West Ham United 0 - 3 Arsenal: They're No Ipswich

Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott help get the Gunners back on track.

Pic via Daily Telegraph.

West Ham United 0
Arsenal 3: van Persie 13, 77 (pen), Walcott 41

Arsenal's month of cup ties seemed to have come at just the right time, at least, that's what I thought when the month started. The first team regulars were starting to play brilliant football as a unit, so it couldn't hurt to have the opportunity to rest those players a few times, and keep the bench match fit simultaneously, right?

But then things went south; the "B Team" wasn't winning those cup ties as the regulars rested. And suddenly, there could have been something off about the psyche of this team heading back into league play. And so, on Saturday, Arsenal found the right tonic, a league match against West Ham United, a team currently in such disarray that they could not even come close to the same fight Ipswich Town put up on Wednesday.

The starting XI was not particular surprising, and once again for a league match, was exactly as I predicted. Basically, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The only changes from the side that started each of the last three league fixtures were required due to injury and suspension, with Wojciech Szczesny deputizing for the injured Lukasz Fabianski and Emmanuel Eboue starting again at right back, as Bacary Sagna served the end of his three match ban. In total, there were four changes from the side that lost at Ipswich midweek, with the returns of Gael Clichy, Alex Song, Samir Nasri, and Robin van Persie.

Arsenal started on the front foot and won a corner and a free kick during the first five minutes of play, but nothing came of it. West Ham had an opportunity to strike first within the first ten minutes as well, but a Zavon Hines square ball was cleared by Clichy for a subsequent corner that missed the mark.

Then, the miserable first match in a West Ham shirt for Wayne Bridge truly began. Bridge, who had fallen out of favor as left back at Manchester City, was signed by West Ham on a sixth month loan deal. I think this was only his second, at most, league start of the season. If you're not up to match fitness due to a lack of games, then having to control Theo Walcott's pace sounds like a nightmare, and for Bridge, it truly was. Bridge gave Walcott acres of space and time as he came down the right flank in the 13th minute, backing off and allowing Theo to send an uncontested cross into the box. Samir Nasri let the ball slip past him and it landed comfortably on the right boot of Robin van Persie, who fired it into the corner. Shambolic defending from West Ham and Arsenal had the quick lead they deserved.

Arsenal was frustrated for much of the first half in their attempt to pick up a second. Theo Walcott was through in the 18th but couldn't muster power behind his shot and Robert Green saved easily. West Ham's midfield got weaker in the 20th when Mark Noble went off injured. West Ham's best chance to pull level came in the 21st, as Johan Djourou scuffed a back pass to Szczesny. Carlton Cole pounced on the poor pass, but Szczesny saved, then Hines's rebound shot was fired high. Nasri had a shot saved in the 25th, Song had a shot blocked in the 27th, and van Persie hit the post in the 30th.

But, before halftime, Arsenal's second goal finally arrived. Wayne Bridge, covering Walcott, allowed van Persie to receive a chipped ball onside, then Bridge closed down on the Dutchman, leaving Walcott room to receive a cross in the six yard box. Bridge was goal side, but had no chance to block the pass, and Walcott tapped the ball into the roof of the goal.

One might think, game over at this point, but it was very fresh in my mind that Arsenal blew a 2-0 lead at Upton Park with only 16 minutes to play last season, so no 2-0 lead at West Ham will ever feel safe to me. Then again, West Ham came out lifeless in the second half this time, and much of the second period seemed to consist of everybody just going through the motions. In the 73rd minute, the camera panned to a number of Hammers fans fast asleep in their seats.

Then, Arsenal truly put the game away. Wayne Bridge's disastrous West Ham debut continued as he clipped Walcott in the box. Easy penalty call for Andre Marriner and Robin van Persie pounded the spot kick into the low corner, easily beating Robert Green who had guessed right. Arsenal then made their substitutions to rest some legs: Denilson on for Fabregas, Kieran Gibbs and Andrei Arshavin on for Walcott and Nasri. The trio did not make much of an impact.

