West Ham 0-2 Arsenal: Adebayor the fresh prince

Chelsea losing at home, Spurs sacking another manager, United letting a lead slip and a win on West Ham's own manor just as it looked like frustration time.

If you're an Arsenal fan, you don't get too many weekends better than that.

It might have needed Juilen Faubert's unfortunate intervention 15 minutes from time to finally find a way past the inspired Robert Green at Upton Park and open the way for Emmanuel Adebayor to confirm three more points.

But Arsene Wenger knows his men are right where it matters in the title shake-up.

This was far from Arsenal at their fluent, fluid best, with Hammers fighting like demons for every scrap of possession, and Green pulling off save after save. Yet Wenger has an embarrassment of attacking riches, more than enough options to pull it out of the fire.

Where Theo Walcott came off the bench against Everton last weekend to transform the game, this time it was his replacement, Adebayor, who provided the spark.

The Togo striker, rested with an eye on Wednesday's north London showdown with Tottenham, led where his teammates, for all their efforts, had been unable to go 15 minutes from time.

Receiving from Robin van Persie, a thrilling touch took Adebayor clear of Lee Bowyer, Matthew Upson and Herita Ilunga to find room for a shot.

That strike was drifting wide of the far post but with Nicklas Bendtner lurking, Faubert felt he had no option but to stick out a leg and instead divert the ball into his own net.

And nothing was going to deny Adebayor his eighth of the season in stoppage time, as he latched on to Bendtner's crossfield switch. One touch took the ball beyond Green's dash before Adebayor slid home from a tight angle.

Typical Arsenal, deadly and unanswerable, the perfect end to 48 hours that could hardly have gone any better.

More importantly, perhaps, after the goal glut against Fenerbahce, proof that Wenger's side have what it takes to dig a result out as well as glide to victory. Until the last 20 minutes, this was as hard a game as the Gunners have had in recent weeks.

Gianfranco Zola's men snapped away in midfield, while Craig Bellamy refused to give William Gallas and Co any rest.

They might even have stolen a goal to make it really tough, with Manuel Almunia making a good save to foil David Di Michele early on, and then an even better one to deny Bellamy after a lightning counter.

However, the Gunners remained true to Wenger's principles and had it not been for Green, this one would have been over long before it actually was. After 20 minutes, Walcott exploded away from half-way before crashing past Green's dive but off the outside of the bar.

The keeper then escaped scot free when he grabbed the ball half a yard outside his own box as Bendtner burst through the middle.

Soon after Walcott was denied after latching onto van Persie's chested lay-off and shooting left-footed, with Green plunging low to his right to divert away. And Green was equally impressive going the other way, this time to leave Bendtner frustrated after he had cut in from the left past James Collins.

Despite that, Wenger would have backed his men to impose their greater quality on the second period.

Defensively, though, the familiar frailties were there, skipper Gallas needlessly conceding a corner which bounced off Matthew Upson's chest into Almunia's hands, before being outjumped as Carlton Cole headed narrowly wide.

Bellamy's pace was causing increasing unease and while Collins scooped inches over his own bar, Upton Park was beginning to believe, especially when Walcott was replaced.

Instead, it was all Arsenal.

Adebayor headed wide with his first touch when he should have done better, before Green pulled off another great stop to foil van Persie.

Then, when the keeper couldn't get close to van Persie's stunning free-kick 17 minutes from time, his right hand upright did the job for him, the ball pinging back into play.

But Arsenal kept on coming, reaping their reward as Adebayor prompted Faubert's mistake, before the African had the final word as the home side appealed in vain for a penalty at the other end.

And Zola's short-lived honeymoon came to an end with a fourth defeat in five games, compounded by Cole's harsh late red card.

West Ham: Green 8; Faubert 6d, Collins 6, Upson 6, Ilunga 6; Mullins 6, Parker 7d (Boa Morte, 78), Bowyer 6 (Sears, 90), Bellamy 7, Cole 6d, Di Michele 6 (Etherington, 78).
Arsenal: Almunia 7; Eboue 6, Gallas 7, Silvestre 6, Clichy 6d;Walcott 7 (Adebayor, 68, 7), Fabregas 7d, Song 6d, Nasri 6 (Diaby 68, 6); Bendtner 6, Van Persie 6 (Sagna, 90).
GOALS: Faubert 75 og, Adebayor 90.
REFEREE: Phil Dowd
ATTENDANCE: 34,802

Man Of The Match
Robert Green (WEST HAM) 8
On losing side but could not have done more for his team

Villain Of The Match
Julien Faubert (West Ham) 6
Own goal opened the door for Arsenal to take three points

Anorak
The Gunners have only failed to score in one match this season - the defeat at Fulham.

NEXT THREE GAMES
WEST HAM
Wed: Man United (a) Prem
Sat: Middlesbrough (a) Prem
Sat Nov 8: Everton (h) Prem

ARSENAL
Wed: Spurs (h) Prem
Sat: Stoke (a) Prem
Wed Nov 5: Fenerbahce (h) Ch Lg

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