Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v West Ham United - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - December 28, 2023 Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
(Reuters) - Arsenal paid the price for failing to take their chances in a 2-0 Premier League defeat to West Ham United on Thursday, captain Martin Odegaard said as he urged his side to learn from their mistakes.
Goals from Tomas Soucek and Konstantinos Mavropanos sealed victory at the Emirates, despite Arsenal having more than twice as many chances as West Ham.
Bukayo Saka hit the post and Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli missed good chances, with the defeat leaving second-placed Arsenal on 40 points, two behind league leaders Liverpool.
"I think we created more than enough to score goals to win the game and it was the little details and the little last pass or the finish that was missing today," Odegaard said.
"We have to learn from it and make sure we get sharper and better in front of the goals. The goals we conceded were too easy, so definitely in front of the goals, inside the boxes, that's where the games are decided.
"We weren't good enough today... It was the last home game of the year so we wanted to finish off in style, but today wasn't the day and we have to look at ourselves and we have to learn and move on."
Arsenal next travel to 13th-placed Fulham on Sunday.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru)
