Barclays Premier League leaders Arsenal started 2008 as they meant to go on with a comfortable home victory over West Ham.
The Hammers may have overturned Manchester United at the weekend, but there was to be no repeat this afternoon, with the Gunners grabbing an early lead through in-form Eduardo and never looking back.
An amazing finish from the tightest of angles by Emmanuel Adebayor doubled the home side's advantage just when the Hammers looked to have regrouped.
The game was effectively over as a contest by the interval, with Arsenal simply going through the motions during the second half and running down the clock with ease.
Further stern tests, of course, lie ahead - particularly later this month when key defender Kolo Toure will be away at the African Nations Cup.
However, yet again Arsene Wenger's young Gunners have displayed more than enough character and quality to make a sustained assault on the title over the second half of the campaign.
Before the match, there was a period of silence in respect of Phil O'Donnell, who died suddenly during Motherwell's Clydesdale Bank Premier League match at the weekend.
When they game kicked-off, Arsenal wasted little time before they raced into the lead.
Cesc Fabregas was fed the ball on the left, where the Spaniard held up possession before chipping over a lofted pass into the penalty area.
The ball landed perfectly for Eduardo, who collected it on his chest before volleying a low shot into the far corner for a 10th goal of a quickly-improving season, with five in the past three games.
West Ham - the first team to win here last season - were clearly shocked by conceding inside two minutes.
However, slowly the visitors regained their shape.
Striker Carlton Cole caused some concern in the Arsenal box before Mark Noble saw an effort blocked by Toure and then stabbed the loose ball wide.
In the 11th minute Cole got clear in the left side of the area again, this time his goalbound shot was deflected behind.
From the resulting corner, Anton Ferdinand saw his close-range effort cleared off the line by Gael Clichy.
Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia was too busy for manager Arsene Wenger's liking and in the 16th minute he needed to make a save at the near post to deny former Gunner Freddie Ljungberg.
However, just when it seemed the hosts were on the back foot, they made it 2-0 in the 18th minute.
Clichy sent a long ball up field from deep inside the Arsenal half and the bounce took it away from Ferdinand and Matthew Upson, with Adebayor galloping clear.
The big Togo striker got a touch ahead of the onrushing Robert Green, and although the angle was tight almost at the byline, Adebayor somehow managed to squeeze the ball past Upson and in off the far post.
West Ham continued to press and Cole's centre into the six-yard box from the right picked out John Pantsil, who was just off target with his overhead kick.
In the 37th minute, West Ham were forced into a change when Wales Under-21 captain Jack Collison replaced Ljungberg, who looked to have a hamstring problem.
Arsenal felt they had a strong penalty shout when the ball appeared to strike Jonathan Spector on his outstretched arm following a cross by Eboue from the right.
However, referee Chris Foy was unconvinced.
After a quiet start to the second half, Eduardo looked to have been held back at the far post by Hammers captain Lucas Neill following a deep cross from Hoyte - but again the referee remained unmoved.
At the other end, defender George McCartney tried his luck with a volley, which flew just wide, from the edge of the box.
With 27 minutes left, Eduardo was replaced by Theo Walcott and Arsenal remained in control, if not opening up the West Ham defence in the final third.
Walcott made space for himself on the edge of the box after turning inside Neill, but his low shot lacked power.
Green was out quickly to block a close-range effort from a sliding Tomas Rosicky as Arsenal pressed for a third, which ultimately they failed to find.
