WEST HAM UNITED v ARSENAL
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 15 JANUARY 2011
KICK-OFF: 5.30PM
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Full-time score - West Ham United 0-3 Arsenal
93 mins - Faubert plays a give-and-go with Barrera and tries to find Cole with a first-time pass. It's over-hit and Szczesny collects. As he does, referee Marriner blows for full-time.
92 mins - West Ham return to action at Everton next Saturday afternoon. Kick-off at Goodison Park is at 3pm. Before then, why not come down to the Boleyn Ground and watch the Under-18s in action against Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup fourth round on Wednesday evening at 7pm?
91 mins - We're going to have at least three more minutes...
89 mins - Wilshere takes a pass from the right and cuts on to his left foot and shooting low. Green dives to his left and turns the ball around the post. Good save.
88 mins - Bridge walks off and Nouble comes on.
87 mins - Nasri dances past three defenders before shooting. Upson blocks and the ball spins behind. Nasri and Walcott are the players replaced, with Gibbs and Arshavin trotting on. Before Nouble is introduced, Bridge needs the physio on and he's got to be replaced.
85 mins - Arsenal are readying Kieran Gibbs and Andrey Arshavin. West Ham are bringing on Frank Nouble.
82 mins - Eboue bursts past Upson and tries to get his shot away, but Bridge tracks back well and smashes the ball out for a throw-in.
81 mins - World Cup winner Fabregas goes off and Denilson comes on. The Spaniard hands the captain's armband to Van Persie before making his way off the pitch.
80 mins - Hines has gone up front alongside Cole.
79 mins - Hines makes some space for himself on the edge of the penalty area, but he is crowded out and loses possession to Clichy. Unlucky.
77 mins - GOAL! Van Persie slams the penalty into the bottom left-hand corner. Green went the right way but couldn't get anywhere near that.
76 mins - Oh dear. Walcott bursts on to the ball and Bridge slides in and brings him down. Penalty to Arsenal.
75 mins - Bridge earns a round of applause for a fantastic cross-field pass to Barrera. The Mexican cuts inside and tries to find Spector, but the American is crowded out.
73 mins - Hines works hard to close down Djourou and is unfortunate to concede a goal kick.
72 mins - Cole is back on.
71 mins - Cole tries to receive the ball and goes down under a challenge from Clichy. Replays suggest it may be his ankle that he has hurt. The physio comes on and it seems Cole will be OK to continue.
68 mins - Van Persie gets in behind Bridge and crosses to the near post. Walcott gets there just ahead of Faubert but the ball squirms wide for a goal kick.
67 mins - Fabregas gets down the left and wins a corner off Upson. Nothing comes of it.
65 mins - Faubert takes a free-kick quick to Boa Morte, who loops a good ball over to Hines. He shoots but the effort is blocked.
64 mins - Pablo Barrera comes on for Freddie Sears.
61 mins - Spector does well to win the ball and plays in Sears. He tries to cross, but slices the ball and it is on its way to the top corner before Szczesny claws it out for a corner. Bridge takes and Koscielny can only head the ball back to Bridge. The left-back's cross is deflected and bounces over Cole's head. Szczesny arcs his back and holds on.
60 mins - West Ham only half-clear the corner and when Van Persie lifts the ball over the defence, Nasri is in the clear. Green stands tall and makes the save.
60 mins - Van Persie shoots but his effort hits the ball and goes wide for a corner.
59 mins - Boa Morte gets in a toe as Wilshere attacks the penalty area. He is penalised and Arsenal have a free-kick about 25 yards out.
55 mins - Great football by Arsenal. Clichy bursts past two players before Fabregas plays the ball wide right to Eboue. He finds Walcott, who cuts inside along the egde of the penalty area before testing Green with a low left-foot shot. The No1 holds on.
52 mins - Bridge shoots and the ball flicks off Van Persie's head and wide for a corner. Bridge's corner is cleared to Faubert, whose shot is charged down. West Ham come again and Sears tries to play in Cole, but it's over-hit and Szczesny collects.
51 mins - Hines and Spector battle well inside the Arsenal half before the American is fouled by Koscielny 25 yards from goal. Bridge...
50 mins - West Ham give the ball away and Van Persie lets fly from 25 yards, but his powerful effort it too high.
49 mins - Walcott streaks down the left and Bridge puts his cross behind for a corner. It is worked short and when the cross comes in, Kovac heads clear.
47 mins - It's a chance every few seconds at present. Van Persie twists and turns and shoots, forcing Green to push the ball behind for a corner. It is cleared.
47 mins - West Ham retaliate through Hines, who shoots from 30 yards, but the effort is half-blocked and easily held by the goalkeeper.
