WHUFC vs Arsenal -- January 12th, 2019

Gosh darmnit these early morning kick-offs play havoc with one's sleep pattern...

I read an article in the paper earlier that the English swear more than Americans... which I guess is very true... it feels weird saying the softer things... but fortunately the swear word blockers keep me in line around here.

Anyway... 4:25am

on...

a...

saturday....

I know... it's only just the end of the New Year break so it's not like I've been up and at work all week... but in some ways that makes it harder because you end up staying up way later... so to then switch around to getting up at a time with a 4 at the front of it is just crazy...

But I'll try my best...

After all... what would y'all do if I weren't siting here on my tod in the middle of the night waxing senselessly about West Ham?

and here we go...

WHU kick off playing left t right in the obvious claret and blue

Are are in their sky blue strip - which makes it look like we're laying our away team...

Rice misses pass and almost concedes possession outside the box but it's all West Ham at the mo'

the mo' being one minute and forty seven seconds...

7- 29 - 9

that's the record for this fixture...

West Ham 7 wins...

Arsenal - 29 wins

9 draws...

Arnie is playing... hopefully he's fully fit (physically as well as mentally) not sure hat to make of the sales to China rumors...
There was a time when the bosses would have driven a player across the globe just on the promise of 35 million....
I'd be more inclined to be worried or believe them if the claim hadn't been made that he'd want to go to China to 'win things'.

He could win things by joining the local Boy Scout group... but that's hardly what it's about.

noble is playing...

tees up a nice one-two on the edge of the Arsenal box but then seems so surprised to actually get the ball back that he just taps the ball pointlessly to the Arsenal keeper and falls to his knees in surprise...

Lacazette hoofs a shot wide from distance... it's been pretty consistent West Ham pressure thus far... only 81 minutes to go to hold onto a nil-nil draw

Ogbonna climbs high to try to get on a looping corner kicks but misses it completely.

Anderson gathers the balls and weaves his way through the Arsenal defense and tries to curl a shot form the edge of the 'd' but it goes wide...

stilll nothing form Arsenal really but that doesn't mean it's not coming...

West Ham United: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble, Rice, Antonio, Nasri, Felipe Anderson, Arnautovic.
Subs: Carroll, Snodgrass, Adrian, Obiang, Masuaku, Lucas Perez, Diangana.

half way thru the half...

Arse have had their moments but we're still holding the majority of possession...

Nasri sends a shot just wide

Arnie is looking a bit isolated up front... don't get me started on the one-up-front notion...

game stats have it 50/50

so my reporting must be a little biased...

West Ham playing... the west ham way...

Cresswell (who's looked good on his recent return) makes a great defensive challenge...

Zabaleta, Noble and Antonio all make great midfield interceptions and all manage to give away possession in the same move..

Up front, Arnie and Nasri can't quite get it together but then Anderson fizzes a shot just wide of the post...

33minutes gine

right at the end of the half... more West Ham pressure results in a corner... Rice gets a free header in the box but is probably so surprised that he drags the ball wide of the post when it looked easier to put it in the back of the net...

1 minute of added time...

well matched game, dare I say we're the better team...

Half time ends all square...

45 minutes to get something out of this (although I guess wed all have taken a point before kick-off)

well we won the battle of the half time highlights 4-2

and there you have it...

totally deserved...

West Ham keep up the pressure after a free kick for a foul on Anderson...

in the follow-up play... anderson digs down at the touchline... plays the ball back into the area... Arse can only clear to the edge of the box, the ball falls to Rice and he slams it into the back of the net...

Arse go straight up the other end but Fabianski is more than a match for them...

So young Declan gets his first ever senior goal... and what a beauty.

GOAL! West Ham United 1-0 Arsenal (Rice 48)

Anderson comes straight back at Arsenal with a scamper down the right. He reaches the byline and tugs the ball back. Xhaka’s attempted clearance is no good. Nasri intercepts and tees up Rice, who pearls his first goal for West Ham United into the top right! He wheels away in sheer delight! What a moment for the young man!

Antonio's poorly thought out across the box pass gets easily intercepted and allows Arsenal a free shot on goal which fortunately goes wide...

No more of those please Michael

50 min: The joy on Rice’s face was something to behold there. That really meant something. And what a fine finish, calmly dispatched into the top corner. Arsenal respond well. First Lacazette drives down the left, and there’s a bit of pinball before Fabianski gathers. Then Aubameyang wins Arsenal’s first corner of the afternoon down the right; Xhaka’s set piece bounces straight through the box and out for a goal kick.

54 min: Guendouzi latches onto a very poor Antonio pass and looks for the bottom-left corner from 25 yards. It’s not far wide, but Fabianski always had that covered. “Arise Sir Declan Moore!” chirps Brian Withington. “Is it too soon/heretical to detect more than a passing resemblance between Declan Rice and a young Robert Moore? Their tackling and interceptions similarly effortless too. Please God/Gareth let him pick England.”

Arsenal send on a couple of subs... hopefully this will make no difference at all...

Another Arse player in the book.

Declan is the first teenager to score for us since Stanislas in 2009

Arsenal get in behind us but shoot over the bar... stop it!

When Anderson plays well - we do well.

It's simple math

He played well there... nicked the ball of an Arse player... set up and attack, dribbled in the box and was bundled off the ball

65 minutes played...

Again we're sliced open

Again Arsenal shoot wide...

They've had 1 shot on target thus far...

Ramsy's arrival has definitely sparked Arsenal into life... they're now bringing on some string Carroll looking dude...

and we're looking to bring on the real Andy Carroll and Snodgrass..

Nasri and Arnautovic make way...

never sure of the wisdom of subbing players in the middle of a corner kick...

and hope this isn't the last we see of Arnie...

from the Guardian...

71 min: Before it can be taken, Nasri is replaced by Snodgrass, while Arnautovic makes way for Carroll. As he departs, he spins through 360 degrees and ostentatiously applauds. A goodbye to the fans?


oooh... I wish people wouldn't speculate like tat... makes me right proper nervous...

(but I did think the same thing)

we hit the 75 minute mark...

15 minutes to hang on or increase the lead...

we could do with three points...

from the BBC:

72 mins
Post update
West Ham 1-0 Arsenal
Marko Arnautovic took off his gloves and waved to all sides of the ground on his way off.

As charades go it is a very good attempt at 'China Calling'.

Apparently he is a £35m target for a CSL side.