Premiership
West Ham United 1-0 Arsenal 

Monday, 6th November 2006
by Gordon Thrower

I wasn’t looking forward to this one. I’d had a rotten week with one thing and another and my optimism hadn’t been improved by other results over the weekend which had left us starting Sunday in the drop zone. Team news was that we were to start with five across the middle giving Bobby Z the lone wolf role up front giving us a starting line-up of Green, Spector, Konchesky, Gabbidon, Ferdinand, Benayoun, Reo-Coker, Bowyer, Mullins, Etherington, Zamora.



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Player Ratings

Robert Green
Commanding and safe. Some fine saves when the chips were down. Better get used to that bench Roy.


Jonathan Spector
In the wars a bit as the opposition lined up to try for revenge after an early challenge on Van Persie. Maintained his cool well to have a decent game.


Paul Konchesky
Continues to improve after his shaky start to the season. Started the move that led to the goal with a shrewd interception.


Anton Ferdinand
Was coping well until his injury.


Danny Gabbidon



Hayden Mullins
Reasonably anonymous although he made several vital tackles and interceptions. His late goal proved to be the winner; full marks for persistence and determination.


Nigel Reo-Coker
Given the job of keeping Fabregas quiet he did the job well for the most part though a couple of times he seemed to be caught daydreaming.


Yossi Benayoun
Some nice touches but was a peripheral figure for much of the game. Hilarious booking though.


Matthew Etherington
Drifted in and out a bit but did a lot of battling on and off the ball as exemplified by his part in the goal.


Lee Bowyer
Got through a lot of hard work between the boxes before being sacrificed in the tactical switch that brought Teddy and Marlon into the fray.


Bobby Zamora
Ran himself into the ground as the lone striker, a thankless task that saw him trying to close down the Arsenal back line from wing to wing. I can?EUR(TM)t remember him looking like scoring but he deserved the applause he got on being replaced.



Substitutes

George McCartney
(Replaced Ferdinand, 43) I was a bit worried at the departure of Ferdinand through injury. I needn?EUR(TM)t have been. Proved an able replacement in the heart alongside Gabbidon.


Marlon Harewood
(Replaced Bowyer, 62) Today was a return to the Marlon of old. Bustling, awkward and a right pain in the backside to the opposition defence. Foiled by Lehmann early on he popped up in the right place at the right time to give us something to cheer at last.


Teddy Sheringham
(Replaced Zamora, 62) Every pass was accurate, he held the ball up well and brought other players into the game intelligently. Played a vital part in the goal.


Roy Carroll
Did not play.


Carlos Tevez
Did not play.



Match Facts

West Ham United: Robert Green, Jonathan Spector, Paul Konchesky, Anton Ferdinand, Danny Gabbidon, Hayden Mullins, Nigel Reo-Coker, Yossi Benayoun, Matthew Etherington, Lee Bowyer, Bobby Zamora.

Goals: Marlon Harewood 89                  .

Booked: Jonathan Spector 19 Yossi Benayoun 83 Marlon Harewood 90      .

Sent Off: None sent off.     .

Arsenal: Lehmann, Hoyte, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Gilberto, Fabregas, Hleb, Rosicky, Van Persie, Henry..

Subs not used: Almunia, Senderos..

Goals: .

Booked: Clichy (30), Van Persie (42)..

Sent off: None.

Referee: R.Styles.

Attendance: 34,969.

Man of the Match: Danny Gabbidon.