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Thierry Henry's classy hat-trick helped Arsenal surge five points clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premiership as the Gunners denied dogged West Ham at Highbury.
Henry added yet more weight to his Player of the Year case by notching with his right and left foot either side of a clinical header - his first ever in the league with Arsenal.
West Ham's 12th defeat of the season saw them sink to the bottom of the table, though they will rue the 14th minute sending off of skipper Steve Lomas and the penalty that followed.
"You could argue for half-an-hour over every referee's decision - but you have to accept them," Wenger said afterwards. Glenn Roeder and the Hammers fans' evaluation was less breezy.
West Ham will also feel aggrieved at referee Mike Dean's decision not to stop play when Dennis Bergkamp appeared to strike Lee Bowyer before crossing for Henry to make it 2-1.
Arsenal, however, were well worth their 11th home victory and Roeder's side had a desperate defensive display and David James' heroics to thank for keeping the scoreline respectable.
Manchester United's victory at home to Chelsea had narrowed the gap at the top to two points, but a three-point haul rarely looked in doubt, despite the absence of skipper Patrick Vieira and Ashley Cole.
Understandably, their opponents' focus was on the battle for survival rather than the title race, and they showed enough to persuade even the most cynical of observers that they are too good to go down.
But they are 20th out of 20 again and, though defeat at the home of the champions is excuseable, they need three points desperately from Wednesday's clash with Charlton at The Valley.
Like the afternoon in north London, the action got off to a bright start.
Lomas wasted a promising position early on after Defoe robbed Lauren in the corner. Then Bergkamp did the same when he failed to convert Henry's perfect cross just two yards out at the other end.
But after a promising opening, West Ham's attempt to gain a first win since October 23 was effectively ended when Lomas was dismissed for what he deemed a professional foul on Robert Pires in the box.
Dean's decision to point to the spot was correct as Lomas had tugged Pires' arm as he surged clear on goal after collecting Bergkamp's pass, but to produce the red card seemed harsh in the extreme.
An unfazed Henry ruthlessly rammed home his first of the day from 12 yards, sending James the wrong way in the process. In doing so, he kicked off a period of dominance that looked set to last all afternoon.
James did his best to keep the Hammers in it, and his save from Henry just after the half hour was classy. He did even better two minutes later when he stopped Bergkamp's cute shot just inside his left post.
His impressive interventions appeared academic as Arsenal revved up their engine and pegged back an already overworked defence. Pires was the passmaster and his promptings looked full of goals.
Thus, an equaliser certainly wasn't in the script. But that is exactly what happened six minutes before the break.
Edu was harried into a mistake out wide on his side's left flank and mis-hit a back pass towards Seaman which was intercepted by the alert Defoe, who slipped his shot past Seaman after beating Sol Campbell.
That gift was as timely for West Ham as it was unexpected and it changed the atmosphere inside the ground completely, but Arsenal have seen it all before and reappeared in fiesty mood.
A whipped cross from Lauren forced James to clean up at the feet of an on-rushing Henry, who also tested the West Ham defence early in the second half, which fast became one-way traffic.
Edu, Bergkamp, Henry, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Gilberto Silva all speculated, but a combination of top-class goalkeeping, desperate defending and a dollop of good luck kept the champions at bay.
That was until the 71st minute - ironically after the Hammers had their best chance of the period. And if Arsenal's first goal involved an element of controversy, their second was positively overflowing with it.
Bergkamp appeared to elbow Bowyer as he held him at bay controlling a throw-in before crossing for Henry to pounce with a rare header that will no doubt delight Sky Sports expert Andy Gray.
With Bowyer still lying prone, West Ham angrily lobbied Dean - but he remained unmoved. Henry then removed any doubt when he rammed home the third four minutes from time after Pires had teed him up.
Roeder will no doubt point at more decisions going against his luckless side, but he would be better focussing on the positive. His team can still survive, but they need points quickly.
Arsenal remain Arsenal and the favourites for the title. And with Henry leading their line, they could be forgiven for dreaming of European glory too. It would take a brave man to bet against it!
