Gabriel Magalhaes sends message to Arsenal fans after West Ham dent title hopes
Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes has sent a message to Arsenal fans on social media after their 1-0 loss to London rivals West Ham.
The Brazilian defender played the full 90 minutes against the Hammers on Saturday (22 February), in a loss that may have ended the Gunners’ title charge.
Jarrod Bowen fractured his foot in a 5-0 loss to Liverpool, and the England international opened the scoring for the Irons in only his third appearance since returning from injury.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has impressed since joining from Man United, and the right-back delivered a fantastic cross for his teammate to score from in the 44th minute.
With the Gunners looking for a route back into the match, Gabriel played a soft pass to his teammate Myles Lewis-Skelly, causing the left-back to lose control of the ball, and bring down Mohammed Kudus in the 73rd minute.
Lewis-Skelly was then sent off to leave Arsenal attempting their fightback with 10 men.
Gabriel Magalhaes tries to rouse Arsenal fans after poor result
Following the loss to West Ham, Gabriel posted an image of himself on his Instagram story, captioned: “Disappointed with the result! We have a lot to play! We continue to fight together!!!”
The result now leaves Arsenal 11 points behind Liverpool with just 12 games remaining for the Gunners this season.
Despite the Brazilian defenders optimism, a fightback now looks unlikely, with the North London side on course for a third consecutive second-placed finish in the Premier League.
The Gunners will face Nottingham Forest in their next game on Wednesday (26 February), with the Tricky Trees just six points behind Arsenal.
Arsenal transfer failings cost them a chance at Premier League title
Football Insider Verdict
Despite dominating possession, and having 20 shots against West Ham, Arsenal could not find the back of the net.
Kai Havertz is out for the season with an injury, joining teammates Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines.
| 2024/25 Premier League standings | Games played | Goal difference | Points |
| 1. Liverpool | 27 | +38 | 64 |
| 2. Arsenal | 26 | +28 | 53 |
| 3. Nottingham Forest | 26 | +11 | 47 |
| 4. Man City | 26 | +15 | 44 |
| 5. Newcastle | 26 | +10 | 44 |
The Gunners were linked with moves for Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres, and had a bid for Ollie Watkins rejected in January.
The failure to find a suitable striker in the transfer window was on show against West Ham, as Arsenal struggled with not only their finishing, but their link-up play struggled aswell.