Arsenal's hopes of returning to the top of the Premier League were dashed as they lost 2-0 against West Ham. The Gunners have trailed Liverpool by two points for more than half of the season, the second year in a row that they have topped the table after Christmas. Arsenal have a clear advantage on the ball, but lack the ability to break down the sharp strikers of West Ham's tight defense. Tomás Susek broke the deadlock in the 13th minute and Konastantinos Mavropanos doubled the scoreline for them.
Despite creating a number of chances, Arsenal failed to find the back of the net and even missed a penalty late in the game. The defeat left Arsenal in second place with 40 points. Tottenham Hotspur also suffered a 4-2 defeat to Brighton in a disappointing fixture. After trailing 4-0, Tottenham launched a stubborn counter-attack, scoring two goals to close the gap.
However, they failed to find a third goal and ended up suffering their first defeat in four league games. Brighton took the lead through Jack Henselwood and extended their advantage through two penalties from Jowan Pedro. Pavies Estupinan scored a stunning long-range strike, while Alejo Williz and Ben Davies scored for Tottenham. Despite creating a flurry of chances in the closing stages, Brighton held on to the win. Tottenham remain fifth in the league standings. Overall, it was a disappointing day for both Arsenal and Tottenham, who missed out on valuable points opportunities and lost their chances to climb up the league table.