Tired Hammers lose out at Emirates in battle for top four

Arsenal 2 West Ham 0

At least my Covid pass works getting in to the Library, though it does say that I have a fine to pay on some overdue books from two seasons ago. I'm among the Gooners thanks to a benevolent Arsenal fan and sitting just a few rows behind David Moyes while trying to dodge Omicron. 

At the start of the game there's a minute's applause for Ray Kennedy and then we're off. Betway-jacketed David Moyes, Paul Nevin and Kevin Nolan stand in their technical area like a group of subsidence engineers discussing compaction in the West Ham defence.

It's a competitive game and both teams fly into tackles. West Ham's only effort is a curler from Fornals that goes just wide of Ramsdale's post. The Irons are showing resilience, but towards the end of the half the Arsenal pressure starts to tell. Coufal gets booked for a trailing arm across Martinelli. Tierney has a thumping shot tipped on to the bar by Fabianski and just before the break the Hammers' keeper parries Lacazette's shot and Dawson does just enough to put off Martinelli who almost nets the rebound. Still, 0-0 at the break isn't too bad considering it's Arsenal who have threatened for most of the half, with Saka enjoying coming up against Masuaku and Lanzini.

The second half gets off to the worst possible start. Martinelli uses his speed to drift between Soucek and Coufal and latching on to Lacazette's through ball he expertly strokes the ball into the corner and sets Arsenal's flags flying.

The Hammers almost equalise as Xhaka's loose ball is pounced on by Bowen and Ramsdale has to tip his shot away one-handed. Antonio then gets in a decent cross that Bowen pokes wide.

Then comes a turning point. Coufal looks to have made a solid tackle in the box only for ref Anthony Taylor to award a penalty and give Coufal a second yellow card. Lacazette appears to have been shot by the Jack Grealish sniper. Coufal has played the top of the ball and there's some follow through, but even if you think it's a penalty it's hard to see why it deserved a booking as well in what was an honest attempt to play the ball. Justice is done when Fabianski makes a fine save from Lacazette's penalty.

West Ham at least show some character when down to ten men, as Antonio becomes a makeshift right back and the Irons have a spell of pressure. But Saka's shot is almost deflected in off Diop and the game is settled after 87 minutes. Benrahma is out-muscled in the Arsenal half, the home side break and Smith-Rowe fires a shot through Diop's legs and past an unsighted Fabianski with the West Ham defence expecting a pass. 

On a happier note Harrison Ashby comes on for the final 11 minutes and doesn't look out of place. But Arsenal deserve their win and go above the Hammers into fourth place. Soucek is looking tired and so are Antonio and Rice. Cresswell, Ogbonna and Zouma are big misses and it's clear Moyes needs to buy a defender and striker in the window. That's one win in six league games now. Assuming it goes ahead, WHU have to get on track with a win against a weakened Norwich.

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 8; Coufal 6, Dawson 8, Diop 7, Masuaku 5; Soucek 5, Rice 6, Lanzini 5 (Benrahma 5), Fornals 6 (Ashby 6), Bowen 6, Antonio 6.