46 mins - Cole and Boa Morte kick-off the second half. Come on West Ham, let's have a 45 minutes to remember! Arsenal come forward and Fabregas shoots from range but it rolls wide.
Half-time score - West Ham United 0-2 Arsenal
48 mins - The half-time whistle is blown. Join us again in a few minutes for the second half...
47 mins - Green gets a quick check-over from the physio and he's OK to continue. The corner comes over and Green claims high above his head.
46 mins - Djourou gets in behind and shoots before Faubert can close him down. Green makes the save but then gets a kick in the face for his troubles.
45 mins - We're going to have at least two more minutes...
43 mins - Cole misses a great chance. Faubert sends Sears away down the right and he crosses, but Cole does not connect properly with a free header from six yards. The ball hits a defender and goes behind for a corner. It comes to nothing.
41 mins - GOAL! Walcott. Van Persie gets in behind, pulls the ball back behind Bridge and Walcott smashes it high into the net from eight yards.
40 mins - Cole holds the ball up and tries to switch play to Sears. The No19 misjudges the bounce and Arsenal come again, but Nasri can't keep his shot down and it goes out for a goal kick.
38 mins - Clichy flies down the left and pokes a ball through for Nasri. Tomkins does well to get his body between the Frenchman and the ball before Kovac shepherds it out. The Czech thinks it should be a goal kick but it's a corner. Thankfully, the flag-kick is cleared and Kovac heads away.
35 mins - Boa Morte sends a long diagonal ball over the top for Hines to chase. He closes down Eboue before Cole works hard to charge down Djourou's clearance and the ball goes out for a throw. West Ham come again, but Hines loses possession.
32 mins - Boa Morte loses the ball in midfield and in a flash Fabregas sends Van Persie clear. He shoots and the ball cannons back off the base of the post.
31 mins - Walcott comes down the right and tries to run Bridge. He then attempts a cross that flies off the outside of his boot and behind for a goal kick.
28 mins - Great chance for Arsenal. The Gunners break en masse and when the ball is rolled to Song about 12 yards out, he tooks odds-on to score before Tomkins gets a foot in and slows down the shot. Green flies to his right to catch the ball. Good save.
26 mins - Arsenal are not playing that well here. West Ham come again and Cole battles for possession in the box before going down. Nothing is given by referee Andre Marriner.
23 mins - Arsenal come forward and Nasri shoots from an angle, but it's straight at Green.
22 mins - That is a golden opportunity. Cole out-muscles Djourou and the Swiss pokes a back-pass that allows the No9 to shoot, but it is blocked by Szczesny. Boa Morte is quickest to the rebound and beats one man before the ball rolls to Hines, but his powerful shot flies inches over the top.
20 mins - Noble has to be replaced, with Boa Morte coming on.
19 mins - Chances at both ends. First, Noble nearly takes advantage of a slip by Djourou, only for the Swiss to regain his footing at the vital moment. Then, Walcott gets goal-side of Tomkins and, although the No5 gets a foot in, Walcott is able to get his shot in but it's weak and straight at Green.
16 mins - Nasri curls the cross in at the near post and Green punches clear. Arsenal win possession back and Nasri has the ball again, but Noble nips in and clears when he tries to pull the ball back for Walcott.
15 mins - Faubert is booked for a late sliding challenge on Fabregas near the left touchline.
13 mins - GOAL! Cole loses the ball inside his own half and Walcott is in space. He crosses low, Nasri dummies and Van Persie slams the ball past Green at his near post.
12 mins - A neat flick sends Hines away down the inside-left channel. He makes his way into the box and pulls the ball into the middle, but Clichy gets across well to hack behind for a corner. Noble's delivery is headed away at the near post before the midfielder loses possession.
10 mins - Arsenal break from a long throw inside their own half but Nasri's pass is behind Walcott and runs out for a throw. That was a decent chance to play in the England man, and Nasri's pass was uncharacteristically ordinary.
8 mins - Noble over-runs the ball and brings down an Arsenal player about 35 yards out. Van Persie lines up the free-kick again and it takes a slight deflection before being safely gathered by Green.
7 mins - Upson and Bridge combine well before the latter sends a pass over Djourou for Cole to chase. The Arsenal defender stands firm, though, and prods the ball square to Szczesny.
5 mins - Green belts a high ball forward and Cole knocks it down for Sears, but his snap shot is blocked.
4 mins - Upson clears up to Cole, who spins and tries to find Sears. The right winger closes down Szczesny and forces the Pole to clear for a throw. Noble is crowded out and the chance is lost.
