Arsenal 4-3 West Ham Stats: Arsenal Complete Stunning WSL Comeback

Arsenal overturned a two-goal deficit to defeat West Ham in a seven-goal WSL thriller. Relive the best facts and stats in our comprehensive post match breakdown.

Match Overview

Final Score: Arsenal 4-3 West Ham United
Date: March 2, 2025
Competition: WSL Round 15
Venue: Mangata Pay UK Stadium, Borehamwood

Arsenal completed a remarkable comeback after trailing 0-2 early and 1-3 in the second half to secure a crucial 4-3 victory over West Ham in a thrilling WSL encounter. The match featured multiple momentum shifts, tactical adjustments, and individual brilliance that ultimately tipped the balance in Arsenal's favour.

Phases of Play Analysis

First Half (0-2 to 1-2)

West Ham stunned Arsenal with two early goals through Amber Tysiak (7', 12'), exploiting defensive vulnerabilities. Despite dominating possession (77% vs 23%), Arsenal struggled to break through until Chloe Kelly's 43rd minute strike reduced the deficit.

First Half Stats Breakdown:

• Arsenal: 7 shots on target from 12 attempts (58% accuracy)

• West Ham: 4 shots on target from 6 attempts (67% accuracy)

• Arsenal passes: 312 (87% accuracy)

• West Ham passes: 91 (63% accuracy)

Second Half (1-3 to 4-3)

After Shekiera Martinez extended West Ham's lead to 3-1 (51'), Arsenal's tactical adjustments and substitutions transformed the match. Three goals in six minutes from Katie McCabe (56'), Leah Williamson (58'), and Mariona Caldentey (62', penalty) completed the remarkable turnaround.

Second Half Stats Breakdown:

• Arsenal: 6 shots on target from 12 attempts (50% accuracy)

• West Ham: 3 shots on target from 5 attempts (60% accuracy)

• Arsenal passes: 287 (83% accuracy)

• West Ham passes: 141 (62% accuracy)

Tactical Analysis

Arsenal's Approach

Arsenal deployed a 4-3-2-1 formation with Mariona Caldentey in a deep-lying playmaker role. After falling behind, their key tactical adjustments included:

1. Half-time substitution: Stina Blackstenius for Frida Maanum, adding more direct attacking presence

2. 55' double change: Introducing Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross to inject pace and creativity

3. Width exploitation: Using Chloe Kelly and Katie McCabe to stretch West Ham's defensive line

4. High press intensity: Increasing pressure to force West Ham errors in their defensive third

West Ham's Approach

West Ham utilized a compact 4-4-2 formation focused on defensive solidity and rapid transitions. Their strategy included:

1. Low block defense: Maintaining disciplined defensive shape with 43 clearances (vs Arsenal's 11)

2. Counter-attacking threat: Despite only 28% possession, they created 7 shots on target

3. Set-piece efficiency: Tysiak scored twice, showcasing set piece threat

4. 64' triple substitution: Attempting to stem Arsenal's momentum with fresh defensive players

Individual Performances

Key Performers - Arsenal

Mariona Caldentey (9.1 rating) - Player of the Match

• 1 goal (penalty), 1 assist

• 62/75 passes completed (83%)

• 94 touches, 16 passes into final third

• 5/6 ground duels won (83%)

• 3/3 tackles won (100%)

Leah Williamson (8.7 rating)

• 1 goal

• 83/100 passes completed (83%)

• 125 touches (match-high)

• 12/12 ground duels won (100%)

• 19 passes into final third

Chloe Kelly (8.6 rating)

• 1 goal, 1 assist

• 3/4 successful dribbles (75%, match-high)

• 26/31 passes completed (84%)

• 3/5 accurate crosses (60%)

• 2 chances created

Key Performers - West Ham

Amber Tysiak (8.7 rating)

• 2 goals

• 2/2 shots on target (100%)

• 10 clearances, 3 blocks

• 2/3 aerial duels won (67%)

• 1 last-man tackle

Viviane Asseyi (7.9 rating)

• 1 assist

• 6/13 ground duels won (46%)

• 3/4 aerial duels won (75%)

• 7 recoveries

• 1 yellow card

Oona Siren (7.5 rating)

• 7/12 ground duels won (58%)

• 9 recoveries

• 3/5 tackles won (60%)

• 19/23 passes completed (83%)

Momentum Analysis

The momentum graph shows several distinct shifts throughout the match:

1. Minutes 7-14: Strong West Ham momentum (+100%) coinciding with their two goals

2. Minutes 34-37: Arsenal surge (+100%) creating multiple chances

3. Minutes 43-45: Arsenal momentum following Kelly's goal

4. Minutes 51-53: West Ham regains momentum after Martinez's goal

5. Minutes 56-62: Arsenal's strongest period (+100%) during their three-goal comeback

6. Minutes 74-76: Final Arsenal surge securing victory

Substitution Impact

Arsenal's substitutions proved decisive in changing the match dynamics:

• Frida Maanum → Stina Blackstenius (46'): Rating difference +0.24, adding attacking presence

• Lia Wälti → Caitlin Foord (55'): Rating difference -0.42, but created 2 key chances

• Kim Little → Kyra Cooney-Cross (55'): Rating difference +0.95, significantly improving midfield control

• Emily Fox → Amanda Ilestedt (85'): Defensive reinforcement to secure victory

• Chloe Kelly → Beth Mead (85'): Fresh legs to maintain attacking threat

West Ham's substitutions were unable to stem Arsenal's momentum:

• Dagny Brynjarsdottir → Katrina Gorry (64'): Rating difference -0.18

• Camila Saez → Anouk Denton (64'): Rating difference +0.39

• Verena Hanshaw → Shelina Zadorsky (64'): Rating difference -0.27

• Shekiera Martinez → Riko Ueki (74'): Rating difference -0.70

• Seraina Piubel → Manuela Pavi (87'): Minimal impact

Set Piece Analysis

Set pieces played a significant role in the match outcome:

• Corners: Arsenal 10, West Ham 3

• Accurate crosses: Arsenal 10/32 (31%), West Ham 2/8 (25%)

• Penalty: Mariona Caldentey converted the decisive spot-kick

Key Match Insights

1. Possession Dominance: Arsenal's 72% possession translated into sustained pressure, particularly late in the match

2. Efficiency Gap: West Ham's shot conversion rate (27.3%) exceeded Arsenal's (16.7%)

3. Physical Battle: 100 total duels contested (Arsenal won 51%, West Ham 49%)

4. Building from the Back: Arsenal center backs (Williamson and Catley) completed more passes (139) than West Ham's entire team (145)

5. Tactical Flexibility: Arsenal's formation adjustments in the second half created overloads in wide areas

Conclusion

Arsenal's comeback victory showcased their technical superiority, tactical adaptability, and individual quality. Despite West Ham's clinical early finishing and disciplined defensive structure, Arsenal's persistence and intelligent adjustments ultimately proved decisive.

The match highlighted several crucial elements that determined the outcome:

1. Arsenal's willingness to take calculated risks when trailing

2. The game-changing impacts of key players Caldentey, Williamson and Kelly

3. Arsenal's superior technical quality (85% vs 63% pass accuracy)

4. West Ham's inability to maintain defensive organisation under sustained pressure

5. The effectiveness of Arsenal's substitutions in changing the match dynamics