ARSENAL 5 WEST HAM UNITED 1
By Ricky Butler at The Emirates
FOUR goals in a scintillating 10 minute second half spell gave Arsenal a much needed victory at the Emirates last night, although the result was somewhat overshadowed by a serious head injury to West Ham substitute Dan Potts.
The match was held up for more than 10 minutes in the second half as the defender lay stricken on the turf following a clash of heads with Bacary Sagna, and with Sam Alladyce having already used his three substitutes, the Hammers finished the game with only ten men. The result however, had long been decided by Arsenal's earlier blitz.
Arsene Wenger's side began the night seven points behind fourth-placed Spurs so they knew nothing less victory would be enough to keep their Champions League hopes alive. But despite going a goal down inside twenty minutes, courtesy of a great strike from Jack Collison, Arsenal fought back in impressive style.
Having missed Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea due to illness, Lukas Podolski was back in the side and it was his magnificent 25 yard drive that brought the Gunners level just four minutes after Collison's effort.
Arsenal should have been ahead by the break as Podolski saw another effort cleared off the line by Joey O'Brien, although Aaron Ramsey was forced to do likewise at the other end to deny Carlton Cole.
But Arsenal nerves were settled within a minute of the second half. Theo Walcott whipped in a low corner from the left and Oliver Giroud arrived to turn the ball home at the near post. And that opened the floodgates.
Six minutes later Podolski played a lovely one-two with Santi Cazorla and the little Spaniard tucked the ball home from close range with a clever back-heel. Podolski then crossed for Walcott to make it 4-1 with his 16th goal of the season, and the German then created the fifth for Giroud with another inviting delivery from the left.
A repeat of the seven they scored against Newcastle recently looked on the cards, but the injury to Potts 15 minutes from time ended the match as a contest. Walcott and substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both came close in a subdued finale but the points were already safely in the bag.
"West Ham defended very well in the first half," said Wenger. "We looked dangerous but couldn't
finish our chances. We came out in the second half and attacked with tremendous
pace. The injury to Dan Potts was the end of the game really but until that
moment we played very well.
"In the Chelsea game there were a lot of positives, it was disappointing to
lose, but we took the positives and transferred that into to this game.
"You want to be at your best every single game but we have many new players
and it takes some time to get to know each other very well and I think that
understanding is getting better."
West Ham manager Alladyce said: "It was 10 minutes of genius.
You could say we could defend better but I thought they hit the ground
running.
"The encouraging thing for them was that we switched off for one corner and
that lifted them. In the first half we defended exceptionally well but that 10
minutes blew us away."
ARSENAL - Szczesny 7, Sagna 7, Mertersaker 7, Vermaelan 7 (Koscielny 58, 7), Gibbs 8, Ramsey 9, Cazorla 8, Wilshere 8, Walcott 8, Giroud 8 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 77, 6), Podolski 9 (Santos 70, 6).
WEST HAM UNITED - Jaaskelainan 6, Reid 6 (Diarra 62, 5), Tomkins 5, O'Brien 6, Demal 7, Collison 7 (Potts 62, 6), Taylor 6, Noble 6, Nolan 5, Cole(C) 6, Vaz Te 5 (Diame, 6).
REFEREE: A. Marriner 6 - An easy night for the Birmingham-based official.
MAN OF MATCH: Podolski (Arsenal) - One cracking goal and three assists. Possibly his best game for the club.
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