, it is clearly evident that this David Moyes side is not playing the famous 'West Ham way'. But that is not the need of the hour. Results are more important for the Hammers right now than the performance. And that is what Moyes has started to deliver.
The game against Arsenal was Moyes' third home game since taking over. He drew 1-1 with Leicester City in his opening game at the Olympics stadium and then followed it with two brilliant results against Chelsea and Arsenal. No one expected the Hammers to pick up four points from their last two games but as history tells us, David Moyes works best when he is the underdog.
Despite Arsenal trying every trick in the book to break down this West Ham side, the entire defence held their shape and negated the influence of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. The home side had the better chances too despite having a minimum share of the ball. Marco Arnautovic scored but was half a yard offside and Javier Hernandez hit the crossbar right at the end of the game.
After a dreadful start to the season, fortunes seem to be changing for this West Ham side with the fans getting behind the team and the new stadium finally starting to give a sense of atmosphere reminiscent of the one at Upton Park. All that the Hammers now need are some wins under their belt against the teams from the bottom half of the table to save themselves from the relegation battle.
#2 Away troubles may derail Arsenal's season
Arsenal have played eight away games in the Premier League so far. Result? Just nine points from it and more worryingly, just nine goals scored away from the Emirates. These are not the statistics of a team looking to cement a place in the top four. To put it bluntly, Arsenal's away record resembles a relegation battling side more than a title hopeful.
Diabolical
The Gunners need to pick up the pace on the road as they cannot afford to underperform any more than this. Arsenal are currently seventh in the league standings, one place and one point behind freaking Burnley. This side has been solid at home and has been a team that is hard to beat at the Emirates. The Gunners are third in the home league table whereas they rank a paltry ninth in the away table.
Their next three away fixtures offer Arsene Wenger a chance to improve their dismal away record and finally make a move upwards in the league standings. Arsenal's next three away trips are to Crystal Palace, West Bromwich Albion and Bournemouth. All three sides that can be beaten and should be beaten by this Arsenal side.
#1 Jack Wilshere dazzles on the night
577 days. That's the last duration when Jack Wilshere made a Premier League start for Arsenal. After continuous knocking on the manager's door through consistent outings in the Europa League, Wilshere finally got his big break against West Ham. He grabbed his chance with both hands and was hands down Arsenal's best player on the night.
Starting alongside Granit Xhaka, Wilshere impressed as always with his forward runs. He was the only Arsenal player who was looking to improve their tempo in attack by looking for one-twos and always looking for gaps in the West Ham defence. Wilshere's first touch was glorious at times as he shimmied across defenders elegantly.
Super stat: Wilshere had a 100% passing accuracy in the first half (32/32 passes completed)
Though he missed a chance in the 70th minute, skying the ball from an Olivier Giroud touchdown and looked a bit tired in the final quarter of the game, it was a composed performance from the 25-year-old who will not have to wait too long for his next Premier League start.
If it's not for Arsenal, then he gave a glimpse of his talents at his rumoured future home with West Ham United being the front-runners to sign him in January if he does not sign a new deal.
