It’s deadline day on the print version of The Gooner, so my apologies that I’m going to whizz through this and be relatively brief.

Andrey Arshavin wore pink boots. That’s the first half covered. In fairness, the start was a little encouraging, but there is not a lot to report other than that, having played two very good games in the previous six days, I guess it was predictable that there would be some fall off. You can’t keep turning in performances of the quality of the visits to Man City and Newcastle like it’s some kind of a production line. I mentioned to a couple of people before the game that, for some reason, we always seem to make hard work of West Ham at home. And so it proved.

The Hammers were going for a point, the clock eating antics at goal kicks and substitutions surefire evidence of that. What irony that when the ref actually added it all on, it benefited them in their attempts to get the result they had come for. One of the problems with West Ham these days is that, to me, they lack real identity. Who are half of these players and where have they come from? The cash was seriously splashed when they were bought by the Icelandic guy whose name escapes me. I have a recall of them having to pay off Freddie Ljungberg to get him off the wage bill and as for the highly rewarded and very expensive Kieron Dyer… is he injured again? I can’t believe it , but he’ll be 32 soon. I guess it’s easier for fans to identify with a disparate bunch of players if they are winning games for the club, but the Hammers are doomed this season, surely. Still, Sullivan and Gold have owned a yoyo club before, so what’s changed there?

Enough of the visitors’ woes. The second half was all about the breakthrough and eventually the pressure told. Eventually. Walcott should have been brought on a lot earlier than the oh so predictable 67th minute, but at least fair play to the manager for not taking off the obvious candidate Arshavin, but electing to remove Denilson. Defensive midfielders were not the order of the day against a park the bus outfit.

In a below par display, the one who stood out for me was Squillaci, who has become very much the leader of the defence. Maybe the improvement in recent games is a reflection of him settling in a bit more. Fabianski, when called upon, did well once again, and Arsenal certainly need to notch up a few clean sheets if they are to make Chelsea sweat at all this season. There was a ray of light in the half time score from Ewood Park, but it proved a false dawn. At least more ground has not been conceded, as indeed it should not be at home against a side destined for Championship football next August.

Funniest moment of the afternoon was the speed the third West Ham sub ran off at with his team trailing, in contrast to the two that had preceded him when the game was scoreless. Usain Bolt would have done well to match it.

Quite why Arsenal created so few clear cut chances against a team that has conceded an awful lot of goals previously is something that the manager will have to look at. It was an afternoon that needed three points at the end of it, so I am not going to be critical. It didn’t really happen, but the pressure bought the goal eventually, so job done. Let’s hope for a little less stress in the matches with Shakhtar and Newcastle over the coming days.

Finally, thank God Robbie Williams’ ‘Let Me Entertain You’ has been dropped from the half-time ‘entertainment’. That tune was doing my head in. ‘Walk the Dinosaur’ is never going to make my i-Pod and I shall be heartily sick of it in a month’s time. So to whoever is deciding these things, well done for freshening it up, but let’s try changing the music on a regular basis. Trivial? Yes. But the club are selling the ‘matchday experience’ these days. Mine was becoming a little too monotonous. Doubtless it’s too much to hope for our own version of the Hamerettes. A pleasant memory of the last World Cup was the sight of the McDonalds’ Fan Dancers attempting to remain within their costumes during their half time routine. But hey, home is a society built on puritanism, so enough of these sinful thoughts.

Oh, and almost forgot. A chant from Don Sebastiano, to the tune of the old Steve Bould song -
Alex Song, Alex Song,
Alex, Alex Song,
He’s got white hair but we don’t care,
Alex Song, Alex Song!