By Boris Mellor
February 2 2006

West Ham won 3 –2, but don’t be fooled this wasn’t a great attacking performance by them – they had 4 shots and 3 goals. Very efficient and ruthless Hammers, or just bloody awful defending by Arsenal. Yes the result is what counts, but this needs a sense of proportion.

I rarely agree with Alan Hansen but he summed it up well when he said that if West Ham and the Gunners had swapped defences Arsenal would have won by 10 clear goals. It was surreal – Arsenal had 20 shots to West Ham’s 4. All credit to them for putting them away – but it wasn’t that hard the way Campbell defended.

 For vast periods of the game Arsenal dominated, West Ham could hardly get the ball. Arsenal had shot after shot but couldn’t find the net. Then on 25 minutes completely against the run of play, Campbell failed to control a long ball into the Arsenal defence, losing it to Reo-Coker who easily nut megged Lehmann. On 27 minutes Gilbert was injured and was replaced by Flamini.

Arsenal poured forward, and once again against the run of play West Ham scored. This time Zamora cleverly controlled a lofted through ball with his chest and dumped Campbell on his arse, he then had the time, and space to send his shot into far corner of the net.

Arsenal were 2-0 down, the team and the crowd were stunned, but they both recovered, and just before halftime Arsenal scored. Robin van Persie’s acutely angled shot was booted off the line. Pires appeared to smash the ball into the net. The announcer gave the goal to Pires. But unknown to most of the crowd Henry had lightly touched the ball past the defenders on the line. His 151st League goal had beaten Cliff Bastin’s Arsenal record. It also takes him one goal away from becoming the first player to scored 200 goals for the club. But celebrations were muted, partly because it was hard to see his deflection, and partly because the Gunners were 2 goals down.

When the team came back out it was without Campbell. Larsson was now part of a back four of Larsson, Senderos, Djourou and Flamini. Who says Wenger doesn’t substitute early enough? Apparently Sol left the ground during half time – no doubt he needs a rest. He has lost his pace, fitness and sharpness, and  he had lost this game; he cannot recover from mistakes or make his way back if caught out. Apparently the realisation of all this saw him leave the game in a distressed state. He is clearly unfit, without any pace.

The second half was similar to the first with even more Arsenal chances, it looked like the equaliser must come. Wenger realised that the Hammers were not that concerned with attacking and took off Diaby for Bergkamp to have three up front; but on 80 minutes an error by Larsson saw Etherington collect the ball and score an easy chance.

It looked like Arsenal were out of it – but still they pushed on, but Pires’s goal on 89 minutes was too little too late. But it certainly shut the West Ham fans up for 5 minutes (4 minutes extra time) as the Gunners battled on for the elusive equaliser.

Meanwhile the number of fit defenders available to Wenger diminishes by the minute. With the next three games away we need Kolo and Eboue back ASAP. Come on you Cameroons.

Just one bright spot amongst the gloom - a mate of mine saw Clichy in the ground and he says he is ready to play - just waiting for the word from the boss