The fact that Italian striker Paolo Di Canio was making his first start for
more than four months since his infamous push on referee Paul Alcock was almost
forgotten by the final whistle as Arsenal ran riot at Upton Park.
That the Italian this time managed to make it through an entire 90 minutes
without assaulting a referee or ending up in a fight was at least something of
an improvement from that shameful day at Hillsborough on September 26.
On that occasion, he had a bust-up with Patrick Vieira and Martin Keown, and
then infamously shoved Alcock to the ground to earn himself an 11-match ban.
As fate would have it, Arsenal were the opponents yet again for his first
start since then after leaving Sheffield Wednesday for West Ham and Alcock was
simultaneously returning to Premiership action at Nottingham Forest.
But while the Gunners sunk to a late defeat at Hillsborough that day, to leave
them ninth in the table, this time around they presented a completely different
proposition.
Di Canio was hardly involved in the action at all while Dutchmen Dennis
Bergkamp and Marc Overmars opened the scoring as Arsenal comprehensively seized
control of the game in the first half.
Despite a brief West Ham revival at the start of the second period, Arsene
Wenger's side completed the scoring late on with strikes from Nicolas Anelka to
end his barren spell and Ray Parlour.
For make no mistake, this was a statement of huge intent by Arsenal.
While they have picked up 16 points out of a possible 18 in their previous six
games, they had not managed to completely outplay any side or rediscover their
goalscoring touch.
This was completely different and West Ham were left breathless at the end of
a completely one-sided match.
Di Canio, who had been a late substitute at Wimbledon last weekend following
his £1.7million move from Wednesday, was greeted on his home debut by huge
cheers and even Italian operatic music on the loudspeakers.
But despite some determined runs and incisive passes early on, he was marked
out of the first half by the hugely impressive Keown and found himself sprawling
on the ground after one foul which earned Nigel Winterburn a booking.
Arsenal's early threats came through a deflected shot from Parlour which
keeper Shaka Hislop managed to block and two shots off target by Anelka.
But after soaking up the Hammers' early pressure, Arsenal remorselessly
exerted control over central midfield through Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel
Petit.
They should have taken the lead when Overmars rounded Hislop and shot
goalwards from a tight angle, only for full-back Tim Breacker to slide in to
clear the ball off the line.
But there was no stopping them when Bergkamp showed his class on 34 minutes.
Picking up the ball just inside the West Ham half, he glided effortlessly
towards goal, shaking off an attempted trip by Marc-Vivien Foe on his home
debut, and guiding his well-struck shot inside the post from 20 yards out.
Credit must also go to referee Jeff Winter, who allowed play to continue
despite Foe's foul on Bergkamp and booked the midfielder after the Dutchman had
scored.
West Ham patently failed to heed the warning signs, continued to gift Arsenal
far too much space in midfield and were desperately vulnerable to wave after
wave of counter-attacks.
Just before the break, after another flowing move involving Bergkamp and
Parlour, Overmars was left in space just 10 yards out.
His first effort was blocked well by Hislop but the Dutchman made no mistake
with his follow-up as the ball sneaked inside the upright.
The Hammers introduced creative midfielder Eyal Berkovic after the break for
full-back Breacker and switched from 4-4-2 to their normal 3-5-2 formation.
Berkovic immediately made an impact, forcing David Seaman to tip one forceful
shot over the bar, but his team-mates were simply unable to match his example.
And by the final stages, they were visibly tiring as Arsenal ruthlessly took
full advantage.
First Anelka, who last scored a Premiership goal at the end of November,
twisted and turned inside the penalty area on 82 minutes to leave Ian Pearce and
Rio Ferdinand sprawling helplessly on the ground before shooting home.
Then, with just four minutes left, Parlour rounded off the scoring as he
knocked home the rebound after Overmars' shot had been blocked on the line by
Pearce.
The sponsors announced their man of the match at the end and even the home
fans had to laugh when the name was read out - Paolo Di Canio. Surely some
mistake?
Teams:
West Ham: Hislop, Breacker (Berkovic 46), Dicks, Ferdinand,
Pearce, Foe, Lampard, Minto, Sinclair, Kitson, Di Canio.
Subs Not Used: Forrest, Lazaridis, Cole, Moncur.
Booked: Foe, Dicks.
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Vieira, Adams, Anelka,
Bergkamp, Overmars, Keown, Parlour, Petit.
Subs Not Used: Manninger, Hughes, Garde, Upson, Diawara.
Booked: Winterburn.
Goals: Bergkamp 35, Overmars 45, Anelka 83, Parlour 87.
Att: 26,042
Ref: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).
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