Arsenal: Gunners are champions in waiting but doing it the hard way

This season hasn’t always been easy on the eyes, but Arsenal They are now on the brink of their first Premier League title in 22 years.

The Gunners made a splash once again in their dramatic 1-0 win against relegation-threatened West Ham, thanks to Leandro Trossard’s score and a disallowed West Ham goal, with Mikel Arteta making the difference.

The vital victory extended Arsenal’s lead to five points ahead of Manchester City, who have a game in hand, and put them within touching distance of league silverware after three consecutive runners-up finishes.

While some will say Arteta’s team got to this point the hard way, others will argue that victories when a team does enough to get over the line are the mark of a champion.

This 1-0 win over West Ham was Arsenal’s seventh win by this score in the Premier League this season.

It completes a crucial week for the club, with title rivals Manchester City dropping points in midweek.

Before beating Fulham last weekend, Arsenal had won just two of their previous eight games in all competitions, the first time they had suffered back-to-back defeats in the league.

However, with three consecutive wins without conceding a goal, one of which guaranteed their place in the Champions League final, Arsenal are now on the verge of history.

“What a moment, what an afternoon, what a week for us,” Arteta said.

“It is so full of emotion, I cannot praise enough the attitude, the desire, the courage and the quality of the team throughout this week because there was so much at stake and we knew how tough it would be today against a team with an incredible history who are fighting for their lives.”