After a fast paced opening spell, where we had a few half chances and most of the play, we faded from the game. Break away chances were few and far between, and frequently resulted in a poor final ball, or someone losing the ball as he had a lack of options around him. Jose and Hleb were making similar runs, and refused to shoot when presented with a sight of goal.
This has become a theme over the past few years, but has been exacerbated by the absence of Henry for long periods, and to a lesser extent Bergkamp and Pires. This is now a far more serious problem than it has ever been before, and one that needs to be addressed if we are to improve our so far poor away form. Teams aren't going to give us an inch, and so we need to be having a go whenever we can. If there is one thing Chelsea proved last year, it was just that, shoot on site. Have a go, and there is always a chance that it will either go straight in, get a deflection and go in, or win us a corner / throw in. What have we got to lose? It can't be any worse than what we are currently doing, so why not give it a go?
It was a game of few clear chances. Zamora could have given West Ham the win if he had been able to connect with a cross late on, and Freddie could well have given us the three points if his first touch hadn't let him down late on. A draw was a fair result on the balance of play.
Arsenal Man of The Match – Sol Campbell
Jens Lehmann (7) While he didn't have many shots to save, his sweeping around the area and cross gathering earns him a good score.
Ashley Cole (7) Good going forward, and saw to his defensive duties.
Sol Campbell (8) A fine defensive display. His hard tackling was a welcome boost, and he covered an amazing amount of ground over the course of the game.
Kolo Toure (7) Always looks better playing next to Sol, and this was no exception..
Lauren (6) Much the same as Cole. He went forward, and stuck to his defensive job as well.
Alexander Hleb (6) Plenty of excellent dribbling, but no final ball or shooting.
Cesc Fabregas (6) Better than his display against Everton, but still lacking something.
Gilberto (7) A standard solid display.
Freddie Ljungberg (6) Faded away after a bright start. Could have stolen all three points at the end, but he missed his chance.
Jose Reyes (7) He, like Hleb, refused to shoot when presented with a chance. When he did shoot, it was easy for Carroll to cover it. Where are the efforts such as his very first goal for the club? Remember Jose, you can shoot from there!
Robin Van Persie (6) Only had a few half chances. I was surprised to see him taken off and be replaced by a midfielder, as he isn't going to be playing against Ajax.
Subs:
Mathieu Flamini (6) Replaced the injured Gilberto.
Quincy (6) One burst into the West Ham area, but very little after that.
Gael Clichy (6) Didn't get into the game.