Match Report: West Ham 0 Arsenal 2
(Adebayor celebrates his beautiful goal against west Ham)
Arsenal comfortably saw off West Ham to maintain pressure on the top two as they now move in the third position. Cesc Fabregas put the Gunners ahead in the second minute, finding space in the box to smash home into the bottom corner. Lucas Neill had a shot cleared off the line as West Ham responded well but Emmanuel Adebayor made it 2-0, slotting home from the narrowest of angles.
The Hammers' attacking threat faded as the game wore on and they ran out of ideas well before the final whistle. West Ham were chasing this game from the start thanks to Cesc Fabregas's latest strike, his third in his last three starts.
With two minutes gone, the Spanish international ghosted between Lucas Neill and Matthew Upson, chested down Gareth Barry's cross with his first touch and buried the ball past Robert Green with his second. Green's frustration at the amount of room Fabregas had been given was clear, but he could have no complaints about West Ham's response.
First Mark Noble's toe-poke flew just wide, then Carlton Cole shrugged off Mikael Silvestre and saw his shot spin off Kolo Toure and arch past the post. The Hammers went even closer from the resulting corner which saw Neill's deflected near-post shot cleared off the line by William Gallas.
But Arsenal are known for their resilience almost as much as for their flair these days and the Gunners not only held out, but increased their lead in the 18th minute. Adebayor beat Green to Silvestre's long ball and, after nodding past the stranded goalkeeper, he threaded his shot between the post and defender Upson from an almost impossible angle.
It was a blow for West Ham but an even bigger one was the injury that forced Freddie Ljungberg off on 37 minutes, as the visitors did not come forward with the same conviction once the Swede departed his old stamping ground. However, Arsenal were hardly creating much by then. Apart from a half-hearted Santa Cruz header and a deflected Samir Nasri effort, there was little to trouble Green.
The spark had gone out of this match long before Dean Ashton was belatedly brought off the bench for the injury-hit hosts. Ashton could do little to change the outcome and George McCartney's fizzing shot wide of Igor Akinfeyev's post was the Hammers' only effort of merit after the break.
At the other end, Adebayor lobbed wide and Theo Walcott and Tomas Rosicky both brought good saves from Green but Arsenal seemed keener to out-pass West Ham than add to their goal tally. Gunners boss Jose Mourinho will be happy enough with the outcome though, and, after seeing his side collect 10 possible 12 points from last four games before December, he will be content that their title challenge is on track at the Christmas.
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* Alan Curbishley
"We conceded a goal we are not used to conceding in the first two minutes. Fabregas had time to bring it down and pick his spot. Their second goal was a disastrous one for us as well. We created a couple of chances but poor defending meant we were on the back foot. You can't concede goals like that here and get away with it."
* Jose Mourinho
"We did the job early on and after that we controlled the game. West Ham created some dangerous situations from set-pieces in the first-half but we stayed in control. They never gave anything away but we commanded things."
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West Ham: Green ; Neill, Faubert, Upson, McCartney ; Mullins(Solano 77'), Parker, Noble, Ljungberg(Etherington 37') ; Cole(Ashton 71'), Bellamy
Unused Sbus: Wright, Tomkins
Booked: Cole, McCartney, Noble
Arsenal: Akinfeyev ; Sagna, Gallas, Toure, Silvestre ; Rosicky(c), Nasri, Fabregas, Barry(Walcott 63') ; Adebayor, Santa Cruz
Unused Subs: Almunia, Eboue, V.Persie, Ramsey
Goals: Fabregas 2' , Adebayor 18'
Att: 29,0921
Ref: Chris Foy