Arsenal Wenger praised Arsenal for mixing it up when it mattered as they beat West Ham to maintain their place at the Premier League summit.The Gunners have enjoyed a good return from their festive fixtures, dropping only two points in a draw at Portsmouth on Boxing Day.

The home side were in front after only 70 seconds at Emirates Stadium, when in-form Croatia striker Eduardo bagged a fifth goal in three appearances.

Togo frontman Emmanuel Adebayor latched on to a long ball from Gael Clichy to net a second from an almost impossible angle, which all but ended the game as a contest before the break against a tired West Ham side

After also seeing his men secure an impressive 4-1 victory at Everton last time out, Wenger believes Arsenal have enough about them to deal with whatever tactics they come up against.

"Sides who play 4-5-1 here and mark us very tight, they push up very high. Therefore the defenders have to play on the half-way line and with the players we have, that enables us to go behind the central defenders," said the Frenchman.

"That gives us naturally a different option. We always have alternative options.

"We have worked on it, because we know Adebayor has so much pace and power and Eduardo is shrewd as well and a clinical finisher. It's a great option for us."

Wenger continued: "We had a great start and after that we controlled the game.

"West Ham were dangerous on set-pieces in the first half, but in the second half we were in control without ever pushing to score more goals.

"We didn't want to concede and West ham didn't really challenge us so we were quite comfortable."

Arsenal remain two points ahead of Manchester United, who lost at West Ham last week.

Wenger said: "Overall this period has been absolutely great for us - we have had four difficult games, but we have come away with three wins and a draw, which is terrific. It's been fantastic."

The Arsenal manager firmly believes his men are in a strong position as the title race hots up.

Wenger said: "It is too early to go into mind games. I feel going into January we will rely on our performances.

"Manchester United will be a tough opponent but we have one thing, we have belief, and we have talent and we are ready to fight.

"This team is hungry. So that is good ingredients - but I don't count only Man United - I still feel Chelsea and Liverpool are there.

"I prefer to lead from the front, definitely. Because you then just rely on your results.

"If you are not at the front you have to hope the others don't perform."

"My [New Year] resolution is to give absolutely everything I have, every bit of energy, to make this club successful.

"It's a pleasure to work with the team, they give absolutely everything so I want to give everything to make this team successful."

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley, meanwhile, lamented his side's sloppy defending in the early exchanges and felt it was a "game too far" following their heroics against Manchester United.

He said: "You cannot come here and go 1-0 down after 90 seconds.

"It was an uphill task from then, and both sides probably ran out of legs in the end, it was a very tired effort.

"The Manchester United game took a lot out of us as well.

"It was probably one game too many for us over the Christmas period."

West Ham lost former Gunner Freddie Ljungberg to a hamstring problem late in the first half, further adding to their injury list.

Curbishley added: "It is unprecedented the situation we find ourselves in, but we have to regroup and get on it with it.

"That is what is happening to us at the moment - one goes in and one goes out.

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