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Alexandre Lacazette stepped off the bench to boost Arsenal’s Champions League qualifying hopes with a VAR assisted winner in a 1-0 victory over West Ham.
The Frenchman fired in from Mesut Ozil’s headed cross (78) and, after a long VAR check, the initial offside flag on Ozil was overruled to put Arsenal on course for their third straight Premier League win, which moves them to within five points of fourth place.
It was a tough blow for David Moyes’ battling West Ham, who had hit the woodwork in the opening moments through Jarrod Bowen and seen Michail Antonio spurn a glorious close-range chance before forcing a superb stop from Bernd Leno in the second half.
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But Gunners’ manager Mikel Arteta will feel entitled to this valuable victory over his former Everton boss after Arsenal had two penalty appeals denied by VAR and hit the bar themselves through Sokratis in the first half.
They are now closing in on fourth-placed Chelsea, while West Ham – who have lost six away games on the spin – remain out of the relegation zone on goal difference alone.
