North London side, Arsenal had their Premier League title ambitions taking a hit as they succumbed to a disappointing 2-0 defeat against West Ham at the Emirates Stadium, missing the chance to claim the league summit.

Jarrod Bowen set up Tomas Soucek, who fired home the opener 13 minutes into the game, but VAR couldn’t confirm if the ball had exited the pitch before Bowen’s touch.

Former Gunner Konstantinos Mavropanos then doubled West Ham’s lead with a towering header, capitalizing on defensive lapses from Gabriel Magalhaes and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

In a tense finale, David Raya denied Saïd Benrahma’s penalty in the closing minutes, denying West Ham a more comprehensive victory. However, Arsenal’s attempts to stage a comeback fell short, with concerns raised about Zinchenko’s defensive vulnerabilities among fans.

On social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), criticisms mounted against Zinchenko’s performance. Some fans expressed worries that his defensive shortcomings could jeopardize Arsenal’s title hopes.

Comparisons were drawn with other attacking defenders like Trent Alexander-Arnold, highlighting Zinchenko’s perceived deficiency in both defensive stability and attacking prowess.