Gunners move top after Hammers defeat

Denilson
12 April 2012

Arsenal overcame the sending off of defender Thomas Vermaelen to battle back to the top of the Barclays Premier League with a 2-0 win over struggling West Ham.

Denilson fired the Gunners in front after only five minutes as Arsene Wenger's men looked to leapfrog Manchester United and Chelsea, who do not play until Sunday.

However, Vermaelen was deemed to have been the last man when he pulled down Guillermo Franco, and was shown a straight red card, but Manuel Almunia saved Alessandro Diamanti's penalty and captain Cesc Fabregas made it 2-0 with nine minutes left from the same spot following a handball by Matthew Upson.

It had taken Arsenal just five minutes to go into the lead.

Denilson played a neat one-two with Nicklas Bendtner and the Brazilian needed no second invitation as he stepped into the penalty area before side footing a low shot into the bottom right corner.

However, Arsenal were reduced to 10 men a minute before the break when Vermaelen was, on the advice of the assistant, adjudged to have pulled down Franco as they chased a long ball into the box - and deemed the last man by referee Martin Atkinson who, from 20 yards away, went to his back pocket for the red card.

Wenger was fuming - but will feel justice was done when Almunia made a brilliant save down to his left to keep out Diamanti's spot-kick.

West Ham, though, failed to make the most of their extra possession but were still a danger and Carlton Cole cut inside and drilled a low shot onto the outside of the far post.

Arsenal, though, got themselves a two-goal cushion and some much-needed breathing space after Upson's handball with nine minutes left - and Fabregas made no mistake from the penalty spot as the Gunners recorded a sixth successive league victory.

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