All in all, a much needed win to correct Arsenal's mindset going into their FA Cup replay at Elland Road this week. The ship, once again, appears to have been righted, but I still fear a set back once the "B Team" gets a run out again.

Hipster Gooner Man of the Match: Robin van Persie

Preview: West Ham United v. Arsenal

Alessandro Diamanti is probably singing that stupid bubbles song...

Pic via Guardian.

Boleyn Ground, London

Saturday, January 15

5:30 p.m. GMT, 12:30 p.m. EST

• Referee: Andre Marriner
• This Match, Last Year: West Ham 2 - 2 Arsenal
• Reverse Fixture: Arsenal 1 - 0 West Ham
• All-Time in All Competitions: 53 Arsenal wins, 33 West Ham wins, 38 draws
• Arsenal's League Form: W-L-W-D-W-D
• West Ham's League Form: L-D-W-D-W-L

Predicted Line-Up

guesses in red

Szczesny

Eboue - Koscielny - Djourou - Clichy

Song - Wilshere

Walcott - Fabregas - Nasri

van Persie

Subs from: Shea, Gibbs, Denilson, Ramsey, Arshavin, Bendtner, Chamakh

Suspended: Sagna (third of three, violent conduct)

Doubtful: Denilson (thigh)

Out: Fabianski (shoulder), Squillaci (hamstring), Diaby (calf), Almunia (ankle), Vermaelen (Achilles)

Arsenal News and Notes

• Good news, everyone! Tests this week show that there is no long-term concern over Thomas Vermaelen's Achilles injury. This, of course, does not quite mean he is on his way back.
• Lukasz Fabianski is did not pass fit with a shoulder problem. Denilson is a doubt with a thigh problem, but I can't imagine him being anywhere near playing in this match, right? I hope.
• Sebastien Squillaci still needs about a week or two with his hamstring injury. Abou Diaby is still out a while with a calf problem. Manuel Almunia may never be seen again.
• This is the final match of Bacary Sagna's three match ban.
• Aside from Eboue over the banned Sagna and Szczesny in goal, I can't see why we wouldn't use the same starting XI that beat Chelsea and Birmingham but drew City.
• Arsenal have not won in three competitive fixtures, their longest winless streak of the season. Their last streak this long was last year when Gunners went winless in five from April to early May.
• Arsenal will wear their yellow change kit tomorrow, since West Ham wears claret. In 10 games this season wearing yellow, Arsenal have won just three, drawn three, and lost four, including Tuesday's Carling Cup tie at Ipswich.

West Ham News and Notes

• West Ham have just completed a six-month loan signing of Wayne Bridge from Manchester City, possibly so he can keep a better eye on where John Terry is in relation to his girlfriend. But, also because the Hammers were so light at left back that center half Matthew Upson played there on Tuesday.
• Victor Obinna will start a three match ban after being sent off on Tuesday.
• Players possibly returning from injury for the Hammers include Herita Ilunga (hamstring), Kieron Dyer (thigh), Benni McCarthy (calf), and Lars Jacobsen (heel).
• Longer term injuries include Jack Collison (knee), Manuel Da Costa (ankle), Thomas Hitzlsperger (thigh), and Peter Kurucz (knee).
• West Ham have won three of their four competitive fixtures in 2011, but the loss was a 5-0 drubbing at Newcastle last midweek.
• Three of West Ham's four league wins have come at home. In addition to beating relegation rivals Wolves and Wigan at Upton Park, the Hammers also beat Tottenham 1-0 in September.
• In league play, West Ham's goal difference is -2 at home and -14 away.

Match Facts

• West Ham struck in the 74th minute, then again on an 80th minute penalty to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 2-2 draw against Arsenal in this fixture last year.
• Arsenal returned the favor, using late goals from Eduardo and Aaron Ramsey to knock West Ham out of last year's FA Cup, 2-1, in January, the last match played between these two sides at Upton Park.
• Arsenal used an 88th minute winner from the head of Alex Song to win the reverse fixture on October 30.
• Arsenal's last league win at Upton Park was on October 26, 2008, 2-0, thanks to a Julien Faubert own goal and an injury time goal from Emmanuel Adebayor.
• West Ham's last win over Arsenal at home was in November of 2006, 1-0, with an 89th minute winner from Marlon Harewood.

