West Ham United vs. Arsenal: Score, Grades and Reaction to Premier League Game

Arsenal overcame a rough first half to beat West Ham United 2-1 on Sunday at Boleyn Ground, with the Gunners once again ruthlessly efficient in front of goal. The hosts dominated the first half but went into half-time down two scores, and they never recovered in the second half.

A sloppy start to the match saw both teams playing long ball after long ball without any real results.

Alex Song thought he had opened the score inside the first 10 minutes when he rifled home from a corner, but the official saw the ball pass through a crowd of players and gave the offside:

The former Gunner didn't appear to celebrate even before the offside was given, a sign of respect toward his longtime team-mates.

Diafra Sakho wanted a penalty minutes later after Mathieu Debuchy appeared to make a lot of contact in the box, but again, the official ruled in favour of the Gunners. The Hammers were in control of the match at that point, dominating the battle for possession.

The pace of the match soon dropped, however, with little danger produced in the first half.

A plethora of high crosses were easily gathered or attacked by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, and the Gunners handled West Ham's press quite well.

But just as it looked like the match was headed for a scoreless first half, Winston Reid brought down Santi Cazorla in the box. The official correctly ruled it was a penalty, as noted by the Daily Telegraph's Matt Law:

The Spaniard lined up to take the spot-kick himself and converted, giving Arsenal the lead:

West Ham were reeling from the setback and Arsenal took advantage before half-time. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain broke free on the wing before finding Danny Welbeck with an excellent pass, and the England international didn't miss from close range.

TV personality Piers Morgan was happy with the unexpected two-goal advantage:

The score remained 2-0 going into half-time, with Arsenal managing just two shots on goal during the first half.

The Gunners took the initiative early in the second half, determined not to let the hosts back into the match. Francis Coquelin was excellent breaking up play in midfield, putting in an excellent performance against one of the league's most physical sides.

To their credit, the Hammers didn't grow desperate and finally pulled one back in the 54th minute. Cheikhou Kouyate climbed highest to meet a lovely cross, and the ball deflected off Debuchy and into the net, via ESPN FC:

Cazorla nearly restored the two-goal deficit minutes later, but his low effort was well parried by Adrian.

West Ham regained control of the ball and switched tactics, employing more of a short passing game. Enner Valencia was introduced in favour of Sakho, adding more pace to the hosts' attack.

The better chances were for the visitors, however, and Adrian needed to produce another fine save to deny Alexis Sanchez from putting the match to rest. ESPN FC saw the stopper make save after save:

Oxlade-Chamberlain continued his fine afternoon, and his pace on the counter-attack meant West Ham couldn't fully commit to the attack. The score was still 2-1 after 90 minutes, but numerous substitutions meant the official would add five minutes.

West Ham threw everyone forward but couldn't find the goal to salvage a point, and the Gunners held on for a 2-1 win.

Notable Match Grades

Julian Finney/Getty Images

Francis Coquelin: B+

Coquelin didn't provide much in the attacking third, but his defensive contributions were fantastic. He broke up attacks with timely interceptions and a number of strong tackles, earning himself some more playing time in 2015.

Mathieu Debuchy: D

Debuchy has all the talent in the world, but he's yet to really impress during his time with Arsenal. He failed to challenge Kouyate on West Ham's goal and was routinely caught out of position going up against Valencia, struggling to keep up with the forward's pace.

Alex Song: C+

The former Gunner didn't have his best outing of the season on Sunday, providing little on the offensive end and routinely losing the battle against the inexperienced Coquelin.

Post-Match Reaction

Retired footballer Jan Aage Fjortoft thought Arsenal's dominant showing in recovering the ball was key:

Eurosport.com was just happy it got to watch a fun match, praising Welbeck for his key goal:

Arsene Wenger saw a scrappy battle on Sunday, but told reporters those matches are part of English football, per the club's official Twitter feed:

Post-Match Outlook

The win sees Arsenal leap over West Ham and into the top five of the standings, level on points with Southampton. The Saints drew with league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, and they'll be the first team the Gunners face in 2015.

West Ham's push for one of the European tickets at the end of the season took a hit on Sunday, but with Tottenham also dropping points against Manchester United, the Hammers still sit in the top six and within striking distance of Arsenal and Southampton.

A home fixture against West Bromwich Albion should see the club return to their winning ways.

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