Arsenal 3 West Ham 1
Arsenal refuse to bow. This one had disaster stamped all over it as they entered with ranks depleted and stamina sapped following Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final squeak past Wigan Athletic after extra-time and penalties. And it was possible to fear the worst when Matt Jarvis put West Ham United in front. Arsenal had laboured in the first-half and they simply had to win. It was no exaggeration to say that their Champions League hopes depended on it.
Yet they found the answers in something approaching the style of old. There were two goals from Lukas Podolski, both unerring left-footed blasts, but it was Olivier Giroud who stole the show with a quite sumptuous finish in between times.
Giroud has felt the Arsenal fans’ frustrations of late, as the club’s Premier League title challenge has given way to the more familiar fight for a top four place – and his first-half performance had done little to soothe the angst.
But he tore up the script on 55 minutes with a sumptuous touch and finish that put Arsenal on their way to what was, ultimately, a fairly stress-free win. It was Giroud’s 20th goal of the season and it was difficult to recall any of the preceding 19 being as easy on the eye.
Arsenal jump back to fourth, although the elevation could be short-lived as Everton entertain Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. Arsène Wenger and his players could merely content themselves with having done their job.
Arsenal resembled a battalion of the walking wounded, and it had been possible to count as many as 14 of their personnel that were either unavailable or pre-match doubts. Wenger was able to select Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky and Lukas Podolski in the end, while Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hauled themselves on to the bench.
West Ham were the fresher, having previously played on the Sunday before last in the home defeat to Liverpool and, with their well-honed strategy, they always stood to frustrate their hosts. Sam Allardyce used three central midfielders, with Mohamed Diame the most advanced. He roamed to good effect but dropped in when his team did not have the ball.
There was a curiosity in Wenger’s starting XI; at 27, Olivier Giroud was the youngest outfield player and the worry for Arsenal, as has been the case in recent weeks, was whether they had sufficient pace. West Ham boasted more of it, which is not supposed to happen.
West Ham had chances before they scored and there was the sharp intake of breath when Bacary Sagna took a swipe at Matt Jarvis inside the area on 18 minutes, after being pipped to the ball by the winger. Jarvis felt the contact and did not go down, preferring instead to chase the ball but, in the process, setting in motion the question about whether his honesty had done his team any favours. Jarvis’s natural instincts did him credit.
Antonio Nocerino had an early shot blocked, while Diamé lifted over the crossbar when well-placed after Andy Carroll’s low centre. Jarvis flickered on the left and there was no great surprise when West Ham went ahead. Nocerino got in behind Kim Kallstrom and he forced Wojciech Szczesny to save but, when he retrieved the ball, Jarvis put his head in front of Koscielny’s high boot to head home.
The afternoon sunshine had given way to a surprisingly deep chill and Arsenal felt it. Wenger huddled into his sleeping bag coat; the consequences of failure felt dire. Yet Arsenal’s response was immediate, which probably spared them a volley of half-time boos.
They, too, had created chances only for Giroud to fluff his lines, dismally so when he flicked weakly at Adrián from Santi Cazorla’s through-ball. Giroud had earlier failed to connect with Podolski’s whipped cross. But after Kallstrom had worked Adrián, Arsenal dug out the equaliser. Stewart Downing’s clearance found only Cazorla and his quick pass liberated Podolski, who was able to rifle low into the far corner.
Arsenal needed inspiration in the second-half and Giroud provided it. West Ham had cleared a corner with comfort and they appeared to be well covered when Thomas Vermaelen hoisted a high ball back into the area. The space for Giroud was minimal and the technique needed to be flawless. Happily for Arsenal, it was. The first touch with the left foot to pull the ball out of the sky and tee up the shot was a moment of genius and the second, a thumping right-footed finish through the legs of Adrián, was not bad, either.
Arsenal pressed for the decisive third. Podolski drew a save from Adrian with a fierce free-kick and Cazorla fizzed inches wide after a rapid counter. They were much more composed and coherent after Giroud’s goal and Podolski’s second allowed them to coast home. Ramsey’s cute header ushered him through and, once again, his left foot packed power and accuracy.
Guardian Service