The Referee

• The referee is West Midlands-based Andre Marriner.
• His name sounds like a soap opera character, doesn't it?
• Marriner has taken charge of just one Arsenal match this season, the 4-0 win at Newcastle in the Carling Cup's fourth round.
• By contrast, this will be his third match at Upton Park this year. Previously, he worked West Ham's 3-1 loss to Bolton and 1-1 draw with Fulham.
• In 19 games year (15 Premier League, 1 Championship, 1 League Cup, 1 FA Cup, and the Community Shield), Marriner has shown 68 yellow cards and 3 red cards.

Around the League

• Saturday: Chelsea v. Blackburn Rovers; Stamford Bridge, London
• Saturday: Manchester City v. Wolverhampton Wanderers; City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester
• Saturday: Stoke City v. Bolton Wanderers; Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent
• Saturday: West Bromwich Albion v. Blackpool; The Hawthorns, West Bromwich
• Saturday: Wigan Athletic v. Fulham; DW Stadium, Wigan
• Sunday: Birmingham City v. Aston Villa; St. Andrew's, Birmingham
• Sunday: Sunderland v. Newcastle United; Stadium of Light, Sunderland
• Sunday: Liverpool v. Everton; Anfield, Liverpool
• Sunday: Tottenham Hotspur v. Manchester United; White Hart Lane, London

What Is Your Starting XI at Ipswich on Wednesday?

In for the banned Sagna, Emmanuel Eboue is one of the only obvious selections.

Pic via This is Futbol.

Rotation, rotation, rotation. We've talked about it a lot lately and with Arsenal competing on three domestic fronts in the month of January, we're going to be talking about it a lot more this week. Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Leeds on Saturday added one more match to the fixture list, with very little break in between each match.

We've also noticed since the festive period a clear line between Arsenal's usual starting squad and the squad of bench players who start when Arsene Wenger determines the need to rotate. The A Team started three of the four league fixtures during the holiday period, while the B Team started at Wigan and against Leeds (both draws.)

The A Team has established itself as: Fabianski; Sagna, Koscielny, Djourou, Clichy; Song, Wilshere; Fabregas, Nasri, Walcott; and van Persie.

The B Team isn't quite a full XI on its own and usually requires about two players from the A Team to overlap, thanks to injuries to Diaby and Vermaelen. Reports indicate that Squillaci picked up a hamstring injury on Saturday, which will force Wenger's hand to buy in the transfer market. The B Team list, therefore, includes Szczesny, Eboue, Gibbs, Denilson, Rosicky, Bendtner, Arshavin, and Chamakh, plus Aaron Ramsey close to a return and the occasional smattering of reserves like Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Craig Eastmond, and Ignasi Miquel. And it took me a reread of the article after posting it to realize I had completely forgotten Carlos Vela, who is likely going to be loaned somewhere anyway.

In the coming weeks, the fixture list is a little complicated. Arsenal plays the first leg of the Carling Cup Semi-Final at Ipswich Town on Wednesday night. Then, three days later, it's back to league play against West Ham United, at Upton Park. Three to four days later, depending on the not yet determined replay date, they'll travel to Elland Road for the replay against Leeds. Three or four days later, it's back to the Emirates again to host Wigan in the league, then three days after that, they host Ipswich in the second leg of the Carling Cup Semi.

Five matches in thirteen days.

My question to you: in which matches do you start the A Team, in which matches do you start the B Team, do you mix-and-match the squads at any point, and who do you send out at Ipswich on Wednesday?

Remember, if you play the B Team on Wednesday, then it will be ten days since the A Team's last start by the time Arsenal plays West Ham at the weekend.

Tricky, isn't it?

Arsenal 1 - 0 West Ham United: On Song

What took you so long, guys? Pic via Daily Mail.

