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Andres Iniesta struck a dramatic winner late in extra time to give Spain World Cup glory for the first time but condemned the Netherlands to their third defeat in a final.
Iniesta drilled his right-foot strike across goal - but the Dutch were incensed after referee Howard Webb had failed to award their side a corner moments earlier when a free-kick took a sizeable deflection off Cesc Fabregas.
However, Euro 2008 champions Spain, who conceded only two goals during the tournament, deserved their victory after gradually taking a grip on a tense and bad-tempered contest that produced 14 yellow cards with Johnny Heitinga sent off on 109 minutes after picking up a second yellow card.
The Dutch, who lost in the 1974 and 1978 finals, were bidding to become the first side since Brazil in 1970 to go through World Cup qualifying and the finals unbeaten.
They had a glorious chance to take the lead in the second half but Arjen Robben, comfortably his team's most potent attacking weapon, could find no way past Spain captain Iker Casillas, who slumped to the floor and cried tears of joy after the final whistle.
Sergio Ramos was equally culpable of a glaring miss for Spain when he headed over and substitute Fabregas, as with Robben before him, also failed to convert a one-on-one chance.
But it was from a through ball by the influential Fabregas that midfielder Iniesta struck making Spain the first team to win a World Cup after losing their opening game of the tournament.
Spain also became the team to win the World Cup having scored the fewest number of goals - finding the net eight times in their seven matches. The previous mark was held by three teams, including England in 1966.
The dramatic finale at Soccer City was in stark contrast to a hugely underwhelming opening 45 minutes, which was a brutal disappointment after the spectacular opening ceremony and moving appearance by former president Nelson Mandela that had preceded it.
Spain dominated possession in the opening minutes and looked to have the measure of an uncertain Dutch backline. Ramos almost put them ahead after just four minutes but his thunderous header was brilliantly saved by Maarten Stekelenburg.
The Netherlands could not get a grip on the game but were helped by a spate of yellow cards from referee Webb that disturbed the rhythm of the match.
Webb booked five players in the opening 28 minutes, although several crude challenges left him with little option.
Dutch enforcer Mark van Bommel was booked after going through the back of Iniesta, while Nigel de Jong was lucky to escape red after planting his foot in the chest of Xabi Alonso.
Robben did force a decent save from Casillas with a low left-foot strike after cutting inside during stoppage time.
But the match had degenerated to the extent that Alonso opted to shoot with a free-kick on the wrong side of 40 yards instead of a seeking out a team-mate.
Spain defender Joan Capdevila wasted a good chance shortly after the restart, failing to make contact with a Carles Puyol flick-on.
The bookings continued after the break and the contest occasionally threatened to boil over as the tension appeared to affect the players.
But there were also a few moments of real quality, none more so than a sumptuous through ball from the largely anonymous Wesley Sneijder that played Robben clean through on goal.
Robben delayed his shot but, equally, Casillas stood his ground as long as possible and brilliantly saved with his legs.
It was a head-in-hands moment for Robben, but one quickly followed for Spain when a completely unmarked Ramos headed a corner over the crossbar.
Robben's pace troubled the Spanish defence throughout and another burst from the Bayern Munich man unsettled Puyol, who appeared to impinge his opponent. Robben, just outside the penalty area, chose to stay on his feet and Casillas again denied him.
Spain had moved into the ascendancy as the match wore on, with Xavi increasingly influential.
Fabregas replaced Alonso in the 87th minute and quickly made an impression by collecting a superb Iniesta pass, but the Arsenal man could find no way beyond Stekelenberg, who saved brilliantly with his legs.
The complement was returned shortly afterwards but Iniesta opted not to strike from 18 yards and was eventually dispossessed by the excellent Gregory van der Wiel.
Heitinger became the fifth man to be sent off in a World Cup final when he pulled back Iniesta on the edge of the area, giving Webb little choice but to hand him a second caution, and that seemed to spur Spain on for a final effort.
Joris Mathijsen headed over for the Netherlands in what was their only good chance of the extra-time period before Iniesta struck his late and decisive blow.
Netherlands 0-1 Spain
Iniesta, 116
Netherlands
* 01 Stekelenburg
* 02 Van Der Wiel
* 03 Heitinga
* 04 Mathijsen
* 05 Van Bronckhorst (Braafheid, 105)
* 06 Van Bommel
* 08 De Jong (Van der Vaart, 99)
* 10 Sneijder
* 07 Kuyt (Elia, 70)
* 09 Van Persie
* 11 Robben
Spain
* 01 Casillas
* 03 Pique
* 05 Puyol
* 11 Capdevila
* 15 Sergio Ramos
* 06 Iniesta
* 08 Xavi
* 14 Alonso (Fabregas, 87)
* 16 Busquets
* 07 Villa (Torres, 105)
* 18 Pedrito (G Jesus Navas, 60)
* Venue: Soccer City
* Referee: Howard Webb
* Attendance: 84,490
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Two goals in three second-half minutes by Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben helped to see off a resolute Uruguay side and put the Netherlands into a World Cup final for the first time since 1978.
