With just eight minutes left to play, West Ham replaced the winner Jarrod Bowen with Evan Ferguson, a striker they borrowed earlier this month.
This is almost like a mockery of Arsenal. In the end, coach Mikel Arteta must have wished he could do so, when he had no choice but to attack after a gloomy transfer window.
Arsenal have not added any strikers in the 2025 winter transfer window. And after the 1-0 loss to West Ham, the question is, is the Premier League title race for the "Gunners" over?
"It's not in our hands. For me, I was really, really upset about what we had in hand and we didn't do as well as we could. That was the performance and the result today," Arteta admitted after the defeat to West Ham.
The hope that Mikel Merino will pursue a similar trajectory with Kai Havertz - a midfielder who has moved to a striker - seems uncertain from the start. Even when Merino impressively filled the striker position with a late double against Leicester City.
Havertz is different from Merino in having the instinct of a striker. Therefore, Havertz's transition to leading Arsenal's attack took place naturally. Moreover, it was a period when Arsenal were playing well, not a temporary solution at the time the team needed it.
Arteta said last Friday that Arsenal had been "encouraged" by uniting together, despite Havertz's long-term injury. There are few signs of that against West Ham. And Arteta could not hide his disappointment at a poor performance.
"We have to be angry. I hope we will be very angry because we have not reached our form. And I take responsibility for that, so I'm very, very angry," the Spaniard said.
Arteta dismissed the view that the lack of a striker was the main reason, instead, the real problem was deeper.
"No, no and I completely dismiss it because I'm talking about the standards of the players and the team we showed today, including me. And that is not close to the level we have to get to win the Premier League," said Arteta.
There is still some basis for hope. This is Arsenal's first home defeat in 10 months and Liverpool will have a difficult week ahead. However, the "Gunners" will take advantage of the opportunity if Liverpool stumble as Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are out for the rest of the season, while Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli also need more time.
There is growing evidence that not signing a new striker will cost Arsenal dearly.
