English Premier League/ West Ham United 0 Arsenal 1: Life is going so well for Arsene Wenger that he can reminisce about disappointments with a sort of nostalgia. Thinking of the trudge through two trophyless seasons, the Arsenal manager now emphasises the solidarity it nurtured in a relatively new line-up:

"It's good to share the pain." Nonetheless, there is more satisfaction still in doling out disappointment.

The pleasure at Upton Park did not lie in refined devastation, although it took Rob Green's agility to prevent further goals after Robin van Persie had scored. Arsenal had to guard a lead and did so with a mixture of obstinacy and controlled passing that thwarted West Ham's bristling bid for recovery.

Wenger's side is monitoring itself, trying to establish whether all the qualities really are in place to maintain a challenge for the title. "This is definitely the type of win we didn't get last season," said the left-back Gael Clichy.

He must have heard that Arsenal had not prised a victory out of Upton Park since 2000. Achieving this win might, in fairness, have been a greater challenge had an equaliser from their former midfielder Freddie Ljungberg not been ruled out wrongly for offside in the 59th minute. They would have needed to beat Green again. The goalkeeper at least got a hand to the ball when Van Persie scored and his athleticism peaked after 54 minutes as his grazing contact with another effort from the Dutchman brushed the ball on to the post.

Saturday's victors lacked Jens Lehmann, William Gallas, Tomas Rosicky and Eduardo da Silva. They will also be doing without Aleksandr Hleb for the away match with Steaua Bucharest in the Champions League tomorrow. The midfielder was hurt badly enough by Mark Noble's challenge for there to be talk briefly of a broken leg before Wenger reported that Hleb had suffered severe bruising.

Alan Curbishley was no happier with a Mathieu Flamini tackle on Scott Parker, who had not looked wholly fit before his Premier League debut for West Ham came to a premature end. Arsenal's midfielder, nonetheless, was conspicuous for laudable reasons as well. His re-emergence emphasises once again the unusual way in which Wenger's mind works.

Flamini was estranged and might have bought out the remaining 12 months of his contract in the summer. "He told me first he wanted to leave," explained Wenger, "When he changed his mind, I said, 'okay, you fight like everyone else for your job'." That sounds rather conventional, but what happened next depended on the manager's uncommon philosophy.

Many would have treated Flamini as a squad player and pencilled in Gilberto Silva as the team's defensive midfielder. Why sideline a 30-year-old World Cup-winner with a sure grasp of the technicalities of his post? Wenger, however, preferred Flamini. He did so because he has always valued the dynamism of youth and nothing else can supply the energy for a high-speed style. It is most imprudent for any outfield player on Arsenal's books to turn 30. The manager will not hanker after experience so long as the abrasive Flamini can contribute as he did at the weekend.

"He has a little bossy attitude in midfield," said Wenger. "He is an organiser and a fighter and I think in our team it is needed. He is growing: his vision is better, his presence is better."

There is an enhanced spirit about Arsenal and the players could be seen urging one another on at Upton Park. That spirit will be put to a more severe test over the seven days this month in which they go to Anfield and then play Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. At the moment the squad must be looking forward to it.

That confidence was most glaring at the start on Saturday. With 13 minutes gone, Kolo Toure put a smart pass down the right, Emmanuel Adebayor fed Hleb and the midfielder had no difficulty in delivering a deep cross. West Ham did not challenge well enough at the back post and Van Persie eluded Lucas Neill to head home.

The main hope for an equaliser was Dean Ashton. He will surely be in the England squad to be announced on Friday. However, a header straight to Almunia from Lee Bowyer's fine cross was particularly galling.

Nonetheless, he is valuable to West Ham, who are concerned about the groin strain to another important striker, Craig Bellamy. Curbishley thinks that it may have been caused by the orthotic inserts the Welshman wore in his boots to counter an old injury that still bothered him. After seeming fit, Bellamy had to pull out of the game following training on Friday.

• Guardian Service