The Dutch looked short of ideas for long periods but still had the quality in front of goal when it mattered to set up an all-European final against Euro 2008 champions Spain or Germany in Johannesburg on Sunday.
After Giovanni van Bronckhorst's spectacular opener, Uruguay were gifted an equaliser when goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg failed to deal with Diego Forlan's long-range shot.
But Sneijder and Robben again made the difference for the two-time runners-up, who were left hanging on at the end following Maxi Pereira's injury-time reply. However, the Dutch held firm to make sure of their progress.
It was a dramatic end to an often tepid match as Uruguay, who were without the suspended Luis Suarez following his goal-line handball that helped them past Ghana in the quarter-finals, only showed real attacking intent when they fell two goals behind.
Cheered on by an army of Oranje fans, Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk saw his side struggle to find their feet in the early stages, with their only sight of goal being wasted when Dirk Kuyt fired wastefully over after keeper Fernando Muslera had punched Sneijder's cross straight at him.
The South Americans, in their first semi-final for 30 years, were defending in depth and in numbers but that tactic did not help them when Van Bronkhorst broke the deadlock after 18 minutes
The ball was fed out to the left-flank and the veteran Feyenoord left-back had time to look up and use his trusty left foot to spank an unstoppable 35-yard shot into the top corner.
But going ahead did not help the Dutch work out how to break down a well-organised Uruguay defence, and they also seemed unwilling to commit players forward in search of more goals.
Martin Caceres had to hold off Robben as he ran on to Robin van Persie's through-ball, but that was the nearest the Netherlands came to extending their lead.
Uruguay, in the absence of the prolific Suarez, were faring little better at the other end and Stekelenburg did not have a save to make until he had to deal with Alvaro Pereira's bouncing shot after 36 minutes.
That all changed before half-time, however, and it was the Dutch goalkeeper at fault as Forlan notched his fourth goal in six games in the finals in South Africa.
Stekelenburg had a clear view of Forlan's swerving strike from 25 yards out and got a hand to the ball, but was still unable to keep it out.
The Ajax keeper had another nervous moment at the start of the second half when he beat Edinson Cavani to a through ball but failed to make a proper clearance and Van Bronkhorst had to clear Alvaro Pereira's curling shot off the line.
But the game quickly got bogged down in midfield and there were few chances to speak of until Forlan brought a much better stop from Stekelenburg with a dipping free-kick.
The Netherlands had been disappointing up to that point but showed again how they do not have to play well to win games in the tournament with a two-goal burst in the space of three minutes that was enough to give them victory.
Van Marwijk's side showed signs of life when Van Persie latched on to a long ball over the top and played in substitute Rafael van der Vaart, who saw his low shot pushed away before Robben fired the rebound over.
And they were back in the lead after 70 minutes when Sneijder's shot hit the luckless Maxi Pereira and span in off a post, with Van Persie trying but failing to get a touch to help it on its way.
In their next attack, Robben made it 3-1, escaping the attentions of Diego Godin to meet Dirk Kuyt's cross and plant a firm header into the bottom corner.
Uruguay looked exhausted and Robben could have added a fourth when he burst forward on to a Van Persie flick late on, but got his attempted chip all wrong.
Instead the Dutch faced a frantic finale when, in the 92nd minute, Maxi Pereira ran on to a quickly taken free-kick, turned Eljero Ejia and curled a precise shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez's team had time to launch a few balls into the Dutch box but van Marwijk's side survived and it is they who will go forward hoping it will be third-time lucky for them in a final following their defeats in 1974 and 1978.
Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands
Van Bronckhorst, 18
Forlan, 41
Sneijder, 70
Robben, 73
Pereira, 90+2
Uruguay
* 01 Muslera
* 03 Godin
* 06 Victorino
* 16 Pereira
* 22 Caceres
* 05 Gargano
* 11 Pereira (Abreu, 78)
* 15 Perez
* 17 Arevalo Rios
* 07 Cavani
* 10 Forlan (S Fernandez, 84)
Netherlands
* 01 Stekelenburg
* 03 Heitinga
* 04 Mathijsen
* 05 Van Bronckhorst
* 12 Boulahrouz
* 06 Van Bommel
* 10 Sneijder
* 14 De Zeeuw (Van der Vaart, 46)
* 07 Kuyt
* 09 Van Persie
* 11 Robben (Elia, 90)
* Venue: Green Point Stadium
* Referee: R Irmatov
* Attendance: 62,479
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The Netherlands produced a stunning second-half comeback to reach the semi-finals as Brazil's World Cup imploded in a dramatic game in Port Elizabeth.
After taking an early lead through Robinho's cool finish, the pre-tournament favourites were pegged back following an awful defensive mix-up early in the second-half and were found wanting in defence again soon afterwards when Wesley Sneijder headed in.