3 mins - Van Persie's free-kick thuds into the wall but Arsenal regain possession and a cross is on its way to Walcott at the far post before Faubert acrobatically clears.
2 mins - As I type, Song crosses deep and Faubert chests the ball behind for a corner. Nasri takes the corner and West Ham clear before Kovac is penalised for handball.
2 mins - Not a huge amount has happened at all. In fact, I don't think the ball has been in either penalty area so far...
5.31pm - We are underway here...
5.30pm - The two captains have their photograph taken with the mascots and officials before shaking hands and tossing the coin. Arsenal will kick-off shooting towards the Bobby Moore Stand end of the ground.
5.28pm - Arsenal's players are shaking hands with each other on the pitch. I've not seen that before. Meanwhile, Wayne Bridge gives the crowd a clap as his name is welcomed by a loud cheer for a second time.
5.26pm - Here come the two teams, led by captains Matthew Upson and Cesc Fabregas. West Ham are in claret and blue, while Arsenal are in, to be exact, yellow and redcurrant.
5.25pm - The kick-off is approaching and the atmosphere is building here at the Boleyn Ground. 'Bubbles' starts to play and the two teams are in the tunnel and ready to take to the pitch...
5.22pm - West Ham are being cheered on this afternoon by England cricket legend and lifelong fan Graham Gooch. Let's hope Goochie has brought some of the form that secured England the Ashes with him from Down Under.
5.20pm - Bridge is actually making his competitive debut for a second club at the Boleyn Ground, having begun a loan spell at Fulham here in January 2006. That match ended in a 2-1 West Ham win. Again, a repeat tonight would be superb.
5.15pm - Wayne Bridge gets a decent round of applause as his name is read out over the PA system. The former England left-back will wear the number 36 shirt. Bridge scored an 88th-minute winner against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in 2003/04. A repeat performance would be most welcome this afternoon.
5.10pm - West Ham need to end a run of eight matches without a victory against Arsenal if they are to win tonight. Robert Green will hope to mark his 200th Premier League appearance with a clean sheet, too. However, the England goalkeeper will be up against the side that has had more shots, 198, than any other top-flight team this season. Arsenal have also scored more goals on their travels, 20, than any other Premier League side.
5.05pm - Results elsewhere this afternoon mean victory for West Ham would take them out of the bottom three and up to 16th. A draw would mean the hosts will stay bottom of the standings for the time being. News on the Hammers' two loanees - Matt Fry completed 90 minutes as ex-West Ham left-back Chris Powell began his tenure as Charlton Athletic manager with a 2-2 League One draw at Sheffield Wednesday, while Callum McNaughton's Bishop's Stortford were beaten 3-0 at Staines Town in Blue Square South.
5pm - Welcome to the Boleyn Ground. Both sets of players are out on the pitch goingn through their pre-match exercises. Arsenal's players have only just taken to the playing surface, having arrived at the stadium just an hour before kick-off. The ESPN and WHUTV film crews are out taking footage of the West Ham players being put through their paces by coach Eamon Swift. In the goal-mouth, Ruud Boffin and Robert Green are doing some crossing drills with goalkeeper coach David Coles.
Good afternoon and welcome to the Boleyn Ground for today's live ESPN-televised Barclays Premier League London derby between West Ham United and Arsenal.
The Hammers go into today's game on a run of one defeat in seven matches in all competitions, while the home side have won their previous three home matches, defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers in the league, Barnsley in the FA Cup and Birmingham City in the Carling Cup.
Arsenal have not won in their last three matches, drawing with Manchester City in the league and Leeds United in the FA Cup and losing 1-0 at Championship side Ipswich Town in the Carling Cup on Wednesday.
Team news-wise, West Ham are without Victor Obinna, who begins a three-match suspension after being sent-off against Birmingham on Tuesday. Scott Parker is sidelined with a minor ankle injury, while Frederic Piquionne is out with a hamstring problem.
Manager Avram Grant has made five changes from the side that defeated Birmingham, bringing in debutant Wayne Bridge, Radoslav Kovac, Zavon Hines and midweek match-winner Carlton Cole. Winston Reid, Parker, Obinna and Piquionne are the four players who drop out of the starting XI.
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Bridge, Kovac, Noble (Boa Morte 20), Spector, Sears (Barrera 64), Hines, Cole
Subs: Boffin, Reid, Gabbidon, McCarthy, Nouble
Arsenal: Szczesny, Eboue, Clichy, Koscielny, Djourou, Song, Wilshere, Nasri, Fabregas (Denilson 81), Van Persie, Walcott
Subs: Shea, Gibbs, Arshavin, Chamakh, Bendtner, Vela