MAN OF THE MATCH: THIERRY HENRY (ARSENAL)
Immaculate, inspired, deadly and a privelege to watch. He can apparently head the ball too!
Taken from skysports.com
Henry added yet more weight to his Player of the Year case by notching with his right and left foot either side of a clinical header - his first ever in the league with Arsenal.
West Ham's 12th defeat of the season saw them sink to the bottom of the table, though they will rue the 14th minute sending off of skipper Steve Lomas and the penalty that followed.
"You could argue for half-an-hour over every referee's decision - but you have to accept them," Wenger said afterwards. Glenn Roeder and the Hammers fans' evaluation was less breezy.
West Ham will also feel aggrieved at referee Mike Dean's decision not to stop play when Dennis Bergkamp appeared to strike Lee Bowyer before crossing for Henry to make it 2-1.
Arsenal, however, were well worth their 11th home victory and Roeder's side had a desperate defensive display and David James' heroics to thank for keeping the scoreline respectable.
Manchester United's victory at home to Chelsea had narrowed the gap at the top to two points, but a three-point haul rarely looked in doubt, despite the absence of skipper Patrick Vieira and Ashley Cole.
Understandably, their opponents' focus was on the battle for survival rather than the title race, and they showed enough to persuade even the most cynical of observers that they are too good to go down.
But they are 20th out of 20 again and, though defeat at the home of the champions is excuseable, they need three points desperately from Wednesday's clash with Charlton at The Valley.
Like the afternoon in north London, the action got off to a bright start.
Lomas wasted a promising position early on after Defoe robbed Lauren in the corner. Then Bergkamp did the same when he failed to convert Henry's perfect cross just two yards out at the other end.
But after a promising opening, West Ham's attempt to gain a first win since October 23 was effectively ended when Lomas was dismissed for what he deemed a professional foul on Robert Pires in the box.
Dean's decision to point to the spot was correct as Lomas had tugged Pires' arm as he surged clear on goal after collecting Bergkamp's pass, but to produce the red card seemed harsh in the extreme.
An unfazed Henry ruthlessly rammed home his first of the day from 12 yards, sending James the wrong way in the process. In doing so, he kicked off a period of dominance that looked set to last all afternoon.
James did his best to keep the Hammers in it, and his save from Henry just after the half hour was classy. He did even better two minutes later when he stopped Bergkamp's cute shot just inside his left post.
His impressive interventions appeared academic as Arsenal revved up their engine and pegged back an already overworked defence. Pires was the passmaster and his promptings looked full of goals.
Thus, an equaliser certainly wasn't in the script. But that is exactly what happened six minutes before the break.
Edu was harried into a mistake out wide on his side's left flank and mis-hit a back pass towards Seaman which was intercepted by the alert Defoe, who slipped his shot past Seaman after beating Sol Campbell.
That gift was as timely for West Ham as it was unexpected and it changed the atmosphere inside the ground completely, but Arsenal have seen it all before and reappeared in fiesty mood.
A whipped cross from Lauren forced James to clean up at the feet of an on-rushing Henry, who also tested the West Ham defence early in the second half, which fast became one-way traffic.
Edu, Bergkamp, Henry, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Gilberto Silva all speculated, but a combination of top-class goalkeeping, desperate defending and a dollop of good luck kept the champions at bay.
That was until the 71st minute - ironically after the Hammers had their best chance of the period. And if Arsenal's first goal involved an element of controversy, their second was positively overflowing with it.
Bergkamp appeared to elbow Bowyer as he held him at bay controlling a throw-in before crossing for Henry to pounce with a rare header that will no doubt delight Sky Sports expert Andy Gray.
With Bowyer still lying prone, West Ham angrily lobbied Dean - but he remained unmoved. Henry then removed any doubt when he rammed home the third four minutes from time after Pires had teed him up.
Roeder will no doubt point at more decisions going against his luckless side, but he would be better focussing on the positive. His team can still survive, but they need points quickly.
Arsenal remain Arsenal and the favourites for the title. And with Henry leading their line, they could be forgiven for dreaming of European glory too. It would take a brave man to bet against it!
