Faubert 75, Adebayor 90 – Divers: None

We had to work for that one, didn’t we? With a Champions League match this past week and all the travel involved, it’s no doubt that the boys were dragging just a bit. But they didn’t let that stop them. We handled the Hammers and kept possession most of the match, getting our passing game humming along. It was a build up. You could feel it slowly, but it was a build up. Despite several counter attacking runs from the oppostion that threatened, the press was constant from the Gunners. And then at 75′, luck finally broke our way. Emmanuel Adebayor shot wide through the area from the right, but the West Ham fullback Julien Faubert got a toe on it to correct Manu’s shot and get our opener. Then in injury time, Niklas Bendtner played a beautiful long ball when he spotted Manu up the field. He collected, skipped around the keeper and buried his shot in the open net. Argument settled.

The scoreline is somewhat flattering for Arsenal, I have to say. West Ham played a pretty tough match throughout. There were more than a few times that I thought we might be in trouble. And, given our history at Upton Park, you could sense that possibility was never far from the surface. But in the end, we hung in there and came away with a much needed 3 points.

It’s also worth mentioning that Phil Dowd probably got the red card call on Carlton Cole wrong. The replays show it was a yellow at best. But Dowd sent him off with aplomb, as if he were sick of dealing with the menace that is Carlton Cole and would have no more of it. He must have seen something no one else saw, because Cole’s tackle looked harsh, but legitimate. Am I wrong?