It was a difficult game for us as both side played different football styles. I missed the first 30 minutes due to Australia's Daylight Saving's change of time so I didn't get to see their first goal. We have always suffer against teams like Wigan and West Ham because of their styles. West Ham with their usually target-man style with a big striker up there and a bunch of midfields wander in and out of the penalty box.
West Ham was causing a lot of troubles until Diame cut through the left wing, around Ramsey with Mertesacker a bit hesitated with the decision to close him down or keep marking his man, either of those, the goal was well deserved with a lovely effort to curls it to the far corner.
Andy Carroll was incredible in the air as always. His job is to head the ball to his teammates which he did 17 out of 25 balls that came to him. Both Vermaelen and the big German Mertesacker were struggled to deal with him. With him, West Ham was abled to create chances and kept Arsenal at bay for most of the first half.
Not until the French international who hasn't got his first goal in the league, who also costs Arsene 12 million pounds scored from close range after a determined run from the striker in the 41st minute. The timing was the key of the goal. Giroud fed through to Podolski, he then ran through near the goal while Podi held his ball out wide and put the perfect ball in with the right speed with the right time. People said the goal was a good finish from Giroud but I don't think you can actually miss it from there, it was his run that got him the goal.
For the second half, West Ham took control most of the time and we were able to hold up the defence. After the match, Mertesacker also consolidated the statement that the defence was the key. We were quite blunt in attacking and couldn't exploit WH's defence. Until Walcott was brought on to replace the tired Ivorian Gervinho. Giroud fed him the ball in the 77th minute and he curls the ball low to the near post. We were lucky not to concede again when Nolan blasted it over the bar within 10 yards. 6 minutes later, Cazorla with a wonder goal with his weaker foot outside 25 yards.
So, what do we learn after the match? That our resilient completed the comeback? Or our defence did? They are both factors of the victory in Upton Park. For me, what I got out after the match is that without Arteta or Cazorla pivot the game, we will have some real troubles. Although Cazorla is setting headlines on articles at the moment, you can not miss the other Spaniard who leads the League in passing and third on successful tackles per game. He got the passing rate of 95% with 106/111 in this match. How incredible! I don't think we have won any game without him since, but I think I will have to check on that. He is consistent and is an ideal modern midfielder that everyone should be looking into.
Yet it was, Cazorla is the shining star with his settlement in somewhat the toughest league of all, becoming the core of Arsenal's traditional passing in what can be the season where they get their first trophy in 7 years.
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