The West Brom manager as Zebedee, Ivan Drago and a rather jaunty hat

• Striker has impressed since loan move from Arsenal
• Club also want to extend Marc-Antoine Fortune’s stay

West Brom manager Tony Mowbray wants Arsenal loanee Jay Simpson to remain with the Baggies for another season and has held conversations with Arsenal about retaining the services of the striker, who was brought in during the winter transfer window.

Simpson has impressed at the Hawthorns, alongside fellow on-loan forward Marc-Antoine Fortune, although it remains to be seen whether he would want to stay if West Brom are relegated.

“It’s something we’ve tiptoed into with Arsenal. At this moment we’ll keep those conversations in-house,” said Mowbray. “But it is something we’ve explored - and we’ll see what’s decided in the longer term.”

Fortune, on-loan from Nancy, is another player Mowbray is keen to retain. “Marc knows we would like to keep him regardless of what happens. He’s shown his quality and talent,” said the manager. “But we’re not in the driving seat. He’ll probably sit down at the end of the season and decide what he thinks. There is no lockdown for us in his contract.

“We can’t just say, ‘You’re staying’, regardless of what happens. It’s an open-ended contract. If we were to go down and he decided he didn’t want to play in the Championship, he wouldn’t have to.”

Mowbray has also revealed his interest in Swindon’s 27-goal striker Simon Cox. “I think a lot of people are keeping an eye on Simon Cox. He is scoring a few goals and you’re not doing your job if you’re not looking at him,” he said.

The best images from the three top-flight clashes on Tuesday night

• Referee decides stray elbow did not merit red card
• Greening defends his former manager Megson

The West Brom centre-back Jonas Olsson has escaped Football Association punishment following a clash which left the West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green requiring smelling salts.

Green was caught by Olsson’s elbow during the stalemate at Upton Park last night but the referee Mark Halsey looked at the incident again and told the FA he would not have given a red card. The Hammers goalkeeper needed lengthy treatment and bit a small part of his tongue off after attempting to claim a cross which was headed against the crossbar by Shelton Martis.

Gary Megson will be facing his former club when Bolton make the trip to The Hawthorns at the weekend. The former Albion manager has received criticism from Bolton fans but has been backed by the West Brom captain, Jonathan Greening.

“I think it is totally unfair because he is a really good manager,” said Greening. “When he went to Bolton last year they were right in the bottom three and favourites to go down. But he saved them from the drop and kept them in the Premier League, without getting the credit he deserved.

“This year he has done really well again with the resources he’s got. They are away from the relegation places at the moment and he has done a really good job. He is definitely underestimated as a manager.”

Tony Mowbray was loth to admit it but his Baggies may belatedly have stumbled on a mean streak in the top flight. The Football Association could today be moved to scrutinise Jonas Olsson’s aerial challenge on the West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green, some seven minutes into the second half last night, which left the England squad goalkeeper dazed and prone on the turf. The possibility of retrospective action remains.

The incident was ignored by the referee, Mark Halsey, the excellent Shelton Martis actually thumping a header on to the bar from Chris Brunt’s cross amid the confusion, though replays suggested the Swede may have glanced at the goalkeeper before making contact, whether deliberately or not, with a leading arm. The former NEC Nijmegen centre-half had actually been excellent here in helping to secure his side’s first clean sheet in nine games, though the legacy of his performance could yet be a sanction.

Neither manager had seen a replay of the incident before conducting their post-match postmortems last night. “Olsson would be the least likely person to do anything like that on purpose,” said Mowbray. “He’s an absolute gentleman.”

Gianfranco Zola, who accepted the draw with a sense of relief, claimed he had been “told it was a foul”, though the former World Cup referee, Graham Poll, offered a less favourable assessment of the centre-half’s actions in his role as a pundit on television.

“Olsson comes in with his arm,” said the former Premier League official. “He is looking, knows where Green is and catches him across the chin. If seen, it is a red card offence. I think it was deliberate.” Halsey may, of course, have spied the incident and chosen to ignore it. No free-kick was given and Martis would have had his goal had the ball rebounded down from the crossbar beyond the goal-line, though play was eventually stopped for the goalkeeper to receive treatment.

“Looking at replays on the television, he caught me with a good one,” admitted Green, albeit with a smile. “Luckily, it was on a sturdy part of my face rather than an eye socket or nose that could have done me some proper damage. But I will live to fight another day.”

That this contest could be remembered for at best a stray arm and at worst a deliberate elbow is damning. West Bromwich Albion will cling to their point to end a run of four defeats and offer a platform upon which to build with winnable home games against Bolton and Stoke to come. They were certainly the superior side here, creating the better chances that were eked out, though their lack of bite in front of goal was infuriating.

Mowbray addressed their shortcomings with refreshing frankness. “It was a bit like having a blanket that’s too short on your bed today,” he said. “Either it doesn’t cover your feet or it’s too short to reach your chin. We haven’t got the quality to keep a clean sheet and score goals.” James Morrison missed their best chance, swerving away from James Tomkins and Lucas Neill only to scuff his shot at Green.

Even so West Ham looked anything but a side challenging for Europe. The absence of the suspended Carlton Cole denied them focus, their rhythm disrupted after a brief training break in Marbella. Their influential centre-half Matthew Upson did not see out the half-hour, departing on a stretcher after damaging his calf, though the news was more positive on his recovery later in the evening. “It’s not a major problem,” said Zola.

Fabio Capello, present in the stands, could breathe a sigh of relief at that with England’s upcoming games against Slovakia and Ukraine in mind.

Hit F5 for the latest updates. In the meantime email John with your thoughts on what promises to be a cracking West derby: john.ashdown@guardian.co.uk

Evening all and welcome to what should be a thri… okay, I’m going to fool no one by giving this the big sell, but it could be intriguing nevertheless. West Ham have legitimate hopes for a rare European place (and their first ever through the league), while for West Brom it’s just about make-or-break time at the bottom.

The teams are in:
West Ham: Green, Neill, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Noble, Kovac, Parker, Nsereko, Di Michele, Sears. Subs: Lastuvka, Lopez, Boa Morte, Spector, Tristan, Payne, Stanislas.
West Brom: Carson, Zuiverloon, Martis, Olsson, Robinson, Morrison, Koren, Dorrans, Greening, Brunt, Fortune. Subs: Kiely, Hoefkens, Cech, Bednar, Moore, Filipe Teixeira, Simpson.
Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire)

So for the Hammers young Fred Sears gets a rare place in the first XI, while for Albion Graeme Dorrans makes his first Premier League start and Dutch Antilles internationa Shelton Martis, whose only football this season has come on loan at Doncaster, makes his third league start for the Baggies since joining the club in the summer of 2007.

There has already been one email questioning my suitability for tonight’s game - for anyone who isn’t a Football Weekly listener, and in the interests of full disclosure, I do have an allegiance to a team West Ham will be paying a few quid to in the coming years - so let’s get this straight: tonight’s MBM will be entirely impartial. Have you never heard of the Battle of Bramall Lane? Oh, and journalistic integrity and all that sort of stuff too.

All of which has me thinking: which other clubs have those odd little rivalries? Not those based on geography, the ones that you’d probably need to know a bit about the clubs involved to really understand. Do Gillingham fans still have it in for Manchester City, for example? What’s the deal with Brighton and Crystal Palace? If your club has a little-known rivalry with another, drop me a line.

Jeez, that was all a bit 606, wasn’t it? Still the point holds.

A bad omen for the Hammers: The last time I covered a West Ham game was the Carling Cup fixture against Watford back in September, on the same day that some tribunal or other (they all merge into one after a while) found in favour of Sheffield United in the Tevez case. They lost 2-1. The coincidences - Tevez, playing against a team in yellow (WBA are in their away kit tonight), as favourites, er … me watching - are uncanny.

The most entertaining bit of Setanta’s pre-match build-up has been the advert for the new Street Fighter game. Ah, memories - oh for a bit of E Honda-style fisticuffs tonight. Still, the wait is almost over - the teams are in the tunnel.

Peep! We are underway at Upton Park!

1 min: Sears makes an impression instantly, charging down a clearance with his youthful energy. Well, charging down a clearance with his foot.

2 min: “‘West Ham have legitimate hopes for a rare European place (and their first ever through the league)’. Are you sure that’s correct? First ever?” queries Steve Hovington. I reckon so. Four Cup Winners’ Cup campaigns, and two Uefa Cup attempts (once through the FA Cup, once through the Intertoto) are all I can see in the Hammers’ history.

4 min: Scrappy stuff so far - Albion are just ahead on the throw-in count. “I was in the WBA end, we were very happy when the goals went in and very confused when the game was abandoned,” writes Dave Haslam on the Battle of Bramall Lane. “No-one knew what had happened, there was no announcement made in the ground. Megson and Warnock hated each other. Warnock’s an idiot though isn’t he?” Don’t get me started on Sir Neil.

6 min: Parker gives Ilunga a horrible pass to deal with and from the throw-in (again!) Fortune almost wriggles to the byline but is crowded out. It’s been flat start.

7 min: It’s a real gamble for Tony Mowbray to throw in Martis and Dorrans, but both have started reasonably well. Albion have a little more vim and vigour about them than the home side just now.

9 min: “Are you sure that your photo shows Franco’s trademark grin?” asks Gary Naylor. “I thought that grin was Austin Powers’. And don’t get me on to Dean Ashton and Fat Bastard …” Koren sweeps a ball out to Zuiverloon who gets round the back of Nsereko. A loose touch allows Ilunga to recover and clear.

10 min: A foul throw (for a raised foot, the mind boggles, it really does) hands Albion an attacking throw (yep) on the right, but it’s wasted.

12 min: Decent possession football from Albion, which is more than can be said for the Hammers, but it’s all breaking down when they try to hit the front man. At the other end Di Michele overhits a pass to Nsereko.

15 min: “Re. Street Fighter,” writes James Abbott. “I always thought Dhalsim would make a decent target man and Blanka would be handy at full-back.” That’s nice. Meanwhile West Ham have a corner …

16 min: … Carson punches when he should really have claimed it and from the subsequent West Ham attack Noble almost wins a penalty off Brunt, who intelligently pulls out of a tackle at the last minute.

17 min: “I’ve had Shelton Martis in my fantasy football team all season because he’s the cheapest player in the game,” writes managerial genius Brian Cloughly, “and I thought ‘well at least he won’t lose me any points.’ Gah, bloody desperate relegation-haunted team selections.”

18 min: West Brom should be 1-0 up. Some lovely intricate passes put Fortune clear inside the box. It’s a tight angle, and with Brunt was at the back stick he chooses a blast at the near post. Side netting.

20 min: Setanta have just provided the watching public with a Sahara-dry stat: West Brom have not scored between the 7th and 34th minute of a Premier League away game this season. West Ham seem intent on helping them though - Lucas Neill has to scramble to recover after a terribly loose pass in midfield concedes possession.

22 min: Di Michele’s turn to lose the ball - West Brom corner …

23 min: … Brunt swings it in and Robinson goes down under Neill’s challenge. He wants a penalty, Mark Halsey isn’t interested.

25 min: After 20-odd West Ham passes, Kovac hands possession to Greening. It’s been a really lacklustre start from the home side.

27 min: ANOTHER CHANCE FOR WEST BROM! James Morrisson wanders through the Hammers defence - from the halfway line to inside the area - without a challenge going in. One-on-one with Green he should score, but it’s a smart save from the keeper. Both sets of fans must be tearing their hair out.

29 min: A depressing sight for Upton Park - Matthew Upson is carried of on a strecher. Jonathan Spector replaces him. I’ve not seen a replay of any challenge so can only assume it happened somewhere off the ball. Let’s hope it’s nothing serious.

31 min: Brunt pings a free-kick into the wall, then Green makes a good cross-interception low at his near post. “Sounds like typical West Ham,” fumes a frustrated Ian Melven. “All glory and beautiful one-touch passing against the top teams. Struggling to even gift West Brom a goal. Who ever would have thought Carlton Cole would be the linchpin of the side?” I fear some Albion fans may be thinking ‘typical’ too, just at the moment. They really need to capitalise on these moments. Another corner to the Baggies …

32 min: … headed away and Green clings on to Greening’s cross moments later.

33 min: Chance for West Ham! On the break, Noble finds space, cuts back to Sears and Martis makes a decent block. “Haven’t I spotted E Honda in Chelsea’s midfield this season?” Oh, Tom Hopkins, behave yourself.

35 min: “I had a huge teenage crush on Chun Li,” writes Simon Jenkins (presumably not this Simon Jenkins) clearly keen to get it off his chest. Sears wins a corner from a deflected cross …

37 min: … won by Noble (I think) in the air, but scrambled away. Parker then strides forward and thwacks a shot well over the bar. West Ham are finally beginning to exert some pressure here.

39 min: Robinson wastes a great position down the left after Spector’s mistake handed Brunt the ball. Down the other end, Sears whips a ball across and Nsereko turns the ball softly towards goal. That may have been Scott Carson’s first save.

42 min: “E Honda would have made a great keeper, especially with his 100 hand slap, outstanding reflexes and the fact he could fill a large chunk of the goal,” wrtites Rory Saunders. “He’d be the Neville Southall of Street Fighter.” Fortune shimmies a yard of space on the edge of the box, but his cross is poor.

44 min: How frustrating are West Brom? Some really, genuinely penetrative stuff from midfield and from the full-backs (far better than they produced in the Championship last season) yet the final, killer ball, whether a shot or a pass, is missing. It’s like eating your way through a trifle and finding no sponge at the bottom.

45+1 min: Parker, who has had a poor game, gives possession away for the 457th time and West Brom have a free-kick …

Peep! Peep! … It goes in low to Fortune, but there’s no time for anything to build up. Half-time.

Half-time snack dept. Lockets. Water. Apple. Kleenex.

If I were a betting man*, I’d say West Ham are nailed on to win this. They can’t possibly play as badly in the second half and Albion will find it hard not to beat themselves up mentally after failing to take advantage of a decent first-half performance. All the old cliches about the luck not going for you when you’re down at the bottom come into play.

*Second place in the Guardian’s yearly Cheltenham tipping competition I’ll have you know.

Peep! West Ham kick-off the second period.

46 min: Upson’s injury “isn’t serious” according to Setanta’s tunnel spies, which is good news all round. Di Michele gets a sight of goal, but blazes wildly over.

48 min: Sears wins a corner off Martis …

49 min: … cleared by Albion, and Green has to do some smart work to mop up the punt forward with Fortune closing in.

50 min: Albion continue to press. Brunt wins a corner …

51 min: … OFF THE BAR! Brunt and Greening work it short, Brunt stands it up to back post and Martis powers a header off the underside of the woodwork. What an escape for West Ham!

52 min: As the ball came in Green got an elbow across the face from Olsson and is flat out in the six yard box. He gets to his feet but looks seriously spaced out. He’s going to continue, though. The replays show that might have been a little bit naughty from the Albion centre-half.

54 min: Some of West Ham’s distribution has been atrocious - they’re lightweight up front so it’s understandable that the defenders don’t want to hoof it but sometimes you just need to give it some leather. Dangerous free-kick to Albion …

55 min: … Brunt pings it into the wall.

57 min: It’s a hot knife and a low-fat spread at times. Brunt has been magnificent and he’s just clipped in another head-me-in cross. Needless to say, nobody did.

58 min: Nsereko cuts inside Zuiverloon lines up a shot …

59 min: … which is probably still rising off into the east London night.

60 min: West Ham are just going to sit this out, wait for Mowbray to throw on another striker and then produce the coup de grace.

62 min: Dorrans holds off three defenders, the ball breaks to Koren and the Slovenian’s shot is deflected wide. Green, no longer with birds tweeting around his head, claims the corner with aplomb.

63 min: “If you’re looking for computer game characters who would make great footballers [I'm not, Oli Jacobsson], may I suggest Italian schemer Mario? A midfield general if I ever saw one.” West Ham are slowly gathering momentum, but Sears and Di Michele are having something of a joint mare.

65 min: Nsereko goes in the book for hacking down Morrisson.

67 min: Junior Stanislas, an England U19 international, replaces the really-rather-raw-for-£9m Nsereko. It’s a West Ham debut for the youngster.

69 min: “Two questions: is Spector instrumental in creating the WH wall? And is Greening writing the script for Simpson?” Yes, the second half has been so forgettable that even emails like that from Luke Williams have a sniff of getting in.

71 min: Big chance for Greening! Koren puts the midfielder through and his dinked effort floats over the sprawled Green and over the crossbar.

72 min: Surely it’s time for Albion to throw on Jay Simpson? Or Luke Moore? Or Roman Bednar? Free-kick to West Brom by the right touchline, 40 yards from goal …

73 min: … cleared, but West Ham break painfully slowly.

75 min: I’ve just noticed that the Setanta commentator is pronouncing Zuiverloon as ‘Saveloy’. But have Albion had their chips? Just before I get my coat, I ought to point out that Di Michele has nodded a header a couple of yards wide from a rare West Ham foray forward.

77 min: Scott Parker has taken it upon himself to inject some urgency into West Ham, picking the ball up in midfield and looking to drive forward, then taking a quick throw. His team-mates are showing little inclination to follow his lead, however. The way things have gone tonight, you sense the home side would be reasonably relieved to take away a point.

79 min: Brunt and Fortune make way for Simpson and Moore. Cue the suckerpunch?

81 min: Di Michele optimistically volleys at goal from wide on the rihgt but it’s a fairly embarassing effort. Luis Boa Morte replaces Noble, who has been quiet in the second half.

