Post Match Comments
Audio Match ReportSaturday 3rd March 2001
FA PREMIER LEAGUE
Highbury
Attendance:38,071Referee: Mike Riley ARSENAL3 Wiltord 6, 13, 39 WEST HAM0SEAMANDIXONGRIMANDIADAMSCOLELAURENVIEIRAPIRESLJUNGBERGBERGKAMPWILTORD Subs:MANNINGERVIVAS 54EDU 66HENRY 60KANUHISLOPSONGSTIMACS.PEARCESCHEMMELWINTERBURNDAILLYDIAWARALAMPARDSOMA SUKERSubs:BYWATERI.PEARCE 75TIHINEN 81CAMARATODOROV 75Even allowing for the absence of first choice strikers Paolo Di Canio and Fredi Kanoute, and England midfield duo Joe Cole and Michael Carrick, this was an awful performance by a decimated Hammers side that included no fewer than eight defenders in its starting line-up.
Davor Suker, Kaba Diawara and England midfielder Frank Lampard were the only three recognised attacking players in the side - but it was the defenders who were at fault as Arsenal took an early grip on this tamest of London derbies.
Boss Harry Redknapp admitted afterwards that his side had been outclassed by their north London rivals in a game that was always going to be tough considering the amount of injuries facing the Hammers.
Said H: "It's always a difficult place to come but today was going to be a really tough game with the players I had missing.
"I had six first choice players out - Di Canio, Kanoute, Carrick, Cole, Sinclair and Lomas - players that would be in my best 11.
"You just can't expect to get a result with that many players out - every team would be struggling if they had six players missing.
"I just had no midfield whatsoever. Frank is the only fit midfielder at the football club and I had to play Dailly and Soma in there today - both of whom are central defenders.
"Even John Moncur and Christian Bassila - who would have come in and done a job in midfield today - are out injured, so it really is a desperate situation."
Despite that, Harry agreed that the goals conceded were bad defensive mistakes, with Carling Player of the Month Stuart Pearce at fault for the opener.
"Stuart Pearce hasn't made a mistake in the 18 months he has been here and I ain't gonna cane him, but he made an error for the first goal.
"I had to change my formation today though. I played with a four at the back and Stimac and Pearce never really looked comfortable.
"We came in three down at half-time and you do fear the worst. But we came here on the back of some good away results and I didn't expect us to fall apart like that.
"At the end of the day though, it's all about players and I didn't have my best ones out today
"Look at their bench for example. They've got Henry and Edu there and they don't even bother with Kanu. That's the difference."
Harry revealed that most of the injured party are struggling to be fit for the midweek clash against Chelsea at Upton Park but admitted he was hoping to bring in one new face before the visit of the Blues.
"Carrick and Kanoute are both struggling and we will hopefully nurse them through this week with a view to being fit for the cup game but I think I'll be in the same situation for the Chelsea game.
"I would like to take Everton's Stephen Hughes on a free transfer though and we will have to wait and see if that goes ahead this week."
West Ham's back four had no answer to the pace and movement of the Gunners, who were looking to bounce back in style after their crushing 6-1 defeat at Old Trafford the previous Sunday.
It took Arsenal just six minutes to open the scoring, when Stuart Pearce's poor header dropped straight to Robert Pires, who put Sylvain Wiltord through.
The Frenchman looked suspiciously offside but there was no doubting his finish inside Hislop's right hand post.
Nine minutes later and Wiltord again caused havoc. Receiving Dixon's long-ball in between Pearce and Igor Stimac, he turned them both before curling his left-foot shot inside the far post to double the Gunners' lead.
The game was well and truly up for feeble Hammers on 39 minutes, when Wiltord completed his hat-trick. Fredi Ljungberg spotted the Frenchman's well-timed run, leaving him to slot the ball under the exposed Hislop from 10 yards.
West Ham rarely threatened David Seaman's goal and 33 minutes passed before they mustered a shot worthy of the name - a weak right-footer from Lampard that Seaman easily gathered low to his right.
The long-suffering visiting fans had to wait until the 89th minute for their team's next effort on target, but substitute Svetoslav Todorov's rising shot was easily caught by Seaman.
Arsenal eased off the gas in the second half and could even afford to take off their hat-trick hero on the hour. His replacement? Thierry Henry!
Bergkamp, Ljungberg and Nelson Vivas all wasted chances to extend Gunners' lead, while Hislop turned an Edu effort round the post.
It was hard to take any positives from such a one-sided match but at least Nigel Winterburn - given a tremendous reception on his return to HIghbury - emerged with plenty of credit.
Captain in the absence of Steve Lomas and Paolo Di Canio, he led by example and at least enjoyed a cheeky nutmeg on old mate Lee Dixon in the dying moments.
Raggy Soma completed his first 90 minutes for the club and the defensive Norwegian didn't disgrace himself in a unfamiliar left midfield role, even managing a shot off target near the end.
Still, if West Ham beat that other north London team next Sunday, this dismal day will be completely forgotten.