Morning Gooners.

Doesn’t it make you just laugh, the so called ‘expert pundits’ on ESPN start discussing what is ahead for the day and the presenter can’t even pronounce the name of our little Spaniard.

Santi Corzola he called him, how ignorant is that? I sat there telling theΒ television, it’s CAZORLA, it’s b****y CAZORLA!!! (yes I did feel foolish after)

Anyway…..

Two changes from last weekend for yesterday’s fixture against West Ham which meant most of us got what we hoped for. Mertesacker and Giroud came in, giving us a bit more height and both ends.

We lined up:

Mannone Jenkinson Mertesacker Vermaelen Gibbs Gervinho Ramsey Arteta Cazorla Podolski Giroud

On the bench:

Martinez Koscielny Santos Coquelin Oxlade-Chamberlain Walcott Arshavin

Bearing in mind our injury list has grown recently, thatΒ wasn’tΒ a bad first eleven and the bench was pretty strong too, but would it be enough to stop Big Sam and his hoof ball tactics?

We came out of the blocks well and itΒ wasn’tΒ long before Podolski had our first chance from just outside the box which went wide. Olivier Giroud then forced a save from Jaaskelainen and from the resulting corner, Carroll cleared.

Santi Cazorla was the next to pop up with a shot which Reid blocked and from another corner; Carroll again headed away the danger.

Thomas Vermaelen was deemed to have tackled Carroll unfairly and from the resulting free kick, he made up for his naughtiness by clearing the cross from Noble.

We went onto earn yet another corner, Collins cleared for another, which Cazorla again crossed, this time Giroud got on the end of it but Carroll got in the way and blocked it.

Then from pretty much nothing, West Ham went 1-0 up. Ramsey was passed with ease by Diame just outside the penalty area and Merts was a bit too slow getting between the West ham player and the goal. Mannone had everything covered bar the top right hand corner, the very place where the ball ended up. Credit where it’s due, it was a top quality finish.

Diame went into the book for celebrating with his own fans….

Ramsey saw his shot go wide and just after, Diame, already on a yellow card,Β committedΒ a late tackle on Arteta – how heΒ didn’tΒ see red I am not sure.

Ah, it was Dowd!!

GiroudΒ had a chance to equalise when Giroud just failed to connect with Per Mertesacker’s flicked header through the six-yard box.

Reid was next in the book after hacking down Santi – that was the only way they could stop him yesterday, he was here, there and everywhere and West Ham had no answer.

Then, just asΒ half-timeΒ looked likely to come and go with us having a one goal deficit, we struck.

Podolski had possession on the left and supplied an inch perfect cross for Giroud, who had burst into the box, to blast home from close range.

A truly well deserved goal! And he broke his duck one game earlier than the great Thierry Henry.

We had a couple more corners which came to nothing.Β 1-1 and the half time whistle blew.

Soon into the second half and Cazorla was fouled again, this time by Kevin Nolan then shortly after, Wenger made his first change, one which was forced as Gibbs appeared to have picked up an injury.

West Ham have another chance but just as all the rest during the remainder of the match, it was off target, this one from Nolan went flying over the bar.

Just before the hour mark and earlier than usual, Wenger made the second change of the afternoon. Gervinho, who had been pretty awful all game, was replaced by Theo Walcott. No doubt there were others like me, who wondered which TH14 we would see on the pitch.

The next change was made by the home side, Vaz Te had just been through on goal but Mannone came out and saved well before the player got there. Instead of jumping over our Italian Stallion, he followed through with his leg and gave Mannone a kick around the back of his head. No foul, no yellow card, yet again. Maybe justice was done though when he fell awkwardly and dislocated his shoulder. Matthew Taylor came on in his place.

Cazorla was next up with a shot, unfortunately Walcott got in the way and blocked it, Giroud saw another chance go wide and then down the other end Carroll fluffed his header.

Olivier Giroud had an effort from just inside the box which went wide andΒ Kevin Nolan saw his chance go over the bar!

Santi had another shot blocked, Podolski forced a save from Jaaskelainen and then yet another corner found the head of Carroll! A couple more corners from us followed but again, they came to nothing.

Then it came, and what a goal it was too. After a great ball from Giroud into the path of Walcott, Theo carried on into the box and slotted the ball just inside the near post and passed a helpless, diving Jaaskelainen! Β 2-1…..

Like Diame earlier in the match, Walcott was booked for celebrating with the fans, mind you, the whole team could have been booked, they were all there with him.

Nolan again went close, but not close enough.

More corners for us, more shots, this time by Mertesacker and Giroud but again, nothing came of them.

Diame was replaced by replaced by Carlton Cole as West Ham went in search of an equaliser but unlucky for them, we were the ones to score another goal, the final goal of the game and what a stunner it was and so so well deserved.

Santi Cazorla had an outstanding game, as said earlier, West HamΒ didn’tΒ have a clue how to play against him, he simply was sublime and his finish was as good as his performance.

Walcott had the ball outside the penalty area and just as it looked like he’d lost it, he nicked the ball back and played it to the little Spaniard who rifled the ball into the top right hand corner.

Stunning!

The final change for us was Koscielny on for Podolski…..

It was over, we played the ball around the park for fun as theΒ Ole’s were heard loud and proud from the away fans who again, had been superb.

Just as the result was…….

3-1 to the good guys…..

Now it’s the International break, so let’s just pray for no injuries and a few of our already injured will be fit and ready to return when we head off up to face Norwich…..

Have a good day all……