30th September, 2007

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

JS John Simkin AY Andy WN Winnah WH WestLondonHammer BF Bishops Finger
MA Mart SE Sendô RR Roaring Repka JP James P SM Sunday Mirror

West Ham v Arsenal: Video Highlights

Sky Sports: The Hammers piled on the pressure in the second half and Dean Ashton was presented with a fantastic opportunity to level, but headed straight at Manuel Almunia. Minutes later former Arsenal man Freddie Ljungberg made a typical diagonal run and was slotted through to poke past Almunia. However, the strike was ruled out for offside. West Ham continued to push for an equaliser but Wenger's men dug deep and managed to hold on, to the delight of the travelling supporters. (30th September, 2007)

BBC Sport: Nine minutes after the break, Arsenal came close to doubling their advantage when Van Persie let fly from the edge of the area but Green managed to divert the effort onto his post. It had the effect of waking West Ham from their slumber and Ashton should have done better with a free header when an equaliser seemed inevitable, allowing Manuel Almunia to save easily. Two minutes later former Gunner Freddie Ljungberg thought he had restored parity when he slotted in but his goal was ruled out for offside. (30th September, 2007)

Hammers Mad: Having handed a full debut to Henri Camara and welcomed back Green, Matthew Upson, Anton Ferdinand, Mark Noble and Lee Bowyer, manager Alan Curbishley went on to endure an uncomfortable first half that saw Hammers barely threaten. Meanwhile, Bowyer and Noble were booked for nasty lunges on Mathieu Flamini and the consequently stretchered away Hleb. Indeed, apart from Dean Ashton's rising 20-yarder that just cleared the crossbar of the otherwise untroubled Manuel Almunia, it was the domineering Gunners who continued to threaten, as Green saved two rasping efforts from Flamini, before beating van Persie's adept, angled, byline free-kick aside. Having lost Scott Parker with a tweaked knee at the interval, Curbishley then saw Ferdinand limp away with a hamstring pull just after the restart and. However, but for the fingertips of the flying Green, the afternoon would have got even worse as the keeper athletically tipped van Persie's 20-yard curler onto his left-hand post. As the hour-mark approached, Almunia was finally called into his first save of the afternoon when Ashton sent a point-plank header into his midriff. Former Gunner Freddie Ljungberg then had an effort ruled out by a controversial offside flag that Curbishley publicly questioned afterwards. Green had single-handedly kept the Hammers in the match during last April's sensational victory at the Emirates Stadium and, yet again, he went on to shoot down the attack with an impressive array of agile stops to thwart Adebayor, Gael Clichy and Flamini. (30th September, 2007)

Daily Telegraph: That Noble received only a yellow card for his lunge on Hleb means that the West Ham midfielder will escape further punishment, but Curbishley had a legitimate reason for complaint, after former Arsenal winger Freddie Ljungberg had an equaliser turned down for offside. Replays suggested the goal should have stood... "There's no clear daylight between Freddie and the defender. Some you get, some you don't, but it's not offside. We needed it, obviously, to go in for us." West Ham, who now have Scott Parker and Anton Ferdinand on a growing injury list, also needed Ashton to take greater advantage of his chances. He directed a header into the grateful arms of Manuel Almunia when he should have scored. (John Ley, 1st October, 2007)

Daily Mirror: Now Cesc Fabregas has formed a similar understanding with Mathieu Flamini and at Upton Park, Flamini achieved the not inconsiderable feat of outshining his Spanish team-mate. Flamini is not about clever touches and flicks, but he provides a gritty steel in midfield that gives Arsenal the chance to go toe-to-toe with opponents. His tackle on Scott Parker was rash and nasty and the West Ham midfielder's return to the first team was cut short as he did not re-appear for the second half. Flamini also got booked for a 58th-minute foul on Lee Bowyer. Okay, nothing to be proud about, but proof perhaps that Gunners are at last prepared to demonstrate the ugly side of football Not that Hammers were angels - Mark Noble hacked down Alexander Hleb with a tackle which nearly broke the Arsenal player's leg and he was stretchered off after just 31 minutes. Hleb had been Arsenal's best player up to that point... West Ham keeper Robert Green was man of the match thanks to a catalogue of brilliant saves while Dean Ashton wasted the home side's only real chance with a 57th minute header straight at Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia. (Simon Bird, 1st October, 2007)

The Times: Fredrik Ljungberg, facing his former club and full of verve, had an effort ruled offside with replays proving it was the wrong decision. Dean Ashton was a threat, too, and perhaps should have done better with a clear heading opportunity. In the end Robin van Persie’s thirteenth-minute goal proved decisive, Alexander Hleb delivering the perfect pass for him to head past the otherwise excellent Robert Green. Curbishley was full of praise for Hleb. “Hleb was fantastic and epitomises Arsenal: quick feet, quick brain, quick movement, simple things like throw-ins and quick free kicks. That enabled them to get the ball down, get it to feet and shift it somewhere else.” (Alyson Rudd, 1st October, 2007)

The Guardian: The pleasure at Upton Park did not lie in refined devastation, although it took Rob Green's agility to prevent further goals after Robin van Persie had scored. Arsenal had to guard a lead and did so with a mixture of obstinacy and controlled passing that thwarted West Ham's bristling bid for recovery. There is some work to be done before Green can challenge in earnest to be England's goalkeeper, but he excelled here and was the main reason why Arsenal's winning margin was so slender... The main hope for an equaliser was Dean Ashton. He will surely be in the England squad to be announced on Friday, even if sharpness is lacking slightly after a year of injury. A header straight to Almunia from Lee Bowyer's fine cross was particularly galling. None the less, he is valuable to West Ham, who are concerned about the groin strain to another important striker, Craig Bellamy. Curbishley thinks that it may have been caused by the orthotic inserts the Welshman wore in his boots to counter an old injury that still bothered him. After seeming fit, Bellamy had to pull out of the game following training on Friday. The medical team may be feeling as taxed as all the football sides who have to cope with Arsenal. (Kevin McCarra, 1st October, 2007)

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