Two players with big question marks hanging around their careers for different reasons, did their talking, like they should, on the pitch as Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott notched up a goal and an assist each to give Arsenal a brilliant 3-1 victory over West Ham in the English Premier League.
Santi Cazorla, yet again showed exactly why he is turning out to be the signing of the season, scoring an absolute peach of a third goal, after the Gunners had fought back from going a goal down in the London Derby.
Arsenal started the game better, and like they always do, enjoyed the bulk of the possession, but lacked any real penetration. Against the run of play, West Ham scored the opening goal in the 21st minute, and what a goal it was. George McCartney played a harmless looking ball to Mohamed Diame down the left-hand channel.
The Ivory Coast international nutmegged Aaron Ramsey, before curling a delightful finish into the top corner from a tight angle - not too bad for a defensive midfielder.
The Gunners, however, refused to be bogged down by the goal, increasing the pressure on the West Ham defense, which hadn't really been troubled too much until then. A couple of half-chances came and went, before the goal that Giroud had been waiting so desperately for arrived.
With four minutes remaining, and West Ham seemingly on their way to a first half lead as Sam Allardyce was grinning from ear to ear on the touchline, a great piece of play from Arsenal cut the defense wide open.
Lukas Podolski made a run down the left, before playing a dangerous ball to the penalty box. Giroud, making a nice run from outside the box, showed desire to get to the ball and finished brilliantly with his left-foot.
West Ham, however, started the second half better, controlling possession, with their defensive midfielder Diame their creative force. Everything good about West Ham, though, was going through Andy Carroll, the striker making his first start since returning from injury, a constant threat in the air. Carroll was constantly the first to win the ball, with even the considerable height of Per Mertesacker not enough to stop the England international.
But for all their aerial prowess, West Ham rarely threatened Vito Mannone, and as Arsenal slowly started to grow into the second half, the goal seemed more likely to come from an Arsenal boot.
Wenger, who was forced to bring on Andre Santos early in the second half for the injured Kieran Gibbs, brought on Theo Walcott, the forward who is yet to agree a new contract with the Gunners, and it turned out to be a masterstroke.
The 23-year-old is at his most dangerous when running on the shoulder of the defenders, his searing pace meaning he will always be dangerous on the counterattack. And from such a counterattack, started by, who else, but Cazorla, Arsenal found the winner.
After Mertesacker intercepted the ball from Diame nicely inside the box, the ball fell to Cazorla, who then gave it to Giroud, the French international striker showing great vision to pick out Walcott, who had taken advantage of a static West Ham defense.
Walcott took the ball well in his stride, and then produced a masterful curling finish past Jussi Jaaskelainen to give Arsenal the lead in the 77th minute. If the Gunners fans were worried about enduring a few nervous moments as West Ham bombarded them with long balls, the nerves were settled by the brilliance of Cazorla.
The Spanish international took a pass from Walcott, before smashing a pure strike with his left foot, that was worthy of winning any contest.
Arsenal, then, held on comfortably in the final moments to take home all three points, and move up to fifth in the table with 12 points from seven games.