Arsenal 1: Song 88

West Ham United 0

It had all of the makings of "just one of those days" for Arsenal. The Gunners certainly had their chances, but weren't exactly firing on all cylinders. It's super-cliche, and you've heard it about eight billion times about this match already (sorry the recap is late, I blame Halloween,) but championship caliber teams have to be able to win ugly: Chelsea pulled three points out of nothing at Blackburn on Saturday; Manchester City did not at Wolves.

Arsene Wenger made only one change to the side from the eleven that beat ten man Manchester City last week. Laurent Koscielny, returning from a back injury, slipped back into the line-up, replacing Johan Djourou at center back. Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner started the match on the bench.

A major cause of concern, and perhaps a major reason why it took Arsenal so long to find the winner, was the fitness of captain Cesc Fabregas. The Spaniard returned from a hamstring injury about two weeks ago and saw twenty minutes off the bench, surprisingly but I suppose he needed the minutes, on Wednesday in the Carling Cup at Newcastle. Fabregas picked up a twinge in the hamstring again in the first half on Saturday, and Arsene Wenger nearly pulled him from the side at halftime. Fortunately, Fabregas improved in the second half and eventually Arsenal found the winner. I'd say it's unlikely Cesc makes the trip to Ukraine on Wednesday.

Speaking of that winner, it marks Alex Song's fourth goal of the season; Song had four career goals coming into this season and only scored once last year (a header at Portsmouth.) The build up to the goal came courtesy of Gael Clichy, who cut back in around a defender, switched over to his right foot, and sent in a cross to the box that was met with the head of the diving Song, who poked it past a helpless Robert Green in the 88th minute. The last time Arsenal left a winner so late, we coined the term tantric football.

And speaking of Robert Green, he was far and away the best player on the pitch on Saturday, at times single-handedly keeping West Ham in contention. The Hammers are a side desperate for points, sitting at the bottom of the league table, and now three points adrift of their nearest competition. They played desperate on Saturday (and they always seem to get up for Arsenal matches,) defending with tenacity (there was one period when West Ham blocked about five or six Arsenal shots in a row, all while having a player down injured in the middle of it all,) and looking occasionally dangerous offensively. Lukasz Fabianski did not have to make any superb saves in this one in order to keep another clean sheet, Arsenal's third in a row across all competitions.

But, it certainly felt like Arsenal's winner wasn't coming, because Robert Green's saves became more and more ridiculous. In the first half, he stopped a close range effort from Fabregas, then tipped a powerful Sebastian Squillaci shot over the bar. Fabregas was robbed again in the second half, as was Theo Walcott twice (once by the goalpost,) and Samir Nasri fired a perfect free kick off the crossbar as well. Six brilliant chances had gone begging before Song's header sealed three points.

In terms of how the rest of the team performed, the defense was solid and it's good to see Koscielny back from injury. Alex Song continues to frustrate in that he seems to drift out of his holding role into a box-to-box role, but if he keeps scoring 88th minute winners, I'll give him a pass. Denilson had an off game, but he's likely dropping back to the bench now that Jack Wilshere's suspension has been served. Nothing I can add about Andrei Arshavin hasn't been said already.

All in all, with a treacherous month of fixtures ahead (more on that in a post coming later today,) it's good that Arsenal come in with a load of confidence, and winning now four matches across all competitions is a good start. A win on Wednesday in the Ukraine will essentially seal Arsenal's winning the Champions League group and render the later trip to Braga as moot, which would be nice since that match falls between tricky fixtures against Spurs and Villa. The pieces are falling into place for this team. Let's just hope they keep rolling.

Hipster Gooner Man of the Match: Robert Green 

Preview: Arsenal v. West Ham United

Denilson gave Arsenal an early lead in this fixture last year. Pic via Daily Mail.

