Martin Odegaard has urged Arsenal to be more clinical in front of goal after their 2-0 league defeat to West Ham United at the Emirates on Thursday (28 December).

The Gunners got eight of their 30 attempts on target and enjoying a 74% possession rate, while West Ham hit the target with three of their six attempts. More importantly, the Hammers made their chances and possession count, scoring two goals despite keeping just 25% of the ball during the game.

Arsenal missed several chances in a surprise first home defeat of the season and struggled to convert their chances into goals.

Tomas Soucek opened the scoring in the 13th minute under controversial circumstances before Konstantinos Mavropanos scored against his old club to double the lead 10 minutes after the restart.

Odegaard, who took three shots and created six goal-scoring chances against the Hammers, said after the game (h/t Express):

“It’s one of those nights. We had a lot of chances but in the box we were not good enough. We have to improve in front of the goal and it’s down to the whole team to do that.”

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Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta also weighed in on the defeat, acknowledging the team’s profligacy in front of goal. Arteta pointed to various reasons for the missed opportunities, including exceptional defensive plays by the opposition and decision-making lapses within the team.

Despite the setback, Arteta praised the players for their effort, stating, “If they will continue to play like that, it is very unlikely that it will happen again.”

Looking ahead, Arteta conveyed a message of resilience, telling the team, “We’re disappointed we lost at home. We have to go now to Fulham and play better if possible than today and win the game, and that’s it.” The focus now turns to learning from the defeat and regaining momentum as Arsenal faces Fulham in a bid to bounce back from their recent setback.

The win meant Arsenal were unable to reclaim the top spot in the league table. Liverpool, who won 2-0 against Burnley on Boxing Day (26 December), lead the proceedings after 19 matches with 42 points to their name.

The Gunners, meanwhile, sit second with 40 points, leading Aston Villa by a solitary point. After the win, West Ham climbed to sixth in the table with 33 points, trailing fourth-placed Manchester City by four points, although the latter have a game in hand.