West Ham United shattered Arsenal's unbeaten record at
Emirates Stadium thanks to Bobby Zamora's goal, but Robert Green
was in inspired form for the Premiership strugglers.
Zamora's cool finish in first-half injury-time earned The Hammers a
third consecutive win in a game which seemed to encapsulate
Arsenal's season.
Green produced a series of stunning saves to thwart The Gunners,
who also hit the woodwork twice as Arsene Wenger's side slipped to
a first defeat at the Emirates.
Coincidentally, West Ham were also the last team to beat Arsenal at
Highbury and the three points will heighten hopes Alan Curbishley
can lift the club out of the relegation zone.
West Ham spent much of the opening 20 minutes chasing shadows as
Arsenal's clever movement and incisive passing pulled the visitors
this way and that.
The Gunners could have been in front inside two minutes as Freddie
Ljungberg and Tomas Rosicky combined to release Cesc Fabregas, but
the young Spaniard's shot was smothered by Green.
The Hammers keeper was overworked in the early stages as he held
Emmanuel Adebayor's curling effort after the striker had made a mug
of James Collins.
Opportunities continued to come Arsenal's way as Adebayor lifted
his shot over the bar from a Ljungberg pull-back before Green
proved his worth again.
Rosicky's precision pass sent Ljungberg between the two
centre-halves, but Green was out quickly to block the Swede's
attempt.
Emmanuel Eboue and Alexander Hleb were then involved in a clever
move to set up Rosicky, but he sliced his left-footed shot wide in
front of goal.
West Ham were limited to rare counter-attacks, but were unable to
test Jens Lehmann as Rosicky arced another shot wide at the
opposite end.
Green then produced a sprawling save from Rosicky's thumping drive
before Nigel Reo-Coker's poor pass denied Carlos Tevez a run on
Lehmann's goal.
Fabregas' impudent chip failed to catch out Green before The
Hammers took the lead in injury-time at the end of the first
half.
Lucas Neill's long pass sent Zamora - possibly from an offside
position - clear and the striker lifted a superb lob over the
exposed Lehmann.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, but not
before Zamora's knock-down saw Lee Bowyer drill a first-time shot
into the arms of Lehmann.
From there, Green waged a one-man battle to keep Arsenal at bay -
and West Ham in the Premiership - as he produced several important
saves.
After the ball fell kindly for Gilberto Silva, the Brazilian's low
shot from the edge of the area was brilliantly turned round the
post by Green.
And the Hammers keeper then conjured up an even better save as
Adebayor was allowed to steal in unmarked to meet Fabregas'
free-kick, but his header was magnificently kept out by a
one-handed reflex stop from Green.
Arsenal finally found a way past Green on the hour mark, but
Fabregas' turn and shot from the edge of the area crashed back off
the crossbar.
Gilberto then headed a golden chance wide from close range after
Eboue's cross had been diverted onwards by Anton Ferdinand.
Jeremie Aliadiere was introduced for Hleb and the substitute had an
immediate chance to equalise, but shot into the side-netting after
the ball rolled invitingly into his path.
Green produced a flying save to catch Fabregas' header and then had
the post come to his rescue as Gilberto's prod, after Julio
Baptista had flicked on Rosicky's cross, clipped the upright.
West Ham, for all they were hanging on, could have stolen a second
goal late on as Mark Noble's pass played in Luis Boa Morte, but the
substitute's dink was over Lehmann and wide of the target.