Mickey Ambrose welcomes a spectacular win that should dispel relegation worries this season

West Ham were fifth from bottom as they went into the London Derby against Arsenal in one of the most competitive leagues in the world. And how they performed against a team still chasing League leaders Liverpool – showing the determination and resilience they will need to stay in the Premier League.

Their 0-1 win was a clear statement of intent. West Ham ended Arsenal’s 15-game unbeaten run and showed are not going anywhere. So long as they have the goal-scoring talents of Jarred Bowen and the grit of a defence that can resist the constant pressure from a team like Arsenal they will survive the pressure they have felt in recent weeks.

Until the Arsenal game they had won only seven games out of 25, with Manchester United hovering just above them. Who would ever have thought Manchester United would be in such a predicament!

Let’s be honest, during the Brentford game the Hammers were terrible in the first half conceding after just four minutes. It was the tenth goal conceded by them in the opening 10 minutes this season and that goal defined the game. There is one thing a manager tells the team before leaving the dressing room: be on your toes, keep the ball and keep it tight. West Ham did neither.

But new manager Graham Potter is finding solutions as the Arsenal performance showed. But the Brentford game illustrated the challenges. His switch to a back four didn’t work. Mavropanos and Max Kilman were exposed in central defence and a double pivot of Thomas Soucek and Edson Alvarez lacked drive. Kudos struggled in the central role and Potter could not find a way to make the most of being able to start both Bowen and Paqueta for the first time.

To be fair West Ham huffed and puffed to blow down Brentford’s resolute wall but to no avail. There were further flurries with Paqueta and Scarles going close but it was Kevin Schade’s fourth minute opener that sealed West Ham’s fate in the end.

How the mood has changed with the win at the Emirates! It should be a turning point in a disappointing season, and Potter will want to build upon the momentum that the victory creates.

West Ham’s former boss David Moyes has transformed Everton, something the Hammers fans have wished for with Potter joining. With Moyes in charge Everton have taken 14 points from their seven games. Only Arsenal matched that tally in that time.

That’s why the Everton v West Ham match on 15 March is a big moment for both teams and for their managers.

Elsewhere, there is no sign of who will be the Chair of the Independent Football Regulator. Although there has been a mixed response to the new regulatory body, fans up and down the country say the new body must be effective. It’s a theme I reinforced in my interview on Sky Sports News. See it here:

Newham Voices will keep you posted as always if there are any further developments.

Let us hope West Ham finds the right gears to climb up the table or they could be heading for the Championship!

Mickey Ambrose is a former Chelsea and Charlton player who lives in Stratford

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