Arsenal's Premier League title jitters returned in a potentially costly 2-2 draw at West Ham United on Sunday as for the second week in a row they threw away a two-goal advantage.

The leaders were 2-0 up and cruising towards restoring their six-point cushion over Manchester City with Gabriel Jesus tapping home in the seventh minute and Martin Odegaard doubling Arsenal's lead with a volley three minutes later.

But everything changed when they conceded a sloppy penalty that Said Benrahma tucked away in the 33rd minute.

West Ham, needing points themselves to stay away from the relegation zone, were transformed although Bukayo Saka had the chance to restore Arsenal's two-goal lead early in the second half only to blaze a penalty well wide.

Bukayo Saka after missing the penalty. Getty Images

That miss looked even more costly moments later when Jarrod Bowen volleyed in West Ham's equaliser in the 54th minute.

Just as at Anfield last week when Mikel Arteta's team led 2-0 but ended up hanging on desperately for a 2-2 draw with Liverpool, there was a nervousness about Arsenal's play as the pressure of winning a first title since 2004 intensifies.

City's destiny is now very much in their own hands as Arsenal lead the table with 74 points from 31 games, four more than City who have played a game less and who host Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side on April 26.

West Ham, who looked the stronger side after levelling and hit the crossbar through Michail Antonio, have 31 points from 30 games, four ahead of the relegation places.

Arsenal had won all five of their Derbies away from home this season without conceding a goal and had lost only two of the previous 29 league games against West Ham.

That record looked set to continue in a sparkling start but when the full time whistle sounded Arsenal's players looked crestfallen at losing their grip on the title race.

They remain in a position that they could have hardly imagined back in August but with City steaming up behind them after collecting 25 points from the last 27 on offer, the odds are shifting towards Pep Guardiola's treble chasers.

Full points

Manchester United's Antony scored and set up a Diogo Dalot goal to lead their injury-hit side to a 2-0 victory at Nottingham Forest as Erik ten Hag's side climbed to third place in their quest for a berth in next season's Champions League.

United have 59 points from 30 games, three points in front of fourth-placed Newcastle United and six ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who have played 31 matches.

Steve Cooper's struggling Forest side are third from bottom, level on 27 points with 17th-placed Everton.

Lampard asks team to buck up 

London: Chelsea interim coach Frank Lampard said he has to turn around the club’s slump urgently before Tuesday’s visit by Real Madrid in a Champions League quarter-final second leg, following the Blues’ latest limp defeat.

Lampard, speaking after a 2-1 home Premier League loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, said Chelsea were displaying a worrying lack of desire and competitiveness.

“At the minute, we are falling short on that and we need to turn it around quickly,” said the former Chelsea midfielder who was rushed in for a second spell in charge of the Blues after Graham Potter’s dismissal earlier this month.

“We haven’t got training time... So the response has to be what you see on the pitch, especially with Tuesday’s game coming.”

Lampard said the defeat to Brighton was the most disappointing performance of the three games since his return to Stamford Bridge to see out what looks like being a barren first full season under Chelsea’s new American owners, despite their huge outlay on new players.

Asked if he wanted to urge fans to energise the team against Madrid — with the Spaniards 2-0 up from the first leg — Lampard said the focus had to be on the players, not the crowd support.

Reuters