Arsenal v West Ham 17/08/96 3.00

Arsenal                 (2) 2 West Ham                (0) 0 FT
Hartson 27                    
Bergkamp 40 (pen)             

Goals by John Hartson and Dennis Bergkamp secured troubled Arsenal an opening-day Carling Premiership victory over injury-hit West Ham at Highbury.

The Gunners had the game won by half-time, although the Hammers could have painted a different picture but for some miserable finishing.

Paul Merson was at the centre of most of Arsenal's moves and he engineered the first goal after 27 minutes by picking out Lee Dixon, who helped the ball on for Hartson to force it in off the post.

Bergkamp and Merson had already been close to giving Arsenal the lead and the Gunners doubled their advantage five minutes from the break. The Dutch star confidently put home a penalty after Marc Rieper handled Dixon's cross to prevent the powerful Hartson getting in a close-range header.

Rieper had already blundered by heading over an empty Arsenal goal from a Michael Hughes cross, but it was youngster Steve Jones who was responsible for the worst misses for the Hammers.

Arsenal tried to play keep-ball in the scorching conditions with their healthy half-time lead, but it almost back-fired when goalkeeper David Seaman's clearance was chested down by Jones who then flicked it wide of a yawning goal.

Jones missed again from a suspiciously offside position, shooting over with the goal at his mercy, and he was off-target once more when Hughes found him with a long ball from the left.

The Gunners, however, had long since settled for a sunshine cruise and Ian Wright had two half-chances to add to their lead before the finish.

Arsenal: (3-4-1-2) Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Bould, Merson, Bergkamp (Wright, 71), Linighan, Keown, Parlour, Hartson (Dickov, 84), Morrow.

Subs not used: Helder, Lukic, Rose.

Booked: Bilic, Winterburn, Bould.

West Ham: (5-3-2) Miklosko, Breacker, Dicks, Williamson, Rieper, Rowland (Lazarides, 70), Dowie, Jones, Hughes, Lampard (Slater, 66), Bilic (Ferdinand, 87).

Subs not used: Mautone, Bowen.

Attendance: 38,056.

Referee: P Durkin (Portland).