There's no point scoring a moral victory

West Brom - 1 Arsenal - 2:English Premiership: Few people could dispute the merits of Arsenal's victory here yesterday, yet it was difficult not to feel sympathy for West Brom.

Gary Megson's indefatigable players deserved their standing ovation at the end, but taking the lead after three minutes was always likely to be an act of impudence rather than anything more telling, particularly when there is such an imbalance of talent between the top of the Premiership and its basement.

If Arsenal - who had an 18-year-old back-up goalkeeper, Craig Holloway, on the bench after Rami Shaaban broke a leg during Christmas Eve training - had smouldered with irritation about Daniele Dichio scoring so early, they left it late before showing the extent of their displeasure.

Francis Jeffers, making his first Premiership start of the season, levelled matters with a long-overdue demonstration of his scoring talents, sweeping the ball past Russell Hoult early in the second half.

Then, with five minutes remaining, Thierry Henry hared away from the home defenders, dashed beyond the advancing Hoult and finished expertly to reinforce Arsenal's position at the Premiership's summit.

They now have a four-point advantage over second-placed Chelsea, to whom they play host on New Year's Day, with the small matter of Sunday's visit from Liverpool in between.

"Today was all about mental strength," Arsene Wenger, Arsenal's manager, said afterwards. "We might have drawn this game in the past, or maybe even lost 2-1. But when you dig deep anything is possible, and that is what we have done here."

Wenger, like so many winning managers before him, was generous in his praise of West Brom's endeavours.

"West Brom's game plan worked marvellously well and they were very determined," the Arsenal boss said. "It surprised me that West Brom made no defensive mistakes apart from the second goal, which was more down to fatigue."

However, Megson must be reaching the stage where these part-genuine, part-patronising sentiments are beginning to grate.

"It's good of him, but if I'm being honest I can't take an awful lot of solace from it," he said. His anguish may have been compounded by the fact that both Arsenal goals were easily avoidable and, as such, totally incongruous to the otherwise resilient nature of their defending.

Larus Sigurdsson was culpable for the first by hashing his attempt to clear Henry's low cross, leaving Jeffers with a simple finish, and Adam Chambers was at fault for the winner, aiming what should have been a routine clearance against an Arsenal player for Henry to snaffle up the ricochet.

Megson was so incensed he immediately substituted the guilty defender.

The home supporters might also have drifted away wondering what would have happened had Jason Roberts's shot, after a rare breakaway with the score at 1-1, been a couple of centimetres better placed instead of coming back off David Seaman's right-hand post.

That, however, did not conceal the fact that Arsenal's football belonged on a different plateau, particularly during a second half in which their attacking forays became increasingly beguiling.

At times, such was the congestion in the home penalty area it was tempting even to wonder whether Megson had abandoned his 3-5-2 formation for a new 9-1 system.

"It was always going to be difficult to hang on for 87 minutes," he reflected. "But we made mistakes for their goals that you can't make at any level, never mind the Premiership. You could be pleased with the things we are always pleased with - commitment, effort, honesty - but some of our passing was so bad it had to be seen to be believed."

But Megson insisted his side's confidence remains high despite two consecutive home games in which commitment and passion were only enough to garner a solitary point.

"It is not an issue of picking up our players. We know we've got to play cup-tie football every time we play from now on. We've been found wanting at times and I'm sure some of the players are disappointed. As a team and a club we are not getting results, but it is not entirely down to the players doing badly. It is down to simple fact that we have come up into a much higher standard of football."

Guardian Service

WEST BROM: Hoult, Sigurdsson, Moore, Gregan, Adam Chambers (Dobie 86), Johnson, Wallwork (James Chambers 84), Koumas, Clement, Roberts, Dichio. Subs Not Used: Murphy, Balis, Hughes. Booked: Dichio. Goals: Dichio 3.

ARSENAL: Seaman, Lauren, Keown, Campbell, Cole, Wiltord (Toure 80), Silva, Vieira, van Bronckhorst (Pires 69), Jeffers (Kanu 69), Henry. Subs Not Used: Upson, Holloway. Goals: Jeffers 48, Henry 85.

Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire).