ARSENAL have practically forgotten what it feels like to lose at Upton Park, and last night West Ham only briefly nudged their memories. Arsene Wenger's team dominated large areas of the game after taking an early lead and, although they conceded an equaliser just past the hour they needed only a couple of more to go back in front.

West Ham could hardly have chosen a less auspicious moment to seek their first home league win against Arsenal for nine years. After only one victory in 11 Premiership games they, had slid from a comparatively safer mid table position into the bottom three.

Last night they faced one of the Premiership's meanest defences, even though Arsenal were without Martin Keown, who was suspended along with Dennis Bergkamp.

In Bergkamp's absence, Arsenal supported Ian Wright with Paul Merson playing in a more advanced position than usual. In fact the earliest threat to West Ham came when Steve Hughes was allowed to advance unchallenged to within 25 yards of goal before shooting wide.

That was in the third minute. Three minutes later and Arsenal were ahead. This time Merson, released by Patrick Vieira's ball, ran at a retreating defence which had not noticed Ray Parlour in space on the right. Merson's pass was true, so was Parlour's shot as it beat Ludek Miklosko and found the far corner of the net.

West Ham's response was brisk enough, a series of passing movements which beat a tattoo on the outer walls of Arsenal's defence Michael Hughes, Keith Rowland Hugo Porfirio and John Moncur moved the ball around neatly enough but once near goal West Ham's lack of confidence showed.

Although Mike Newell was well versed in the ways of Tony Adams and Steve Bould he is, by nature, a supporting striker and not a man to lead the charge. West Ham's main hope lay in Porfirio being able to outwit the less experienced Matthew Rose, who had replaced Keown. But David Seaman did not have a shot to save until Danny Williamson drove "the ball low through a crowd of legs on the half hour.

After 34 minutes Porfirio's centre from the left beat the defenders as it dipped into the goalmouth. Newell's first time shot bounced back off Seaman's body before the goalkeeper knew what had happened, but the off side flag was up anyway. Even West Ham's near misses were not counting.

A few minutes earlier Arsenal had twice come close to extending their lead. Miklosko stopped a header from Steve Hughes on the goal line and then Merson's cheeky lob beat the West Ham goalkeeper before bouncing on the crossbar.

In the 40th minute, at Vidra's instigation, Merson exchanged passes with Lee Dixon before seeing hiss shot saved feet first by Miklosko. Then Nigel Winterburn and Wright combined to set up a chance for Merson, who shot wide.

More and more this looked like a match that Arsenal would have to throw away to bring West Ham any relief. And this is precisely what began to happen just past the hour. Slaven Bilic met Rowland's corner from the left with a firm header and Rose, trying to clear it could only nod the ball into his own net.

Not that Arsenal's embarrassment has lasted long. Within two minutes Merson had sent Wright through to regain them the lead by shooting through Miklosko's legs.