For the fourth time this season, Ramsey finishes very neatly

WEST HAM UNITED 1
ARSENAL 2

ARSENE Wenger often talks about sending out a team to win the game when resting a few first teamers in the domestic cup competitions.

Against West Ham I think he did. There was logic in giving the squad players (Fabianski, Silvestre, Wilshere, Merida and Vela) a run out and sense too in giving some of the regulars of recent weeks a breather ahead of two league games in four days.

Crucial – and this hasn’t always been the case in the Carling Cup – was that if there were not obvious replacements available, the first teamer played. Hence Gallas, Vermaelen and Sagna all starting. Equally, in the league cup we rarely see heavyweight back-up on the bench as we did with Nasri and Diaby yesterday. That was crucial.

We started poorly. In fact our first 65 minutes weren’t a lot to shout about. To me the run of the Upton Park pitch looked less true than TV pictures would initially suggest and I’ve long been of the opinion that we never look brilliantly equipped to play on surfaces less than perfect.

Silvestre was getting exposed, Merida started decently but then couldn’t put a pass together and Jack Wilshere never found his rhythm. Further up the field, Eduardo was unsure of touch and Vela at times unsure of anything, despite the odd decent moment.

Their goal came on the stroke of half-time and any blame should lie with the defenders who played the attacker on, rather than Fabianski who did his best and was a little unlucky.

We then saw the kind of chasing and harrying from some West Ham players that suggested this could be their day but in front of a spookily less than full Upton Park (I can’t really ever remember that happening previously), you sensed the home team were a side whose confidence was brittle.

And when Arsene did the bleedingly obvious and replaced Wilshere and Merida with Nasri and Diaby, things began to change. After one impressive double save by Green he could do little to stop a left footed shot whipped across him from 10 yards.

For the fourth time this season we were applauding Aaron Ramsey for an impressive finish. Some people bemoan his habit of sometimes giving the ball away but for me it’s the flip side to his ability to fashion great things from apparently not that much at crucial moments. As I’ve said before, when you’re chasing a game, there is always the possibility something might happen with him and that’s something that will serve him well.

Revitalised, the second arrived four minutes later. Vela had already claimed one assist when flicking neatly into Ramsey’s path and now he had a second. A delicious outswinging cross and Eduardo did (and Arshavin for that matter) specialise in – namely making the keeper look a little slow to react. A thumping header in front of the excellent away support and the fourth round beckoned.

The commentators reckoned it hard on West Ham but really at 1-0 down this was a game where whatever we got would be what we deserved. Fail to score and we could have no complaints but haul it back and you have to take your hat off to the team.

I’m going to abbreviate the player ratings today as I’m off back to work in a minute (ye hay!). Fabianski (7) could do nothing on the goal and pulled off one good save, Silvestre (6) was ok going forward but ropey at the back. Gallas (6.5) and Vermaelen (6.5) did what needed to be done, as did Sagna (6.5) who battled despite things not always going his way.

Merida (6) started well but then had a bit of a nightmare, Song (7) provided much needed stability and Ramsey (7.5) much needed spark. Wilshere (6) struggled and after giving the ball away once near our goal learned seconds later that at this level trying to then take everyone on in a similar position a few seconds later can be a mistake. Eduardo (7) has taken absurd amounts of criticism of late. Sure, his confidence has looked a little down, but we’re knocking in the goals at the moment and if he’d been getting them someone else wouldn’t and people would probably be on that person’s back. If you think the 7 is generous then I’d remind you what he is there to do. Vela gets his (7) for coming good when needed.

Diaby in particular (7.5) and Nasri (7) looked class acts when they came on.