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West Ham 1-3 Arsenal

Arsenal moved back to the top of the table with a much needed comeback victory away to West Ham United on Boxing Day.

The Gunners came into this game on the back of a poor recent run of form having failed to win any of their previous four games and with serious doubts hanging over their title credentials. On the other hand, West Ham were teetering on the edge of the relegation zone, yet the Hammers began the game brightly, but struggled to exert any significant pressure on the Arsenal goal, as the Gunners defence held firm. Once Arsene Wenger’s side settled into the game, they soon began to dominate possession and create chances almost at will.

Most of these goal scoring opportunities fell to Olivier Giroud, who has not been anywhere near as efficient in front of goal as he was at the start of the season. While he continues to work extremely hard for the team and consistently links the play with his teammates, Giroud seems to have lost confidence in front of goal. The Frenchman’s first chance against West Ham came early in the game as Sagna’s cross brushed off Giroud’s head, having initially won the aerial challenge with McCartney. Then midway through the first half, the Frenchman powered through, towards the West Ham goal, but failed to even hit the target as he skewed his shot horribly wide of goal. The missed opportunity seemed to affect Giroud greatly and as the first half wore on, the French striker failed to get on the end of several low crosses into the box, when the merest touch would have resulted in the deadlock being broken. It was extremely frustrating for all concerned as each and every time; Giroud was just too slow to attack the ball, failing to anticipate that the ball would come to him.

Arsenal had been so wasteful in front of goal that many Gunners fans would have been fearful this would just be one of those days when chance after chance is created, but none taken and then the opposition score against the run of play. Those fears were realised within 53 seconds of the second half. Kevin Nolan was allowed far too much time and space on the edge of the Arsenal area, but his shot seemed harmless as his effort was hit straight at the goalkeeper. Unfortunately for the Gunners, Szczesny spilt the ball straight at the feet of Carlton Cole who gratefully fired into the net to give the home side a lead they had not merited.

Yet having taken the lead, West Ham were full of confidence and as Arsenal struggled to regroup, the Hammers had three glorious chances to double their lead. Szczesny was able to deny Jarvis with a routine save, when the Englishman really should have done better, before Joey O’Brien headed wide of goal when completely unmarked in the box and then Carlton Cole shot wide following an excellent cross from Razvan Rat.

Having been rather fortunate, but weathered the storm nonetheless, Arsenal began to impose themselves on the game once more and were almost level on the hour mark. Santi Carola’s shot was saved by Adrian in the West Ham goal, but the ball fell straight at the feet of Ozil, who shot straight at the goalkeeper. However Arsenal did not have to wait too long to find an equaliser, as eight minutes later, Theo Walcott was found on the right flank, the Englishman cut inside and unleashed a shot which bobbled through two pairs of legs and right through the goalkeepers hands.

The game was now Arsenal’s for the taking and in the 71^st minute the Gunners took the lead their dominance throughout the game had deserved. Kieran Gibbs laid the ball into the path of Lukas Podolski, who was making his first appearance in an Arsenal shirt since suffering a hamstring injury against Fenerbache. The German international, who had replaced Aaron Ramsey, unleashed a wonderful pin point cross for Theo Walcott to head home at the back post. It was the Englishman’s first ever headed goal and his fourth goal in the past three games.

The Gunners were now completely in the ascendancy and could have scored a third when Cazorla’s clever clipped ball over the top of the West Ham defence released Podolski inside the box, but Adrian rushed off his line, denying the German any time or space to steer the ball into the net. Yet Podolski would not be denied and was duly rewarded for a very encouraging return to first team action in the 79^th minute. Walcott played the ball into Giroud in the box and the Frenchman more than made amends for the chances he had missed in the first half by hold the ball up brilliantly for Podolski to lash home with the outside of his favoured left foot and into the bottom corner of the net.

This was a very important victory for the Gunners as the three points not only sent them back to the summit of the Premier League table, the victory also showed a steely determination amongst the squad. It would have been easy for Arsenal to feel sorry for themselves, having missed a host of chances and then gone a goal down, but Arsene Wenger’s side regrouped and were able to assert their superior technical ability and win the game.  The return of Podolski is also a blessing, given Giroud’s loss of form in front of goal, with the German more than capable of scoring crucial goals as the team seek to maintain a title challenge. In fact his return may well have come at just the right time.