West Ham United has eliminated Arsenal from the Carabao Cup with a comprehensive 3-1 win at the London Stadium on Wednesday to move into the quarterfinals in style.
A Ben White’s own goal gave the home side a 16th minute lead before a superb Mohammed Kudus’ strike and a deflected Jarrod Bowen effort put West Ham in complete control in the second half.
Martin Ødegaard’s low strike with the last kick of the game was the smallest of consolations for the Gunners.
Arsenal came into the game riding on an eight-game unbeaten streak against their London rivals, but manager Mikel Arteta opted to make six changes to the side that won 5-0 against Sheffield United on Saturday, including starting former West Ham captain, Declan Rice, on the bench.
ESPN reports that the hosts failed to have a single shot at goal in the first half yet found themselves in front at the break thanks to White’s unfortunate intervention. Bowen sent in an inswinging corner from the left and White met the ball ahead of Ramsdale to head the ball into his own net.
It was hardly the start Ramsdale would have wanted, making his first start since Arsenal’s win over Brentford in the last round of the Carabao Cup on Sept. 27
Within five minutes of the start of the second half, he was picking the ball out of his net once more. This time, it was a goal of real quality. Kudus produced a sensational first touch from a deep ball into the box, cutting back on his left foot before finishing coolly into the far corner.
Arteta quickly reacted by bringing Rice and Oleksandr Zinchenko off the bench, but things soon went from bad to worse for Arsenal, and Ramsdale and White in particular.
A poor headed clearance from the Arsenal defender fell to Bowen on the edge of the area and his left-footed shot took a deflection off Arsenal’s Jakub Kiwior to leave Ramsdale stranded and reacting with huge frustration as the ball found the back of the net.
Arteta looked to inspire a dramatic turnaround when bringing substitutes Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Ødegaard into the attack, but the latter’s late effort couldn’t prevent a chastening loss for an Arsenal side second in the Premier League.