MAN OF THE MATCH: THIERRY HENRY (ARSENAL)
Immaculate, inspired, deadly and a privelege to watch. He can apparently head the ball too!
Taken from skysports.com
Foreman wrote:
> Well he had to score with his head sometime. Shearer is always scoring
> headers, aswell as World Class goals.
*Smiles* :)
> Well he had to score with his head sometime. Shearer is always scoring
> headers, aswell as World Class goals.
*Smiles* :)
It's always surprised me that Henry doesn't score more with his head, because he's quite capable of out-jumping most people.
My main two criticisms of Arsenal at the moment are:
1. We don't score enough goals corners etc., I reckon - most of the team seem to be almost afraid of heading the ball - with the exception of Campbell, Keown and Cygan. Oh, and Bergkamp has scored a few with his head, too. I remember under George Graham a corner was almost as good as a penalty for Arsenal - Steve Bould or Big Tone would flick it on at the near post, and someone would be there (usually Wrighty!) to tuck it home. Doesn't happen any more - most of our corners are pretty useless - too low, too high, hit the first man etc.
2. We often lack a real 'killer instinct' - like against West Ham. We went one up, they went down to ten men - we looked like we were taking it for granted that we'd win. Even when we go two or three goals up, we seem to back off and settle for what we have. I'd like to see us go for the throat at all times. How many times have we been so in control of a game that you feel we could get the score into double-digits if we kept going? But we always slow down and settle for three goals, or whatever.
My main two criticisms of Arsenal at the moment are:
1. We don't score enough goals corners etc., I reckon - most of the team seem to be almost afraid of heading the ball - with the exception of Campbell, Keown and Cygan. Oh, and Bergkamp has scored a few with his head, too. I remember under George Graham a corner was almost as good as a penalty for Arsenal - Steve Bould or Big Tone would flick it on at the near post, and someone would be there (usually Wrighty!) to tuck it home. Doesn't happen any more - most of our corners are pretty useless - too low, too high, hit the first man etc.
2. We often lack a real 'killer instinct' - like against West Ham. We went one up, they went down to ten men - we looked like we were taking it for granted that we'd win. Even when we go two or three goals up, we seem to back off and settle for what we have. I'd like to see us go for the throat at all times. How many times have we been so in control of a game that you feel we could get the score into double-digits if we kept going? But we always slow down and settle for three goals, or whatever.
WòókieeMøn§†€® wrote:
> Whereas Owen couldn't score in a brothel!
>
> And yes, I'd BET on that! ;-p
Owen isn't really that good. He can score goals but he isn't a World Class striker, like some people say he is.
If you watch him when he has the ball. He never shoots with his left foot, instead he tries to move it onto his right foot and score and he normally misses when he does that.
> Whereas Owen couldn't score in a brothel!
>
> And yes, I'd BET on that! ;-p
Owen isn't really that good. He can score goals but he isn't a World Class striker, like some people say he is.
If you watch him when he has the ball. He never shoots with his left foot, instead he tries to move it onto his right foot and score and he normally misses when he does that.
WòókieeMøn§†€® wrote:
> Whereas Owen couldn't score in a brothel!
Of course not, he wouldn't have any money left after going down Ladbrokes.
*rimshot*
> Whereas Owen couldn't score in a brothel!
Of course not, he wouldn't have any money left after going down Ladbrokes.
*rimshot*
Foreman wrote:
> Well he had to score with his head sometime. Shearer is always scoring
> headers, aswell as World Class goals.
Whereas Owen couldn't score in a brothel!
And yes, I'd BET on that! ;-p
> Well he had to score with his head sometime. Shearer is always scoring
> headers, aswell as World Class goals.
Whereas Owen couldn't score in a brothel!
And yes, I'd BET on that! ;-p
If he carries on doing it he'll be great.
Well he had to score with his head sometime. Shearer is always scoring headers, aswell as World Class goals.
Why post that?
But yeah, I was gobsmacked with the 'scores a header' news.
But yeah, I was gobsmacked with the 'scores a header' news.
Thierry Henry's classy hat-trick helped Arsenal surge five points clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premiership as the Gunners denied dogged West Ham at Highbury.
