1st January, 2008

KB: KUMB; HM Hammers Mad; ST Sunday Times; SE Sunday Express; SM Sunday Mirror; OB Observer;
DM Daily Mirror; GU Guardian; TM Times; HD Hammers Diary; SK Sky; DE Daily Express

Sky Sports: Cesc Fabregas was fed the ball on the left, where the Spaniard held up possession before chipping over a lofted pass into the penalty area. The ball landed perfectly for Eduardo, who collected it on his chest before volleying a low shot into the far corner for a 10th goal of a quickly-improving season, with five in the past three games. West Ham striker Carlton Cole caused some concern in the Arsenal box before Mark Noble saw an effort blocked by Toure and then stabbed the loose ball wide. In the 11th minute Cole got clear in the left side of the area again, this time his goalbound shot was deflected behind. From the resulting corner, Anton Ferdinand saw his close-range effort cleared off the line by Gael Clichy. Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia was too busy for manager Arsene Wenger's liking and in the 16th minute he needed to make a save at the near post to deny former Gunner Ljungberg.

BBC Sport: Arsenal comfortably saw off West Ham to maintain their two-point lead at the top of the Premier League table. Eduardo put the Gunners ahead in the second minute, finding space in the box to smash home into the bottom corner. Anton Ferdinand had a shot cleared off the line as West Ham responded well but Emmanuel Adebayor made it 2-0, slotting home from the narrowest of angles. The Hammers' attacking threat faded as the game wore on and they ran out of ideas well before the final whistle.

Hammers Mad: Arsenal took the lead within 100 seconds following some clinical finishing by Eduardo. Cesc Fabregas picked up possession on the right flank and delivered an early cross into the area. Then, in one smooth movement the Croatian striker cushioned the ball on his chest before letting it drop onto his left foot to volley the ball across goal into the right side of the net beyond the dive of Robert Green. West Ham seemed to compose themselves quickly and on six minutes Mark Noble saw his chipped effort bounce just wide of the right post. A Carlton Cole effort on 12 minutes following a defensive error from Justin Hoyte, was deflected just wide of Manuel Almunia's left post. The resultant corner delivered by Noble was deflected towards his own goal by an Arsenal player, but the ball was cleared off the line by Gael Clichy at the near post. Two former Arsenal players then went close within seconds of each other five minutes later. First Fredrik Ljungberg capitalised on an error by Emmanuel Eboue and had a good shot saved at the near post by Almunia. Then Matthew Upson found the ball at his feet from the corner that followed, but skied his shot when a goal looked more likely.

Daily Mirror: The win may have given Wenger a little extra pleasure given that The Hammers had upset Manchester United at Upton Park in their previous match. But other than that, only two brilliant finishes early in the game made it stand out. The first came from Eduardo, barely 90 seconds after the match had kicked off. The Croatian striker, who scored twice in the away win over Everton, started the New Year as he ended the old. Eluding the attentions of his marker Anton Ferdinand, he took a good ball from Cesc Fabregas on his chest and swivelled to fire a left-foot volley past keeper Robert Green. Against a West Ham side depleted by injuries to key players and looking desperately tired at the end of the festive programme, that would probably have been enough. But Emmanuel Adebayor put the game out of reach midway through the half when he rounded off another untypical Arsenal long-ball move. Gael Clichy lofted a superb ball over the West Ham defence and Adebayor sprinted on to it, nodded it past Green and chased it towards the byline. It seemed that the chance had gone, that the angle was too acute, but somehow Adebayor hooked his shot behind Matthew Upson as he tried to cover the near post and then watched it bounce in off the back post as Ferdinand waited to clear it. Carlton Cole saw one decent effort deflected wide by Kolo Toure and Clichy cleared off the line from a Ferdinand volley but that was it for West Ham. (Oliver Holt, 2nd January, 2008)

The Times: “This was one game too many for us,” Alan Curbishley, the West Ham United manager, said. “We made the worst possible start, but we were on our last legs. Eduardo da Silva came up with a great finish, but he had time to pick his spot and that has not been the case for us this season, because the defence has been terrific. After that, it was a tired effort from both teams.” It was a succinct appraisal... Setting out his team with a lone striker, a five-man midfield and four at the back, he would have instructed his players to keep it tight and look to hit Arsenal on the break. This was rendered redundant when Eduardo was given time and space to score from the first attack of the game. Cesc Fàbregas crossed from the left and the Croatia striker was allowed to take the ball down and shoot past Robert Green from close range, with no defender in touching distance. There were flurries of resistance from the visiting team immediately after, with Mark Noble, Anton Ferdinand and Fredrik Ljungberg going close, but Emmanuel Adebayor got away from his markers soon after and the game shifted equally quickly beyond West Ham. It was a lovely ball from Gaël Clichy that created it; a lovely long ball, the fourth to produce a goal for Arsenal in their past two matches. Adebayor split West Ham’s napping centre halves with his run, nodded the ball past the advancing Green and turned it in from such an acute angle, it almost needed back spin to cross the line. (Martin Samuel, 2nd January, 2008)

The Guardian: West Ham were still in a daze after their defeat of Manchester United and another effort of that magnitude was barely contemplated. The visitors were a peculiar amalgam of defensive incompetence and spasmodic adventurousness during the spell that determined the outcome. In the second minute Matthew Upson did not close on Eduardo da Silva as the Croat took a Cesc Fábregas cross on his chest before swivelling to score impeccably. This was his third Premier League goal, after the double at Everton with which he made his breakthrough. He was otherwise circumscribed in his contribution but the presence of a de luxe poacher will be gladdening enough for Wenger. The finishing with which Emmanuel Adebayor added to the lead after 18 minutes was extraordinary. He was sent clear by a pass from Gaël Clichy but took possession almost on the byline to the left of the target. The striker clipped the ball from that position and the spin took it into the net after cannoning off the far post. Maybe he was hoping for the best and maybe he believed the effort might go in off someone but whatever the interpretation Adebayor, as a member of the guild of strikers, is obliged to insist it was all intended. (Kevin McCarra, 2nd January, 2008)