A solid defensive display helped West Ham United extend their unbeaten run away from home to more than three months.

In a game of few chances, both sides had efforts cleared off the line at either end of the first half, while an Abou Diaby header clipped the top of the bar. Matthew Upson and James Collins were imperious in defence, helping to ensure Robert Green did not have a save of note to make all afternoon.

Gianfranco Zola named the same starting XI that had beaten Hull City so convincingly in midweek. There were two enforced changes on the bench however. James Tomkins picked up a hamstring strain in training on Friday and Julien Faubert was in Spain putting the finishing touches to his move to Real Madrid. Their places were taken by Walter Lopez and Jonathan Spector.

The match got under way with a bitterly cold wind circulating around north London and the home side quickly set about trying to make their guests feel even less comfortable. France attacker Samir Nasri was at the centre of most things his side produced, causing concern with several dangerous crosses. The Hammers' defence was not in the mood for buckling, though, and dealt with everything Nasri and his team-mates tried.

The one exception came as early as the fourth minute when a Nasri corner was headed goalwards by Diaby. The ball clipped Collins and then the crossbar before bouncing for the relative safety of a corner. Despite the early danger and continued Arsenal pressure, United stood firm for the rest of the half with Green only having routine catches to deal with.

Scott Parker won every tackle, Valon Behrami harried everything in a red shirt and Carlton Cole - looking to score for the sixth league game in a row - was doing sterling work in holding the ball up when his side looked to break. The trio were unlucky not to go into the interval in front as a Collins header from a Mark Noble corner was headed off the line by Gael Clichy.

Five minutes after the restart, the Gunners came close to taking the lead when Kolo Toure's hooked shot was headed off the line by the outstanding Collins. Emmanuel Adebayor missed a further opening fifteen minutes later as Bacary Sanga broke down the right and crossed for the Togolese international, who could only divert the centre wide with Green beaten.

Chances were to be few and far between as both teams continued to cancel each other out - a Denilson shot from distance the only chance of note. Arsene Wenger sought to change that by bringing in on Robin van Persie for Nicklas Bendtner with a little over 20 minutes remaining and his West Ham United counterpart responded by giving new signing of Savio his first taste of a London derby by introducing him for the tireless Noble.

Carlos Vela - who had joined the action as a first-half substitute for Emmanuel Eboue - was then booked for a going down a bit too easily in the penalty area for referee Steve Bennett's liking, while at the other end Cole fired straight at Manuel Almunia.

Luis Boa Morte came on for David Di Michele with seven minutes remaining to face his former club and with action switching from one end to the other it was anyone's guess in whose favour the match would conclude.

Lucas Neill was booked for a foul on Vela with four minutes to go, but aside from a 94th-minute corner that Robert Green expertly punched away, the Hammers were untroubled before Bennett bought the proceedings to a close.

The vivacious away support among the 60,109 in the Emirates responded with a song of 'We are unbeatable' - a claim that perhaps will be put to the ultimate test when champions Manchester United visit the Boleyn Ground next Sunday. But, for the time being, the claret and blue army can travel home undefeated again, something they have come to get used to since the last away defeat - ironically at Manchester United - on 29 October.