Trossard Strike Puts Arsenal Five Points Clear as Gunners Edge Closer to First Premier League Title Since 2004

Arsenal kept their Premier League title charge firmly on track on May 10, 2026, grinding out a 1-0 win at West Ham to open up a five-point gap over Manchester City at the summit of the table.

Leandro Trossard provided the winning contribution, though the Belgian winger came close to breaking the deadlock even earlier when his effort struck the post during a dominant Arsenal opening period. The goal ultimately proved sufficient for Mikel Arteta’s side, who came into the fixture knowing that anything less than victory would have handed City a significant psychological advantage following their commanding win over Brentford 24 hours prior.

The match was far from straightforward for the visitors. A first-half injury to right-back Ben White disrupted Arsenal’s defensive structure, with midfielder Declan Rice deputising in an unfamiliar position to cover the backline. West Ham, who remain deep in relegation trouble, exploited the reshuffle and created a series of chances that threatened to derail Arsenal’s afternoon entirely.

Goalkeeper David Raya was called upon to produce world-class interventions to deny both Taty Castellanos and Mateus Fernandes, keeping Arsenal’s clean sheet intact during a period of sustained West Ham pressure. The Spaniard’s performance proved crucial in securing all three points.

The hosts thought they had salvaged a point late in the contest when Callum Wilson found the net, only for the goal to be disallowed following a foul on Raya. The decision left West Ham pointless on the afternoon and deepened their relegation concerns, while simultaneously preserving Arsenal’s winning margin.

The result extends Arsenal’s unbeaten run and leaves them requiring just two victories from their remaining two fixtures to be confirmed as Premier League champions for the first time since the 2003-04 season — the campaign famously completed without a single league defeat under Arsène Wenger.

Manchester City’s win over Brentford the previous day had briefly heightened the pressure on Arsenal heading into the West Ham fixture. With that context, Arteta’s side’s ability to respond with a composed, if hard-fought, away victory underlines the resilience that has characterised their campaign.

Arsenal’s title credentials have been tested repeatedly in recent seasons. The club finished second in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns, falling short of City on each occasion. Should they secure the required points from their final two matches, it would end one of English football’s most prolonged waits for a top-flight title by a traditional heavyweight club.