Henry added yet more weight to his Player of the Year case by notching with his right and left foot either side of a clinical header - his first ever in the league with Arsenal.
West Ham's 12th defeat of the season saw them sink to the bottom of the table, though they will rue the 14th minute sending off of skipper Steve Lomas and the penalty that followed.
"You could argue for half-an-hour over every referee's decision - but you have to accept them," Wenger said afterwards. Glenn Roeder and the Hammers fans' evaluation was less breezy.
West Ham will also feel aggrieved at referee Mike Dean's decision not to stop play when Dennis Bergkamp appeared to strike Lee Bowyer before crossing for Henry to make it 2-1.
Arsenal, however, were well worth their 11th home victory and Roeder's side had a desperate defensive display and David James' heroics to thank for keeping the scoreline respectable.
Manchester United's victory at home to Chelsea had narrowed the gap at the top to two points, but a three-point haul rarely looked in doubt, despite the absence of skipper Patrick Vieira and Ashley Cole.
Understandably, their opponents' focus was on the battle for survival rather than the title race, and they showed enough to persuade even the most cynical of observers that they are too good to go down.
But they are 20th out of 20 again and, though defeat at the home of the champions is excuseable, they need three points desperately from Wednesday's clash with Charlton at The Valley.
Like the afternoon in north London, the action got off to a bright start.
Lomas wasted a promising position early on after Defoe robbed Lauren in the corner. Then Bergkamp did the same when he failed to convert Henry's perfect cross just two yards out at the other end.
But after a promising opening, West Ham's attempt to gain a first win since October 23 was effectively ended when Lomas was dismissed for what he deemed a professional foul on Robert Pires in the box.
Dean's decision to point to the spot was correct as Lomas had tugged Pires' arm as he surged clear on goal after collecting Bergkamp's pass, but to produce the red card seemed harsh in the extreme.
An unfazed Henry ruthlessly rammed home his first of the day from 12 yards, sending James the wrong way in the process. In doing so, he kicked off a period of dominance that looked set to last all afternoon.
James did his best to keep the Hammers in it, and his save from Henry just after the half hour was classy. He did even better two minutes later when he stopped Bergkamp's cute shot just inside his left post.
His impressive interventions appeared academic as Arsenal revved up their engine and pegged back an already overworked defence. Pires was the passmaster and his promptings looked full of goals.
Thus, an equaliser certainly wasn't in the script. But that is exactly what happened six minutes before the break.
Edu was harried into a mistake out wide on his side's left flank and mis-hit a back pass towards Seaman which was intercepted by the alert Defoe, who slipped his shot past Seaman after beating Sol Campbell.
That gift was as timely for West Ham as it was unexpected and it changed the atmosphere inside the ground completely, but Arsenal have seen it all before and reappeared in fiesty mood.
A whipped cross from Lauren forced James to clean up at the feet of an on-rushing Henry, who also tested the West Ham defence early in the second half, which fast became one-way traffic.
Edu, Bergkamp, Henry, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Gilberto Silva all speculated, but a combination of top-class goalkeeping, desperate defending and a dollop of good luck kept the champions at bay.
That was until the 71st minute - ironically after the Hammers had their best chance of the period. And if Arsenal's first goal involved an element of controversy, their second was positively overflowing with it.
Bergkamp appeared to elbow Bowyer as he held him at bay controlling a throw-in before crossing for Henry to pounce with a rare header that will no doubt delight Sky Sports expert Andy Gray.
With Bowyer still lying prone, West Ham angrily lobbied Dean - but he remained unmoved. Henry then removed any doubt when he rammed home the third four minutes from time after Pires had teed him up.
Roeder will no doubt point at more decisions going against his luckless side, but he would be better focussing on the positive. His team can still survive, but they need points quickly.
Arsenal remain Arsenal and the favourites for the title. And with Henry leading their line, they could be forgiven for dreaming of European glory too. It would take a brave man to bet against it!
MAN OF THE MATCH: THIERRY HENRY (ARSENAL)
Immaculate, inspired, deadly and a privelege to watch. He can apparently head the ball too!