Emirates Stadium, London

Saturday, October 30

15:00 BST, 10:00 a.m. EDT

• Referee: Mike Jones
• This Match, Last Year: Arsenal 2 - 0 West Ham
• All-Time in All Competitions: 52 Arsenal wins, 33 West Ham wins, 38 draws
• Arsenal's League Form: W-D-L-L-W-W
• West Ham's League Form: L-D-W-D-D-L

Predicted Line-Up

guesses in red

Fabianski

Sagna - Koscielny - Squillaci - Clichy

Song - Denilson

Walcott - Fabregas - Nasri

Chamakh

Subs from: Szczesny, Djourou, Eboue, Rosicky, Arshavin, Bendtner, Vela
Suspended: Wilshere (third of three, serious foul play)
Out: Gibbs (knee), Diaby (ankle), Almunia (elbow), Vermaelen (Achilles), Van Persie (ankle), Ramsey (broken leg)

Arsenal News and Notes

• Kieran Gibbs just cannot stay healthy. Gibbs picked up an MCL strain on Wednesday and will miss "a few weeks," the full length of which will be determined by a scan on Friday.
• Abou Diaby drops out of the squad with his ankle injury, having never come back to full fitness after picking up the knock against Bolton in September. We've seen him fit enough to play, but now that most of the midfield is back from other injuries, Diaby drops out as a precaution.
• Manuel Almunia is still one or two week away from returning from his elbow injury, at which point he'll probably have to earn his job back.
• Robin van Persie and Aaron Ramsey will return to full training at the end of next week.
• Thomas Vermaelen is improving ever so slowly.
• This is the final match of Jack Wilshere's suspension.
• Arsenal have won four straight across all competitions.
• The Gunners took all three points from each of their next five fixtures the last time they were played in the league (either last year, or in the case of Newcastle, two years ago.)

West Ham News and Notes

• Matthew Upson has a slight hamstring complaint and might miss this match, as could Frederic Piquionne, who picked up a knock against Newcastle in the league last week.
• Longer term injuries include Jack Collison (knee), Zavon Hines (knee), and Thomas Hitzlsperger (thigh.)
• West Ham needed added time to knock Stoke out of the Carling Cup, 3-1 on Wednesday.
• West Ham sit in last place in the Premier League, level on points with Wolves but three back on goal difference.
• The Hammers have only one league win this season, but they have two in the Carling Cup and have lost only one of their last seven matches across all competitions; this after losing their first four in the league.

Match Facts

• Arsenal played West Ham three times last year: twice in the league and once in the FA Cup. Arsenal won 2-0 in the only match of those three at the Emirates: Denilson scored the winner five minutes in, Vermaelen was sent off for a last man foul, Almunia stopped the resulting penalty, and Arsenal dominated the second half despite being a man short before a Fabregas penalty secured three points.
• Arsenal blew a 2-0 lead and drew 2-2 in the league fixture at Upton Park last year; West Ham blew a 1-0 lead a lost 2-1 at Upton Park in the third round of the FA Cup in January.
• West Ham became the first visiting team to win at the Emirates, winning 1-0 on April 7, 2007. It was the 23rd match in the stadium's history. West Ham were also the last visiting team to win at Highbury.
• That 2007 win was the last time West Ham won at Arsenal, though they picked up a 0-0 draw in January of 2009.

The Referee

• The referee is Mike Jones.
• He took charge of Arsenal's 6-0 win against Blackpool in August. This is his first West Ham match this year.
• Last year, he only took charge of two Arsenal matches: 4-0 home wins against Wigan and Fulham. That means in three matches he's worked, Arsenal has combined to outscore their opponents 14-0.
• For West Ham, he worked a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa and a 1-0 win against Sunderland last year.

Around the League

• Saturday: Blackburn Rovers v. Chelsea; Ewood Park, Blackburn
• Saturday: Everton v. Stoke City; Goodison Park, Liverpool
• Saturday: Fulham v. Wigan Athletic; Craven Cottage, London
• Saturday: Wolverhampton Wanderers v. Manchester City; Molineux, Wolverhampton
• Saturday: Manchester United v. Tottenham Hotspur; Old Trafford, Manchester
• Sunday: Aston Villa v. Birmingham City; Villa Park, Birmingham
• Sunday: Newcastle United v. Sunderland; St. James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne
• Sunday: Bolton Wanderers v. Liverpool; Reebok Stadium, Bolton
• Monday: Blackpool v. West Bromwich Albion; Bloomfield Road, Blackpool

News Roundup 3/22/10 - The Homecoming Edition

I just hope he doesn't handball any goals. Pic via BBC.

