Declan Rice was responsible for giving away a 94th minute penalty against former club West Ham, just moments after the visiting fans chanted about his big-money summer transfer.
The 24-year-old midfielder, who joined Arsenal from the Hammers in July for a club-record £105 million, has been one of their standout performers this season.
In fact, he has been touted as a "game-changer" in their Premier League title bid.
Advert
But despite recording a number of Man of the Match performances since joining the North London club, Arsenal have suffered two defeats against Rice's former club West Ham.
Mikel Arteta's side were eliminated from the Carabao Cup in November following a 3-1 defeat at the London Stadium, as goals from Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Ben White [OG] sealed their fate.
And a month later, goals from Tomas Soucek and Konstantinos Mavropanos handed the Hammers a deserved 2-0 victory.
Advert
It could have easily been three for the visitors, who were handed a late penalty after Rice fouled Emerson Palmieri following a slip.
It was an unfortunate moment for the England international, who had to listen to chants of "You should have signed for a big club”, just moments before the penalty incident.
Rice must have breathed a sigh of relief when Said Benrahma missed from the spot, but it was ultimately a disappointing night for the midfielder and his Arsenal teammates.
Ahead of Thursday's clash at the Emirates, West Ham manager David Moyes said they were "stronger" without Declan Rice.
Advert
"From our standpoint, we had to go again and it can make you stronger and make you grow," Moyes explained.
"In many ways, that’s what we’ve done. We’ve had to go out and find new players, who we thought could help us, and I think we’ve done it well."
He added: "We’re all pleased for Declan Rice, no one ever doubted his ability and, while we won’t be cheering him on against us on Thursday evening, we’re always looking out for him.
"I said right from the start that I thought Declan Rice was a top player and I thought his value could have been greater. We got the price we wanted though, and Dec got the move he wanted, so it was a move that worked for both parties."
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images - Amazon PrimeTopics: Arsenal, West Ham United, Premier League, Declan Rice
