Arsenal Find Three Is The Magic Number

West Ham United 0 – 3 Arsenal

0 – 1 van Persie (13)
0 – 2 Walcott (41)
0 – 3 van Persie (77 pen)

Arsenal returned to winning ways with a comfortable win at Upton Park yesterday. Amid the Last Rites being administered to Avram Grant’s reign, Robin van Persie took the headlines with a brace of goals but Theo Walcott’s contribution should not go unnoticed; a goal, an assist and winning the penalty to seal victory. Wayne Bridge was baffled, bemused and eventually substituted, a strain caused by the misery heaped on him by the England youngster.

Following the criticism of performances against Leeds and Ipswich – useful advanced scouting for West Ham for next season – Wenger resorted to his in-form and strongest starting line-up. It was more balanced than the two previous fixtures where the squad rotation took ill-effect.

It took Arsenal thirteen minutes to break the deadlock. Nasri had given West Ham a warning, his shot saved comfortably by Green but that message went unheeded. Wilshere slid a pass to Walcott, who found himself in acres of space on the right. Bridge ambled to meet him but the England international was not waiting and calmly passed the ball into the middle, Nasri ran to the near post and dummied, van Persie applied the clinical finish. It was all too easy.

Six minutes later, the contest should have been over. Walcott chased with Tomlinson, the defender doing enough to send Walcott off balance, his tame effort going straight into the arms of Green. Song has been reading from the Fat Frank book of Shooting, the Cameroonean almost found the net with the help of a sizeable deflection.

But this is Arsenal and things are never easy. Djourou, under pressure from Carlton Cole, underhit his backpass. The West Ham forward pounced but found Szczesny blocking his path. The rebound fell to Boa Morte before Hines took over, his shot narrowly clearing the crossbar.

Yet this was a sporadic attack. Normal service was resumed as Nasri gambolled through the West Ham midfield, feeding van Persie whose shot struck the base of the post before cannoning to safety. How many times has that happened for the Dutchman? Sufficient in quantity to have put Thierry Henry’s scoring record under threat had they found the net instead.

Nasri then missed having been sent into space by Cesc, dragging his shot wide. With each attack, the West Ham deliquesced and the second Arsenal goal would follow with four minutes to half-time. Fabregas freed van Persie, the Dutchman got to the by-line before pulling the ball back into the centre where Theo Walcott stole a march on the hapless Bridge, his shot hitting the roof of the net.

The second half found Arsenal playing within themselves, ready to repel any West Ham attacks whilst prepared to hit on the counter whenever an opportunity presented itself.

The only opportunity of note for the hosts was Sears cross which looked as though it may sneak into the far corner, Szczesny tipping over the bar instead. The rout was completed when Theo Walcott forced Bridge into yet another error. Walcott nipped forward chasing a ball into the area but away from goal. Bridge lunged, missed the ball and took Walcott instead. van Persie drilled the ball past Green.

Three points were taken comfortably. Wilshere might have made it more emphatic but the headlines were taken by the lugubrious Grant and his shambolic employers. And I doubt Arsene is complaining; third still, two points off the top and hoping for a belated Christmas Miracle with Spurs taking points off Manchester United this afternoon.

’til Tomorrow.

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