The Game

I am a personal fan of the kids who play in the Carling Cup, but sometimes you have to admit that some of them still lack in experience and the substitutions made by Arsene clearly showed that important players can bring important results.

Not that Jack Wilshere had a bad game, far from that, but Fran Merida failed in anything he tried and substituting him was the only way to end his misery out there.

Another key to the game was shifting Carlos Vela to the left and moving Eduardo to the middle. They started the other way round in the first half and that, simply, didn’t work out. Glad to take a small revenge after being called all sorts of things for calling Carlos a pure left winger in the match preview.

Enjoy the photo, Dudu and Carlos have a special chemistry during FA Cup games. And by the way, we face Stoke City, away from home, in the next round.

West Ham vs Arsenal: Eduardo and Carlos Vela

Match Video Highlights

Match video highlights are available in the Videos section of our website. If not there yet, rest assured they will be up in a matter of hours.

Player Ratings

Fabianski: 7,5 – Brilliant save to keep us in the game in the second half and an overall brilliant performance. More and more a contender for a regular place.

Silvestre: 4,5 – Completely lost his marker who went on to give West Ham the lead and was Diamanti’s favourite target throughout the game.

Gallas and Vermaelen: 7 – Worked their socks off for the whole 90 minutes, surging forward when required in those tense moments of the second half.

Sagna: 6 – Looked very uncomfortable on the ball, mostly because he was closed down straight away. And unfortunately, when he had space to cross, he rarely delivered a good one.

Merida: 4 – Poor Fran failed in anything he tried this afternoon. He will learn from this though, that’s for sure.

Song: 7,5 – A little clumsy in some of his first touches and seemed to lose his head in the first half, but what a player to have in midfield. And now I can official say it: you’ll be missed big boy.

Wilshere: 6,5 – Apart from not clearing the ball and gifting West Ham two golden opportunities, Jack did well in midfield, winning important free kicks and doing well when called into action.

Ramsey: 8,5 – What a player he is, Aaron. Those 20-some games promised by Wenger look so little now, he deserves more.

Eduardo: 6,5 – A much better second half and that goal was so like the old Dudu. Made his presence felt when he was needed the most.

Vela: 7,5 – It is clear as water he’s not comfortable in the center. A complete different player, in the second half, when he was shifted on the left, causing all sorts of trouble to the West Ham defense. Involved in both goals, the cross for the second one had to be THAT perfect, and it was.

(Subs)
Nasri and Diaby: 7 – Changed the game these two. Watching Abou race backwards to win the ball in midfield was another clear example of how changed the Frenchman is. Was so relieved to see him back on his feet after that horrible challenge from Jimenez and glad to see the Chilean quick to apologise.