• Thierry Henry is not happy with the Champions League draw and having to play against his former team. Neither was David Beckham in the last round with Milan against United. And then they got destroyed. Same result, plz? [Sky Sports]
• West Ham United manager and Ben Stiller look-alike Gianfranco Zola admits, after having played them both in consecutive weeks, that Arsenal are a better team than Chelsea at the moment. Meanwhile, the battle against relegation continues at the Gianfranco Zola Center for Kids Who Can't Football Good. [Daily Mirror]
• Arsenal are now second favorites to win the Premier League, after Chelsea's draw at Blackburn yesterday. That means now is not the time to feed your crippling gambling addiction. [Arsenal.com]
• After doing a medium amount of research myself, I'm almost positive that Thomas Vermaelen's suspension for a straight red card for that last man foul on Saturday will be one match and not three.
• Robin van Persie has resumed training! He might return by the time Arsenal hosts Manchester City, meaning it will be his turn to kick Emmanuel Adebayor in the face. [Guardian]
• Aaron Ramsey has resumed walking without crutches. I find that so amazingly quick. Get well soon, Aaron! [Arsenal.com]
• Transfer accusations and ridiculousness: Lille 19-year-old midfielder Eden Hazard admits he is flattered by interest from Arsenal and Liverpool, but is happy to stay in France. Eden Hazard? Ugh, just think of all of the chants we could come up with using that name! I think that's what I'm most disappointed about here. [Daily Mail]

Arsenal 2 - 0 West Ham United: We've Only Got Ten Men

 Thomas Vermaelen's last man foul resulted in Arsenal's first red card of the season. Pic via BBC.

Arsenal 2: Denilson 5, Fabregas 83 (pen)
West Ham United 0

I said this post's titular phrase/chant half-sarcastically before stepping outside at halftime, with a twinge of fear in the voice. But throughout the second half, the Gooners were singing it as boisterously as ever, as if it were a good thing. Indeed, we only had ten men on the pitch; West Ham still looked overwhelmed. And it was amazing.

We were all surprised and confused at the start. Why was Denilson starting in midfield over Abou Diaby? Then within the first five minutes, he showed us all why Arsene Wenger is smarter than us. After some nice work down the left flank by Gael Clichy and Andrei Arshavin, a cross was looped in for Nicklas Bendtner. Upson had a chance to clear, but only got the ball as far as Denilson, who proceeded to exchange passes with the tall Dane, then strike a shot past the diving Robert Green, and then he did a hilarious little dance. One nil to the Arsenal.

Arsenal looked poised to start a thrashing of the Hammers early; Denilson had another chance four minutes after his goal but thumped a shot into the ground then Eboue twisted a shot wide in the 21st. Things eventual settled in terms of game pace as the Gunners held their 1-0 lead through the first half. Then the game turned...

In the 44th minute, a through ball was floated ahead for West Ham striker Guillermo Franco. Thomas Vermaelen nudges the striker in the back and Franco goes down. The assistant referee twirls his flag to call a foul, and it's in the box so it's going to be a penalty. Then referee Martin Atkinson comes over to book Vermaelen, but since he was the last defender and Franco was judged to be in alone on goal, the card was red and Arsenal was down to ten men.

Calling it a foul was a tremendous stretch and Arsene Wenger was not happy and immediately ran over to argue with the fourth official. Or, as it appeared at first on the television cameras, it looked like he ran over to argue with Gunnersaurus. The rule here, however, is very black and white. Or at least it's supposed to be, but there's no consistency in officiating these days. Atkinson was right to send off Vermaelen, by rule for last man fouls but the call was a weak one to begin with. I expect Arsenal to appeal and also can't figure out if this is a one match ban or three. Different web sites say different things. I always thought professional foul reds were one and violent conduct reds were three.

