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Curbs sees path to safety
LONDON (AFP) - Alan Curbishley believes West Ham's startling 1-0 win at Arsenal has re-ignited his side's Premiership survival bid.
The Hammers became the first visiting team to win at the Emirates stadium courtesy of Bobby Zamora's spectacular goal in first-half stopage time and a magnificent individual display by goalkeeper Robert Green.
The east London club have now won their last three games, a run which has left them just two points adrift of safety at the foot of the table, with crucial games against fellow strugglers Wigan and Sheffield United looming.
It is a remarkable turn-around from just over a month ago, when a 4-0 thrashing at relegation rivals Charlton appeared to condemn West Ham to the Championship, and Curbishley has urged his side to use their rekindled self-belief to power them to safety.
"We had a bit of luck in winning at Blackburn recently but there was a surge from us there and both ourselves and Charlton are forcing the issue now," he said. "I like to think this is the start of a great run because we haven't had one all season.
"We're in the results business and we still need to win the majority of our games. We've won a game we weren't expecting to at Arsenal and now we need to continue the fight into the next match and give ourselves a chance.
"I'm learning more and more about the players as we go along and I think they are starting to believe we can do it. The fans will be sharing that feeling now but there's still a long way to go.
"We've still got to play Sheffield United and Wigan and they could be turning points in the whole season. We know what is at stake for us but we will certainly enjoy what happened today."
Curbishley reserved special praise for Green, whose performance almost single-handedly kept Arsenal at bay. The England goalkeeper produced a string of dazzling saves, including point-blank blocks from Cesc Fabregas, Freddie Ljungberg, Emmanuel Adebayor and Gilberto Silva.
His display earned high praise from Arsenal's Arsene Wenger - "the best goalkeeping performance against us this season," he admitted - and Curbishley insisted Green will have to maintain his standards if his side are to late charge.
"Robert's bought a lottery ticket for us today - we weren't going to let him get away without giving us his numbers!" Curbishley joked. "It was a one-sided game and on those occasions you need your goalkeeper to give a 12 out of 10 performance which is what Greeny did. He kept us in it and all the lads mobbed him after the match."
West Ham's joy contrasted with Arsenal's utter bewilderment. The Gunners had an astonishing 27 shots during an embarrassingly one-sided game - 14 on target - but their profligacy was all too familiar to Wenger.
The Frenchman is aware that his team's lack of cutting edge has seriously endangered their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League, with the club now just two points clear of fifth-placed Bolton ahead of Monday's meeting with Newcastle.
"We should have scored 10 but we lost and it's hard to find a logical explanation for the defeat," he said. "But that is the disease we have shown all season and it's linked with confidence.
"I can't remember a game where we have dominated so much. It's always tempting to blame the players in these situations but they gave everything so I can't criticise them.
"Missing out on the top four is a worry for me but it concerned me before the match as well. I still think we will make it but we must not waste any more points and Newcastle is now a very important game for us."
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