Waching daily Sep 3 2018

 Unai Emery was taking no chances, as he selected Alexandre Lacazette to partner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up front for the first time since joining the club

 The duo rewarded their manager's faith with both contributing stunning goals to secure a valuable three points for the North London club

 On a sunny afternoon in Cardiff, fans were rewarded with a pulsating encounter, as both teams vied to win this Premier League clash

 Victory for Arsenal, their first away win of the season, appears to have emboldened Emery

 The Spaniard, who is a former Sevilla and PSG coach, has vowed to keep playing out from the back through Petr Cech despite the goalkeeper's jitters

 "It is very important for me to continue doing this and improving," Emery said. "If you play every time long balls you lose personality

We take a little risk but when you break their pressing on the pitch you can find space

" It paid off at Cardiff, on other occasions Arsenal may not get away with it but excitement appears guaranteed, as the Gunners picked up their second league victory on the road in 2018

 Emery's work already suggests that Arsenal are becoming much more dangerous at offensive set-pieces

 They took the lead from a well-worked corner as Granit Xhaka delivered a near post ball from which Shkodran Mustafi thundered in a header into the roof of the net

 Lacazette then fired a right-foot effort from just outside the box against the post in the 34th minute after intelligent play from Mesut Ozil

 But Cardiff's industry and physicality paid off in first half stoppage time when they punished a loose pass from Xhaka

 Joe Bennett crossed from the left and Arsenal failed to clear their lines allowing Victor Camarasa to turn and blast in a high right-foot finish

It was the club's first goal back in the big time and their fans celebrated wildly

 But Arsenal regained the lead in the 62nd minute. Ozil showed composure to pick out Lacazette with his back to goal who flicked it first time for strike partner Aubameyang

 The Gabon international took it in his stride and curled a fine right-foot shot from the edge of the area into the corner in the 62nd minute

 Yet the lead lasted just eight minutes as Cardiff levelled from a well-worked free-kick which Bennett stood up to the back post for Sean Morrison to head across for Danny Ward to nod in

 But all the Bluebirds' endeavours were undone by another moment of pure class from Arsenal

This time it was Lacazette on the score-sheet with a superb turn, touch and blistering right-foot angled finish nine minutes from time from substitute Lucas Torreira's defence-splitting pass

 Cardiff manager Neil Warnock, 69, felt it was tough on his budget side but vowed they will continue to scare the big-boys ahead of games next against Chelsea and Manchester City

 "I have the hardest job in the Premier League by a mile," he said. "I would like to see some of them managing this

 "But the lads are giving me everything and we haven't spent a lot of money. "At my age, I don't want to go and park the bus

I don't think we are good enough to park the bus. We would have lost anyhow if we did that

" Cardiff (4-4-2): Etheridge 7; Manga 6, Morrison 7, Bamba 6, Bennett 6; Camarasa 7 (Madine 89), Ralls 6, Arter 6, Hoilett 6; Reid 6, Ward 7 (Zohore 84)

  Booked: Camarasa, Hoilett, Arter. Goals: Camarasa 45, Ward 70. NEXT UP: Newcastle (a) September 15, PL

 Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Cech 4; Bellerin 6, Mustafi 8, Sokratis 7, Monreal 6; Guendouzi 7 (Torreira 70, 7), Xhaka 5; Ozil 7 (Welbeck 84), Ramsey 7, Aubameyang 8 (Mkhitaryan 89); Lacazette 9

 Booked: Bellerin, Monreal, Guendouzi, Xhaka. Goals: Mustafi 11, Aubameyang 62, Lacazette 81

 NEXT UP: Cardiff: Chelsea (a) September 15, PL. Referee: A Taylor (Cheshire).

For more infomation >> Arsenal news: Unai Emery makes vow despite Petr Cech jitters in Cardiff win - Duration: 5:41.

-------------------------------------------

Breaking News - Alan Shearer lays into 'embarrassing, hopeless, pathetic' hosts - Duration: 4:16.

It is tough at the top, Manuel Pellegrini would testify to that. The fear for West Ham's beleaguered new manager is that he is about to discover life is much tougher at the bottom

Four games, four losses, zero points (the only club in the country yet to get on the board) and rock bottom of the table, Pellegrini is quickly finding out life at West Ham is very different from Manchester City

That's not to say going for titles — like City's Premier League trophy in 2014 — isn't a pressurised business

But it's nothing compared to the pressure of trying to stay up. Though Pellegrini is adamant it hasn't come to that yet

'We cannot talk about relegation, we have just played four games,' said the Chilean

'We are just one game, one win, from mid-table. It's not the moment to talk about that

'But it is the moment to say if you don't win in your first four games it is because something has happened

' Spot on, Manuel. Something 'has happened'. But what? Alan Shearer, speaking to Match of the Day, offered this withering assessment

'You would think, coming into this game on the back of three defeats, at home, in front of your fans, you'd think a bit of fight, roll your sleeves up, show the fans you mean business,' he said

'Whatever you want to say, whether it was embarrassing, hopeless, pathetic — use any of those words, you can pick any of them, and that would describe West Ham's performance

'Complete lack of effort. Walking. Jogging. No intensity whatsoever. If you perform like this, you're going to get nowhere

They were terrible. They got booed off and they deserved it. Many more performances like that and they're in trouble

Already.' On the face it, West Ham have the players to ensure they are comfortable by the end of the season

The big question is: should owners David Sullivan and David Gold expect more from their new manager and their £100 million summer transfer outlay? In Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena, they look to have a solid central-defensive platform

But it is further forward, particularly in central midfield, where Pellegrini is starting to worry

In public, Pellegrini insists his squad is strong enough to climb the table. Privately, though, he is expressing concerns over his options in midfield

Mark Noble and Jack Wilshere started the season in West Ham's engine room. But, as Sportsmail revealed on August 21, Noble's position in the team has come under increasing scrutiny by Pellegrini due to concerns over his lack of mobility

At 31, can he still cover the ground he used to? Pellegrini isn't so sure, naming the club captain on the bench against Wolves

Likewise, Wilshere is hardly renowned for his mobility. Carlos Sanchez has been drafted in to be the new high-energy presence in midfield

But his mistake in the lead-up to Adama Traore's injury-time winner has now placed the Colombian's position under scrutiny

Pedro Obiang, who came on for Wilshere in the 64th minute, is another option in central midfield

The way Wolves' midfield pair Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves controlled the game would only have served to heighten Pellegrini's worries

Indeed, the outlook looks far rosier for their manager Nuno Espirito Santo. His team were full of attacking intent in notching their first victory since returning to the top flight

'It's the only way we know how to play,' said Nuno. On this showing, Wolves will comfortably stay up