On the penalty, Manuel Almunia was up to the task. Alessandro Diamanti fired his kick exactly where he had when he equalized on a penalty for West Ham on Vito Mannone at Upton Park in October. Almunia, who replays showed was off his line (remember what I said about consistency in officiating?) guessed right and kept Arsenal up by a goal at halftime.

With Vermaelen sent off, Arsenal dropped Alex Song back to center back and switched from their 4-3-3 style to a 4-4-1 with Bendtner employed as the lone striker. West Ham enjoyed a little more possession with one extra player, but never truly threatened (and this is why we chanted "we've only got ten men" to mock the Hammers in attendance). Carlton Cole hit the post in the 77th minute. Aside from that, it was a lot like West Ham decided not to show up for the second half.

Matthew Upson, who did not clear the ball well enough in the 5th minute which led to Denilson's goal, put the game away for Arsenal by handballing in the box. Cesc Fabregas pounded the penalty straight ahead as Green jumped to his left, Arsenal led 2-0 and we all went nuts at Nevada Smiths. We were going top of the league for at least a day thanks to the arrangement of fixtures.

The atmosphere at the pub was perhaps the best of the season. The Hammers, notoriously loud and kind of annoying, were practically silent the entire game (thank you, early goal). In a way, it was disappointing. What I love about the New York Gooners (let me clarify, NYC Arsenal Supporters) is that we'll always sing all game long, regardless of the score. Also, I started a "Can you hear the Hammers sing?" chant. I believe this counts as the first time I've started singing something and gotten the rest to follow.

A brilliant start to spring. Let's hope the season contains some silverware.

Preview: Arsenal v. West Ham United

One Aaron Ramsey. One Man of the Match in Arsenal's 2-1 FA Cup win over West Ham in January. Pic via Daily Mail.

Emirates Stadium, London

Saturday, March 20

1730 GMT, 1:30 p.m. EDT

• Referee: Martin Atkinson
• This Match, Last Year: Arsenal 0 - 0 West Ham United
• All-Time in All Competitions: 51 Arsenal wins, 33 West Ham United wins, 38 draws
• Arsenal's Recent Form: L-W-W-W-W-W
• West Ham United's Recent Form: L-W-W-L-L-L

Predicted Line-Up

guesses italicized

Almunia

Sagna - Campbell - Vermaelen - Clichy

Fabregas - Song - Diaby

Nasri - Bendtner - Arshavin

Subs from: Fabianski, Silvestre, Eboue, Denilson, Rosicky, Eduardo, Walcott

Out: Gallas (calf), Ramsey (leg), Gibbs (foot), Van Persie (ankle), Djourou (knee)

Arsenal News and Notes

• Arsenal will go top of the league with a win by any scoreline, because Chelsea and Manchester United do not play until Sunday. United will have a game in hand, Chelsea will have two.
• This is the first time Manuel Almunia will start against West Ham this year. Vito Mannone started the league fixture at Upton Park in October and Lukasz Fabianski started the FA Cup tie in January.
• Alex Song returns from suspension and Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) and Tomas Rosicky (groin) are expected to return from injury.
• Carlos Vela will also be back. I didn't even know he was hurt again. Last I heard, he was out of the Burnley match with jet lag. Maybe it was that 14-day kind of jet lag?
• Arsene Wenger is becoming increasingly frustrated with center back William Gallas's calf injury, calling it "seemingly endless." He'll miss at least this match and next week at Birmingham, which means he won't get to sit in the center circle of St. Andrew's crying this time.
• Arsenal have won five straight league games, a season high.

West Ham United News and Notes

• West Ham have 27 points, three points above the relegation zone. Fortunately for the Hammers, they also have a better goal differential than many of the teams around them in the table.
• Mark Noble (arm) and Herita Ilunga (thigh) might make returns from their respective injuries.
• Julien Faubert (hamstring), Luis Boa Morte (knee), and Zavon Hines (knee) will likely remain out.
• Manuel Da Costa is serving the second game of a three match ban.
• The Hammers released Calum Davenport on Wednesday. Davenport has not played since he was stabbed in the legs six times during an incident where he was also later charged with assaulting his pregnant sister.
• Wait, what?
• West Ham have lost three straight matches in the league. At no point this year have they lost four straight Premier League games.