Taken from skysports.com
Henry added yet more weight to his Player of the Year case by notching with his right and left foot either side of a clinical header - his first ever in the league with Arsenal.
West Ham's 12th defeat of the season saw them sink to the bottom of the table, though they will rue the 14th minute sending off of skipper Steve Lomas and the penalty that followed.
"You could argue for half-an-hour over every referee's decision - but you have to accept them," Wenger said afterwards. Glenn Roeder and the Hammers fans' evaluation was less breezy.
West Ham will also feel aggrieved at referee Mike Dean's decision not to stop play when Dennis Bergkamp appeared to strike Lee Bowyer before crossing for Henry to make it 2-1.
Arsenal, however, were well worth their 11th home victory and Roeder's side had a desperate defensive display and David James' heroics to thank for keeping the scoreline respectable.
Manchester United's victory at home to Chelsea had narrowed the gap at the top to two points, but a three-point haul rarely looked in doubt, despite the absence of skipper Patrick Vieira and Ashley Cole.
Understandably, their opponents' focus was on the battle for survival rather than the title race, and they showed enough to persuade even the most cynical of observers that they are too good to go down.
But they are 20th out of 20 again and, though defeat at the home of the champions is excuseable, they need three points desperately from Wednesday's clash with Charlton at The Valley.
Like the afternoon in north London, the action got off to a bright start.
Lomas wasted a promising position early on after Defoe robbed Lauren in the corner. Then Bergkamp did the same when he failed to convert Henry's perfect cross just two yards out at the other end.
But after a promising opening, West Ham's attempt to gain a first win since October 23 was effectively ended when Lomas was dismissed for what he deemed a professional foul on Robert Pires in the box.
Dean's decision to point to the spot was correct as Lomas had tugged Pires' arm as he surged clear on goal after collecting Bergkamp's pass, but to produce the red card seemed harsh in the extreme.
An unfazed Henry ruthlessly rammed home his first of the day from 12 yards, sending James the wrong way in the process. In doing so, he kicked off a period of dominance that looked set to last all afternoon.
James did his best to keep the Hammers in it, and his save from Henry just after the half hour was classy. He did even better two minutes later when he stopped Bergkamp's cute shot just inside his left post.
His impressive interventions appeared academic as Arsenal revved up their engine and pegged back an already overworked defence. Pires was the passmaster and his promptings looked full of goals.
Thus, an equaliser certainly wasn't in the script. But that is exactly what happened six minutes before the break.
Edu was harried into a mistake out wide on his side's left flank and mis-hit a back pass towards Seaman which was intercepted by the alert Defoe, who slipped his shot past Seaman after beating Sol Campbell.
That gift was as timely for West Ham as it was unexpected and it changed the atmosphere inside the ground completely, but Arsenal have seen it all before and reappeared in fiesty mood.
A whipped cross from Lauren forced James to clean up at the feet of an on-rushing Henry, who also tested the West Ham defence early in the second half, which fast became one-way traffic.
Edu, Bergkamp, Henry, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Gilberto Silva all speculated, but a combination of top-class goalkeeping, desperate defending and a dollop of good luck kept the champions at bay.
That was until the 71st minute - ironically after the Hammers had their best chance of the period. And if Arsenal's first goal involved an element of controversy, their second was positively overflowing with it.
Bergkamp appeared to elbow Bowyer as he held him at bay controlling a throw-in before crossing for Henry to pounce with a rare header that will no doubt delight Sky Sports expert Andy Gray.
With Bowyer still lying prone, West Ham angrily lobbied Dean - but he remained unmoved. Henry then removed any doubt when he rammed home the third four minutes from time after Pires had teed him up.
Roeder will no doubt point at more decisions going against his luckless side, but he would be better focussing on the positive. His team can still survive, but they need points quickly.
Arsenal remain Arsenal and the favourites for the title. And with Henry leading their line, they could be forgiven for dreaming of European glory too. It would take a brave man to bet against it!
MAN OF THE MATCH: THIERRY HENRY (ARSENAL)
Immaculate, inspired, deadly and a privelege to watch. He can apparently head the ball too!
Taken from skysports.com