82 min: “Duelling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors,” offers Glen McCulley apropos of nothing. In other non-match related ponderings: does describing someone as an ‘acquaintance’ indicate you like them to some degree. I say yes, others disagree.

84 min: It’s much more even now that it has been for much of the half, but for a team currently the 7th best in the country West Ham have been hugely disappointing.

85 min: Olsson trundles forward and then offers Simpson a pass at thigh height. Then Stanislas skips down the left, but there’s no one in the box. Corner, however …

86 min: … anyone who had money on ‘hits the first man’ wins a cuddly toy.

88 min: Teixeira replaces Morrisson and wins a free-kick off Boa Morte …

89 min: … Green comes a long way but makes the punch. The ball breaks to Zuiverloon. Who pings it into row W. “Describing someone as an ‘acquaintance’ indicates you dislike them to some degree.” Peter Richards muddies the waters further. Three minutes to be added.

90+1 min: Great defending from Lucas Neill as Simpson threatens. But then he gives the ball away and West Ham have to scramble clear once more.

Peep! Peep! Peeeeep! Halsey brings an end to an evening that will give little satisfaction to either side. Albion would probably have taken a point before kick-off, but having had much the better of the match, they’ll be kicking themselves that they’re not heading back to the Midlands with three points.

Thanks for all your emails, folks. Be sure to return here tomorrow for live coverage of Hull v Arsenal.

• West Ham and WBA supporters have their say on the big game
• To take part in The Verdict, email fans@observer.co.uk

Luke Madden, Observer reader The wins against Man City and Wigan have boosted our chances of a European place, but injuries may cost us in the run-in. Behrami and Collison have established themselves in the starting XI so they won’t be easy to replace. On a positive note, it should give a start for Savio to provide us with something different in attack. West Brom are on a dreadful run and other results will see them cast further adrift going into the match. Lose again and they give themselves a near impossible chance of survival. Our passing will need to be good without Cole as the target man. The other forward options aren’t suitable for that role, something that must be addressed in the summer. Europe would be a bonus; the progress made by the team is clear wherever we finish.

Due a big game David Di Michele – The goals will need to come from him in Cole’s absence

Richard Jefferson, WBAunofficial.com Time for another must-win game in the attempt to pull off a second Great Escape. Trouble is, the Great Escape team had something this team doesn’t have now: leaders on the pitch and people that were prepared to roll up their sleeves and fight for it. This team looks pretty but it’s all make-up; underneath we’re pug ugly. The game will go something like this. We will look excellent for 20 minutes, all soft feet and precision. West Ham will score after a defensive howler and go on to win the game at a canter. Do I sound depressed?

Due a big game Jay Simpson – After a promising start, he has faded and is due a performance that his talent promises.

• Defender angry at lack of ‘passion and commitment’
• Albion winless for six games and six points from safety

Paul Robinson has delivered a scathing attack on several of his West Bromwich Albion team-mates, whom he has accused of lacking “passion and commitment” in their battle to avoid relegation. The 30-year-old full-back believes Albion have underachieved this season and urged a “few” unnamed to players to “wear the shirt with a little bit more pride” in the final 10 games of the campaign as Tony Mowbray’s side seek to pull clear from their seemingly forlorn position at the foot of the table.

That task would require a dramatic turn-around, with Albion currently six points adrift of safety, without a win in their last six matches and leaking goals at a calamitous rate ahead of Monday night’s trip to West Ham United. The dismal run of form, including the chastening defeat at home to Arsenal last week, has clearly angered and upset Robinson who suggested that the club’s supporters as well as the more committed players within the Albion dressing room have been left short-changed.

“I would like to see a bit more passion and commitment. I think we have lacked that,” said the former Watford player, who has a reputation for speaking his mind as well as being an uncompromising defender. “I am not afraid to say it. It shouldn’t bother me to say it. I think a few more players should stand up and come out and say it themselves, that they should be more committed to the club and they should be fighting for the cause a bit more.

“We shouldn’t be in this position and we know we shouldn’t,” continued Robinson. “The supporters deserve more and as players we deserve more out of each other. There are a few out there who need to wear the shirt with a little bit more pride and passion and commit themselves to this club a bit more.”

• ‘They should be fighting for the cause a bit more,’ says left-back
• Club bottom with the worst goal difference in relegation zone

The West Bromwich Albion defender Paul Robinson has hit out at his team-mates, saying some of them should show more “pride and passion”.

