For Arsenal's title ambitions this was two points lost; for West Ham's credibility rating, here was another point well made. Glenn Roeder is slowly putting his own stamp on the cavalier side he inherited from Harry Redknapp and, having won at Old Trafford last Saturday, West Ham can now boast of having matched a team who recently beat Juventus.
No one is getting carried away. In the second half West Ham could easily have lost as Arsenal dominated and hit the bar twice. But in a highly-skilled 90 minutes, spoiled only by seven yellow cards, two for the latest targeted offence of diving, the evidence was there that the initial cagey courtship dance between rookie West Ham manager and wary players is at last blossoming into a mutually respectful embrace.
"Since Glenn came in he's given us a lot of solidity in team shape," said Joe Cole. "He's changed it around. We seem more organised now."
There is no more evident sign of the positive changes being made at Upton Park than with Cole himself. Having burst on the scene as a show-pony 17-year-old, the ball-playing midfielder is at 20 putting in the sort of mature midfield performances that will have set England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson thinking again about whether to take him to Japan.
"He looks like he's becoming a man," was Arsene Wenger's post-match description, and Roeder added: "He needed to be taught a position, that first we need the team shape, then you can show me what you can do. Also don't be clever for the sake of being clever - there's no surprise. Mix it up."
On Saturday, with the help of Michael Carrick, Cole was more than a match for the wily Patrick Vieira in midfield.
Cole was honoured enough at the end to ask for the French World Cup winner's shirt, which he intends to frame.
"I gave him my shirt in return," he added. "I think he needs something to wash his car with."
Roeder admits the key to West Ham's continuing good health is to keep his 12 or 13 best players fit. Frederic Kanoute highlights the problems. His physical presence up front is crucial but his six goals this season have come from only nine starts.
After putting West Ham ahead with a crisp shot from Sebastien Schemmel's cut-back, he limped off again with a thigh strain, his fourth injury of the season.
Arsenal, without the crocked Freddie Ljungberg and Ray Parlour, took a while to get going but equalised within two minutes - Ashley Cole stealing in at the far post to convert Lauren's cross - then dominated for large spells. There was a decent shout of handball not given against Vieira near the end, but defeat would have been harsh on Arsenal.
To keep up the pressure at the top, though, they need all three points from Newcastle's latest visit to London tomorrow because next Sunday they collide with Liverpool at Anfield, and the suspended Vieira will not be available.
The good news for Wenger is that Tony Adams and Francis Jeffers are due to return for the reserves tonight after long spells out injured.
WEST HAM: James, Schemmel, Repka, Dailly, Winterburn, Hutchison, Carrick, Cole, Sinclair, Kanoute (Defoe 45), Di Canio. Subs Not Used: Anderson, Minto, Foxe, Courtois. Booked: Carrick, Repka, Di Canio, Cole. Goal: Kanoute 36.
ARSENAL: Taylor, Lauren, Campbell, Keown, Cole, Pires (Kanu 77), Vieira, Grimandi, Wiltord (Edu 72), Bergkamp, Henry. Subs Not Used: Stack, van Bronckhorst, Upson. Booked: Lauren, Vieira, Pires. Goal: Cole 39.
Referee: M Riley (Leeds).
