Arsenal 1-0 West Ham: Danny Welbeck's bundled strike seals narrow victory for Arsene Wenger's men and books Gunners a semi-final spot in Carabao Cup

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One shot on goal. Just one between two Premier League clubs contesting the quarter-final of a cup. And, oh my, it was ugly, that sorry journey for the ball from Danny Welbeck’s stomach down to his shin before it bobbled into the space under Joe Hart.

But thank goodness for that slither of space, thank goodness that this game played under the banner of an energy drink had one moment where it wasn’t utterly lifeless.

Perhaps the most entertaining part of the whole evening was Arsene Wenger describing the match as ‘intense’. There is more intensity, and more suspense, in an episode of Peppa Pig.

Danny Welbeck popped up in the West Ham box following a prolonged Arsenal build up to stab the ball home for 1-0

The England international got the final touch on the ball and was able to flick it beyond goalkeeper Joe Hart

Aaron Cresswell was left to pick the ball from the back of the net after the goalmouth scramble ended in Arsenal's favour

The striker let out a roar of delight after breaking the deadlock at the Emirates and putting Arsenal's nose in front

And there is a sadness in that, because whatever else is going on for these two clubs in the league, the fact remains that there are only a few short steps left on this competition’s pot-holed pavement to Wembley, and this was an opportunity worth fighting for.

Granted, Arsene Wenger has never paid it much attention, this trophy which remains the final domestic frontier of his time in English management. Judging from the fact he swapped out the entire Premier League side that faced Newcastle on Saturday for this game, you would suspect that he might find a way to sleep at night if this cup remains the one that got away.

But West Ham? OK, the proximity of the bottom three in the league probably means the Cup was a distraction they could do without. But that would ignore the improvements in their league form which meant a tilt at a trophy, a sniff at something approaching glory, was still possible. In an otherwise miserable season, it is a shame that such excitements appear to count for very little.

That they went down without registering so much as a shot on target? It was actually quite embarrassing.

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS AND MATCHZONE

ARSENAL: Ospina, Debuchy, Chambers, Holding, Kolasinac, Coquelin (Da Silva 90min), Willock (Sheaf 84min), Elneny, Walcott, Giroud (Nelson 78min), Welbeck. 

SUBS NOT USED: Reine-Adelaide, Akpom, Macey, Nketiah

GOAL: Welbeck 43

WEST HAM: Hart, Rice, Reid, Ogbonna, Collins, Masuaku, Obiang, Cresswell (Carroll 65min), Ayew, Quina (Arnautovic 83min), Hernandez (Sakho 65min)

SUBS NOT USED: Zabaleta, Adrian, Haksabanovic, Makasi.

BOOKED: Hart

REFEREE: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)

ATTENDANCE: 44,741

After a prolonged build-up Arsenal got the ball into the West Ham box, for Danny Welbeck to stab home and break the deadlock. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DATA FROM SPORTSMAIL'S MATCHZONE.

 

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But at least Welbeck got something out of all this. He hadn't scored in eight games since his latest comeback in November, so the hope in the run-up to the World Cup will be a sequence of goals to attract Gareth Southgate. In that context, they will all count, even the desperately scruffy ones in games that precious few seem to care about.

‘He scored and that will be good for him,’ Wenger said. ‘He also lasted 90 minutes so it is positive.’

Less encouraging was the second-half hamstring injury to Olivier Giroud, who was immediately ruled out of Friday’s clash with Liverpool and most likely the next three weeks.

‘We will have a scan on Thursday and then we will have a precise idea of the grade (of the problem),’ Wenger said. ‘Olivier says the pain is quite big.’

Welbeck wheeled away in celebration, holding his arms aloft to the home fans with team-mate Olivier Giroud in pursuit

Theo Walcott jumps on the back of the goalscorer while beyond the travelling West Ham supporters stand silent and glum

Striker Javier Hernandez appeals for a penalty after going down in the area, but sees his cries waved away by Kevin Friend

West Ham's Aaron Cresswell fires a free-kick towards the Arsenal net during a poor game at the Emirates

Manager David Moyes began signalling to his players out on the pitch as soon as the match got under way

David Moyes, meanwhile, was downbeat. It would be hard to blame the West Ham manager too much for this match considering the improvements he has overseen since replacing Slaven Bilic, with a three-game unbeaten run in the league having transformed the outlook of their season.

That has been built on a vastly improved defence, which is perhaps why he was so dissatisfied after this one, given Welbeck’s 42nd-minute winner owed much to West Ham’s failure to pressure a Mathieu Debuchy cross and then the failure of Winston Reid and James Collins to out-jump Welbeck.

Moyes said: ‘I was disappointed with our overall performance but we were always in the game.

‘The goal was disappointing. It was a horrible goal to give away because we have been defending well.

‘The first ball to the back post, the Debuchy header, I would have wanted us to be closer to him. Then I am hoping the centre halves can clear it out. It wasn’t what you would call and Arsenal goal.’

From the West Ham perspective, Moyes’s team selection at least hinted at a fighting mentality. They made six changes to the side that walloped Stoke – not a huge amount by the standards of Premier League teams in this competition – and it was a generally strong line-up. Of the incoming faces, Joe Hart was the most notable on his first start in five games.

Andre Ayew of West Ham United takes on Mohamed Elneny and Francis Coqueli as the Hammers make a break up field

A challenge from Joe Hart brings down Welbeck, who puts his arm up in appeal but doesn't get the desired decision

Andy Carroll continued to warm up patiently on the touchline, hoping to enter the fray and provide fresh firepower

Theo Walcott battles with his West Ham counterpart Arthur Masuaku on the touchline at the Emirates

The top stands of the stadium were scarcely populated as the Carabao Cup tie got under way in north London

There was also a late elevation for Domingos Quina after Manuel Lanzini’s appeal against a two-match diving ban was knocked back by the FA in the afternoon. ‘A disappointing decision,’ Moyes said.

Arsenal, for their part, went with a diminished yet experienced side, with 18-year-old Joe Willock the only inclusion in that starting XI who might be termed a ‘kid’.

The upshot? A desperately unimaginative game until Welbeck scored after 42 minutes.

There was one meaningful chance before the goal, when Sead Kolasinac crossed for Theo Walcott. The forward was square in the middle of the area, about 10 yards out and without a marker in sight, and he probably could have controlled and finished. Instead went for a diving header and fluffed it horribly. To miss the target altogether was a desperately bad look for a player who used to quite fancy himself as a striker.

But it wasn’t costly for Arsenal, who went ahead three minutes before the break, with Debuchy looping a header over James Collins and Welbeck lunging ahead of Reid to reach the loose ball. So ugly, but something, anything, would do.

West Ham didn’t have a sniff until Aaron Cresswell sent a second-half free-kick wide. Arsenal’s chant? ‘You’ve had a shot, you’ve had a shot’.

Barring the goal, it was probably the most fun they had all match.