West Ham 0-2 Arsenal

By: travis | October 28th, 2008

No dramas on the road this past weekend, although it wasn’t easy. Trip to West Ham can be nervy at times, and that was the case this time around.

The start was pretty sloppy – the midfield couldn’t hold onto the ball very well, and West Ham enjoyed a significant portion of the possession, leading to a few chances for the Hammers. Things settled down, and the opportunities were there – Theo with one of his typical long and winding runs, beating three or four defenders before unleashing a cracking shot against the woodwork. You got the feeling that it was destined to be one of those days where nothing could go right, and the Hammers would either nab the three point or force a draw.

Robert Green proved to be tough to beat, coming up with a number of saves to keep his side in the game, denying Bendtner and RvP on two separate occasions. Almunia’s stop on Craig Bellamy must be mentioned as well. The second half brought a similar level of frustration to the pitch, as Van Persie was stopped by Green and rattled the post with a thunderous free kick. Arsene declared his intent soon thereafter, inserting Adebayor and Diaby into the game, and that’s where things picked up. Diaby – who would do this team a huge favor by staying fit – played well in the midfield, but it the Togonator once again stole the show. Using some fancy footwork in the box to free himself up, Ade sent in a cross that was destined to go wide – until Julian Faubert slid in to deny Nicklas Bendtner and knocked the ball in himself. It was the sort of break that some fans may not have expected.

It wasn’t anywhere close to being over, but with 15 minutes left you saw the Hammers sag a little bit. My greatest fear was the lack of true midfielders to hold possession for the last quarter of an hour. However, those were soon allayed, as the closest West Ham came to an equalizer was another scintillating run by Bellamy, this time covered much better at the back. Adebayor then sealed the three points in injury time, latching on to a superb long ball from Nicklas Bendtner, rounded Green, who had come all the way out, and lashed the ball into the empty net.

A good result indeed, as Arsenal have struggled at Upton Park, winning only once in the past eight years. That, combined with the result that Liverpool got at Stamford Bridge, could signal that all four of the “big four” could contend this season. Throw in Hull City, who continues to surprise everyone, and who knows what will happen. There are continued concerns at the back, and still a need for perhaps a more experienced central midfielder, but things seem to be back on track. For now.

Match of the day highlights below. As always, thoughts and opinions are welcome. Tomorrow, be on the look out for a preview of the Spurs match.

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