Match Facts

• West Ham United's last win at Arsenal was a 1-0 win on April 7, 2007. It was the first victory for a road team at Emirates Stadium.
• This is Arsenal's third match against West Ham this year. The last time the Gunners and Hammers met outside of only Premier League competition was 1997/98. Arsenal took four points from league matches and knocked West Ham out of both the League and FA Cups.
• The referee is Martin Atinkson. Atkinson has previously worked Arsenal's 1-0 win at Fulham and their 3-1 FA Cup loss at Stoke City this season. For West Ham, he worked a 2-1 loss at Stoke City and a 3-0 win against Hull City.

Around the League

• Saturday: Aston Villa v. Wolves; Villa Park, Birmingham
• Saturday: Sunderland v. Birmingham City; Stadium of Light, Sunderland
• Saturday: Everton v. Bolton Wanderers; Goodison Park, Liverpool
• Saturday: Wigan Athletic v. Burnley; DW Stadium, Wigan
• Saturday: Portsmouth v. Hull City; Fratton Park, Portsmouth
• Saturday: Stoke City v. Tottenham; Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent
• Sunday: Manchester United v. Liverpool; Old Trafford, Manchester
• Sunday: Fulham v. Manchester City; Craven Cottage, London
• Sunday: Blackburn Rovers v. Chelsea; Ewood Park, Blackburn

Does This Mean Arsenal Isn't Playing This Weekend?

Come on you Genners!

News Roundup 2/23/10 - The One Man Went to Bed with Ashley Edition

 

And his mobile phone... Pic via Daily Mirror.

• Though it is of course not technically Arsenal news, you know you secretly love hearing that Ashley Cole might leave Stamford Bridge because he's upset he's being called out for his... ahem... off-pitch bedroom training... [Guardian]
• Of course, the difference between this hilarious situation and the other John Terry hilarious situation is that Cole did this while on club duty.
• And in searching for a picture, I stumbled across this article from India, quoting Cole's mistress calling him "mundane" and "boring in bed." He's probably just used to being with ten men. [One India]
• Back to the Gunners, where Nicklas Bendtner's ego is totally ready to bring Arsenal some silverware. [Sky Sports, Daily Mirror]
• "Unlucky" Theo Walcott is feeling "as fit as ever," which means he'll get hurt in training tomorrow [Arsenal.com] because he has all of the weight of England on his shoulders to stay healthy, or something. [BBC]
• On the flight back from Portugal with the Arsenal traveling supporters, Cesc Fabregas used the plane's PA system to apologize for their performance. Fabianski would have done the same, but he fumbled the microphone backwards into the net. [Daily Telegraph]
• Wild transfer rumors and lies: It's now Manchester United leading the race for Raheem Sterling, the wunderkind from QPR [Daily Mirror]; Spanish right back Cesar Azpilicueta might sign with us, Man City, or Barca [Daily Mail]; and Andrei Arshavin is pushing for the signing of Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev. [Daily Mail]
• Finally, let's all remember that we have to root for West Ham United tonight; they play Manchester United at Old Trafford at 8 pm local time, 3 pm Eastern.

News Roundup 1/26/10 - The 10 Millionth Reason to Hate Man United Edition

Smalling is off to the North next year. Pic via Guardian.

• Manchester United won the transfer battle for Fulham defender Chris Smalling. Urge to destroy rising. [Guardian, Daily Mirror]
• Speaking of transfers, Jack Wilshere is likely on the move to another Premier League team (potentially Bolton, Burnley, or West Ham) within 24-48 hours. [Arsenal.com]
• Player news: Samir Nasri and Nicklas Bendtner have resumed full training! Diaby and Merida remain out, in terms of those not done for the year (van Persie, Djourou, and Gibbs). [Arsenal.com]
• Alex Song is back from the Africa Cup, but may not be fit for the clash with Manchester United on Sunday. Arsene Wenger mentioned that Song looked "tired" in yesterdays 3-1 aet loss to Egypt. [Arsenal.com]