Source: Daily_Mail
West Ham 0 Arsenal 3: Avram Grant's misery continues as Gunners claim easy win
With his West Ham team outclassed,the fans confused and the directors seemingly happy to send conflictingpre-match messages, Wayne Bridge's nightmare debut was all Avram Grantneeded. [LNB]When Bridge clumsily brought downArsenal's Theo Walcott 13 minutes from time, adding to his equallycalamitous first-half error, it looked like the end for the defiantIisraeli manager. [LNB]Bridge, on loan from Manchester Cityat wages of £90,000 a week and short of match practice, eventually wentoff nursing an injury.[LNB] Perfect start: Robin van Persie scores early on to put Arsenal in front[LNB]It might have been better if he hadnot started. Robin van Persie drilled his second of the evening, thistime from the penalty spot, and hundreds of home fans walked out. [LNB]Will a new man be in charge whennext they return to Upton Park? 'Sacked in a minute,' the Arsenal fanschanted to Grant as the final whistle approached. Hammers fans jeeredat the close of proceedings. [LNB]A couple of hours earlier,vice-chairman Karren Brady had suggested there might be an announcementon Grant's future after the game, while one of the club's owners, DavidGold, had argued that the manager should be left to get on with his jobfree from distractions.[LNB] [LNB] Delight: Robin van Persie celebrates after scoring the opening goal[LNB] [LNB]Some chance in this environment. Andwith the East-End drama so full of cloak and dagger, it was easy toforget that this impressive away victory kept Arsene Wenger's titledreams very much alive. [LNB]But the enduring image at the finalwhistle was of Grant throwing his Hammers scarf to the fans. Later hetried to shrug off the speculation to focus on the club's survivalfight, insisting: 'In my opinion, even though we are in this situation,we are close to being able to escape from relegation. There are seventeams in our position and two or three points is not a big difference.'[LNB]But the day had begun with ominousleaks about his future and his chances of overseeing the recovery bidlooked bleaker by the hour. 'Here comes David Sullivan,' one home fanhad said when he spotted the co-owner's Rolls-Royce before the match.'He's got Martin O'Neill in the boot!'[LNB] At the double: Theo Walcott scores Arsenal's second goal[LNB]Such is the farce, you were almosttempted to have a look, just in case. 'I'd rather not comment,' saidSir Trevor Brooking when asked how Grant had been treated by hisemployers. The silence said it all. [LNB]Around 30 TV and press cameraswaited for Grant to emerge from the tunnel before kick-off. When he waslate, some wondered whether he had been given his cards already, orfinally run out of patience with those who so shamelessly underminedhim. [LNB]But Grant is made of sterner stuff,and he came out arm in arm with Wenger, before receiving sympatheticapplause from home supporters near the dugout. [LNB]That tacit support soon evaporatedwhen Arsenal made their domination look easy for long stretches. True,a fine Freddie Sears flick set Zavon Hines free on a dangerous raid,but it came to nothing.[LNB] Is he pointing to the exit? Avram Grant watched his West Ham side comfortably beaten by Arsenal[LNB]West Ham's best first-half momentcame in the 23rd minute, when Carlton Cole cut through the Arsenaldefence and forced a desperate left-handed save from Wojciech Szczesny,Hines firing the rebound over. [LNB]Three minutes later, the home sideappealed for a penalty when Alex Song felled Cole, but referee AndreMarriner was not convinced of foul play. For the most part, however,Arsenal piled on the pressure. Grant's men, without injured captainScott Parker, looked second rate. [LNB]Walcott skipped happily down theright in the 13th minute and sent in a cross which, thanks to SamirNasri's lethal dummy, set up Van Persie to sidefoot the opener. Fourminutes before the break, Van Persie returned the earlier service fromWalcott with interest. [LNB]Under pressure near the byline, itwas something of a surprise when the Dutchman managed to cross it atall. Even more shocking was the way Bridge failed to deal with theadvancing Walcott, who simply slipped his guard to rifle home.[LNB] 'Sacked in the morning,' chantedArsenal fans. Some followers joined in. That soon became 'sacked in anhour'. Few of their hosts seemed to object, and Grant had boos ringingin his ears as he disappeared down the tunnel for possibly his lasthalf-time team talk in the job. [LNB]Having hit the post in the firsthalf - in addition to the other damage he had caused - Van Persiecontinued to confound the Hammers defence with a succession of shots. [LNB]Cesc Fabregas, victim of a terribleJulien Faubert yellow-card tackle early on, was relatively quiet as hehelped oil the Arsenal wheels. Yet, such was their superiority that hedid not need to shine too brightly. [LNB]Nasri squandered a gloriousopportunity to add a third when clean through, then came the penalty.Up in the stands, Gold looked frustrated, while Sullivan wore the faceof a man ready to hit someone. Brady adopted a ruthless squint. Noprizes for guessing where it was directed. [LNB] West Ham 0 Arsenal 3 - All the action as it happenedO'Neill favourite to replace Grant at West Ham as bookies slash oddsAll the latest West Ham news, features and opinionAll the latest Arsenal news, features and opinion[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Robin Van Persie, Theo Walcott, Martin O'Neill, Freddie Sears, Karren Brady, Carlton Cole, Wayne Bridge, David Sullivan, Trevor Brooking, Alex Song
