Arsenal 2-0 West Ham: The Sunday Mirror match report

Nose bleed time at The Emirates. Bloody nose time at Upton Park.

Arsenal showed the grit and resolve of champions as they went to the top of the Premier League and in doing so condemned West Ham to more concern about retaining their status among the elite.

And Arsenal were deserved and accomplished winners despite playing all but one minute of the first half and all the second with only ten men after the dismissal of Thomas Vermaelen for a foul on Guillermo Franco that was punished with a penalty that West Ham duly missed. It was that kind of day for those of an East End persuasion.

Such was Arsenal's resolve to hang on to the lead that West Ham's numerical advantage was hardly noticeable. The momentum was with Zola's men but they squandered many of the openings that came their way. Almunia, the penalty hero, hardly had a save to make when he might have expected his penalty area to be peppered with crosses.

Zola then refreshed his front line by bringing on Carlton Cole and Benni McCarthy in place of Franco and Mido but still West Ham struggled to show any genuine menace. Indeed it was on the counter-attack that Arsenal looked more dangerous and Arshavin cut inside from the left to test Green with a left foot drive. Finally, West Ham's front men got the message to shoot on sight and Cole was close to snatching an equaliser in the 78th minute with a drive from the edge of the area that beat Almunia but hit the outside of the post.

West Ham were lifted by the near miss and suddenly Alex Song - back as an emergency centre back in place of Vermaelen - was called into action. But with eight minutes left, Arsenal scored the second goal they had always threatened. Matthew Upson handled a through ball from Fabregas and referee Atkinson had no choice but to award a penalty. Fabregas proved as lethal for Arsenal as Diamanti had been ineffective for West Ham as he planted the ball into the net.