Time is running out if West Bromwich are to avoid an instant return to the Championship – Tony Mowbray’s side are six points adrift of safety and with a significantly inferior goal difference to their relegation rivals.

“The supporters deserve more and as players we deserve more out of each other,” Robinson said. “There are a few out there who need to wear the shirt with a little bit more pride and passion and commit themselves to this club a bit more. I would like to see a bit more passion and commitment. I think we have lacked that. I am not afraid to say it. It shouldn’t bother me to say it.

“I think a few more players should stand up and come out and say it themselves, that they should be more committed to the club and they should be fighting for the cause a bit more.”

The left-back, who was part of the Albion side in the 2004-05 season, when the club avoided relegation despite being the Premier League’s bottom club at Christmas, said: “We shouldn’t be in this position and we know we shouldn’t. You can only say what you can.

“They can either take it to help them or they can take it as a criticism, but at the end of the day you are only trying to help your team-mates. If they take it in the wrong way then that’s their problem.”

For a team without a goal in six hours of Premier League football, it was difficult to imagine more accommodating opposition. Arsenal’s support cleared their vocal chords for a rare rendition of Nicklas Bendtner’s name but they ought to have requested a fixture with West Bromwich Albion every week. Their challenge for a Champions League finish enjoyed a tonic, as they tasted victory after five successive draws. The pressure is now on fourth-placed Aston Villa who play tonight at Manchester City.

West Brom have the most porous defence in the top flight and how it showed. All of Arsenal’s goals owed much to the feebleness of Albion’s backline but Bendtner, greatly maligned of late, was not complaining as he scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season. Nor was Kolo Touré as he notched his first.

The home fans had left in their droves before full-time and the memory of their Great Escape from Premier League relegation in 2005 felt a long way away. When Tony Mowbray, Albion’s manager, dragged himself out of the dressing-room after a frank exchange of views, it was to deliver those home truths in public.

“You cannot win football matches if you defend like that,” he said. “We talk about it for weeks but it’s the same problems, the same individuals. A few have to step up and start doing what they are paid to do. If they don’t, we will all suffer the consequences. It’s galling that Arsenal had gone four matches without a goal and then we give them one after four minutes.

“If I was a supporter here tonight, I would have let the team, the manager, everybody, know how I felt. How can you be supportive of a team that every time the ball goes into the box, it looks like the opposition are going to score?”

Arsenal’s goals entered the extensive back catalogue of Albion howlers. Mowbray commented on how there were nine of his outfield players defending inside the penalty area when Chris Brunt cleared Samir Nasri’s weak corner to Denilson. Nobody, though, stepped out to press him and he was allowed to roll the ball out right to Bendtner. The Dane was then given the time to cut inside Ryan Donk and unload a low left-footed shot, which the out-of-sorts Scott Carson allowed to trickle into the far corner of his net.

The second and third goals were worse. Luke Moore had flickered at the other end for Albion but, when Andrei Arshavin curled over a free-kick, Touré brushed off Gianni Zuiverloon, continued his run unchecked and nodded home. The sense of deflation was tangible. Shortly afterwards, Touré’s long ball over the top exposed Abdoulaye Méîté and Bendtner was in again. His touch was neat, his finish emphatic. Brunt’s earlier equaliser, a 25-yard free-kick blasted through a hole in the Arsenal defensive wall, was forgotten.

The lack of Premier League know-how in Albion’s ranks has hurt them while they have found the top division, and being bottom of it for some time, mentally draining. Some of their players have spoken about how brutally the punishment is dished out for the slightest lapse in concentration and there were plenty of those here, as Arsenal threatened to run riot in the second half.

Arshavin was denied three times by Carson while only the post stood in the way of Bendtner’s hat-trick. “Nicklas has shown tonight that he has the talent to play for Arsenal,” said Arsenal’s manager, Arsène Wenger. “You have to accept that a guy of 19 or 20 years old will be better every three, six months. I liked his presence, his determined attitude and the way he took people on. That shows he has matured.”

It was one-way traffic for long spells in the second half and it was hard for the home support to take. They cheered almost sarcastically when Marc-Antoine Fortuné directed a tame header straight at the goalkeeper, Manuel Almunia, and they howled when the striker shot wide of the far post, rather than square for Moore, in front of goal.

When the full-time whistle went, the cheers of the travelling fans were drowned out by the boos of their frustrated counterparts. “We have home games against Sunderland, Wigan, Bolton and Stoke and they have to be won,” said Mowbray. “But we will not win any if we defend like that.”