Brazil found themselves in even deeper trouble when Felipe Melo saw red for stamping on Arjen Robben with 17 minutes to go and, although Dunga's side gave everything in a thrilling finale, they crashed out in the quarter-finals for the second successive tournament.
It is the Netherlands who will go forward to play Uruguay or Ghana in the semi-finals and they have blown this World Cup wide open after putting paid to the idea that South American sides were set to dominate in South Africa.
Of the four teams from that continent in the last eight, Brazil were seen as the most likely to progress - and, for the first 45 minutes at least, it appeared they would not have too many problems in doing so.
The Netherlands have won renown for their defensive discipline in the last few weeks but that was nowhere to be seen when Robinho opened the scoring after 10 minutes.
The Dutch back-line had been forced to re-organise before kick-off when Joris Mathijsen was injured in the warm-up, with Andre Ooijer coming in, and he and fellow centre-back John Heitinga left a huge hole for Robinho to run on to Felipe Melo's pass and slot home.
Bert van Marwijk's side, who came into the game on the back of a 23-game unbeaten run, attempted to respond and Dirk Kuyt brought a low save out of Julio Cesar at his near post.
But other than that chance - and a blasted Sneijder free-kick that Julio Cesar also dealt with comfortably - the Netherlands were unable to open up Brazil, who were superbly marshalled at the back by Juan.
Dunga's side were not exactly in full-flow going forward themselves but they would still have been out of sight at half-time had it not been for Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
Stekelenburg brilliantly tipped over Kaka's curling shot after a neat move down the left involving Robinho and Luis Fabiano and also got a hand to Maicon's fierce shot after Dani Alves sent him forward on the overlap down the opposite flank.
It seemed Brazil were still in full control but that all changed after the interval when they gifted the Dutch an equaliser that completely changed the course of the game.
Sneijder whipped in a cross from the right after a quick free-kick and Julio Cesar, in trying to punch clear, only succeeded in colliding with Felipe Melo and the ball flicked off his team-mate's head and flew into the net.
Brazil took time to regain their composure but they remained a threat and Kaka came within inches of restoring their lead when he clipped the ball wide after latching on to Ooijer's clumsy clearance.
The Dutch, however, sensed a weakness at the heart of the South Americans' defence and they took full advantage after 68 minutes when another cross caused chaos in the Brazil back-line.
Kuyt flicked on Robben's corner at the near post and Sneijder headed in, sending the army of Oranje fans at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium wild with elation
From being well on top, Dunga's side were now chasing the game and their hopes of rescuing their World Cup were dealt a huge blow when Felipe Melo inexplicably stamped on Robben after conceding a free-kick five minutes later.
Despite being a man down, the five-time champions had no choice but to throw men forward, and left huge gaps at the back in the final few minutes.
The closest Brazil came to saving themselves were a succession of Maicon corners, from one of which Lucio had a goalbound shot deflected wide.
But the Netherlands had several chances to add a third goal in final few minutes too, with Sneijder having a shot saved and Klass Jan Huntelaar hesitating when he had the simple task of teeing up Dirk Kuyt from six yards out.
Netherlands 2-1 Brazil
Robinho, 10
Felipe Melo (og), 53
Sneijder, 68
Netherlands
* 01 Stekelenburg
* 02 Van Der Wiel
* 03 Heitinga
* 05 Van Bronckhorst
* 13 Ooijer
* 06 Van Bommel
* 08 De Jong
* 10 Sneijder
* 07 Kuyt
* 09 Van Persie (Huntelaar, 85)
* 11 Robben
Brazil
* 01 Julio Cesar
* 02 Maicon
* 03 Lucio
* 04 Juan
* 06 Michel Bastos (Gilberto, 62)
* 13 Daniel
* 05 Felipe Melo
* 08 Silva
* 10 Kaka
* 09 Luis Fabiano (Nilmar, 77)
* 11 Robinho
* Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
* Referee: Nichimura
* Attendance: 40,186
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A superb strike from Arjen Robben and a late Wesley Sneijder goal gave Netherlands a deserved if somewhat underwhelming victory over Slovakia to seal their place in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Robben capped his first start of the finals in South Africa by collecting a pass from Sneijder before running at the Slovakia defence and then firing a superb low drive into the net from 25 yards.
Sneijder stroked home a pull-back from Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt to essentially seal the game for the Dutch, with Robert Vittek firing home a consolation penalty with the very last kick of the match.
It gave Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk and his side a deserved victory, but one they rarely had to be at their best to secure against opponents that worked hard but lacked the composure to capitalise on the few chances that fell their way.
In reaching the last 16 and eliminating Italy via a 3-2 group win over the holders, Slovakia have achieved their goal in their first World Cup since splitting from Czechoslovakia in 1993.
With a quarter-final tie against either Brazil or Chile to come, the Dutch will have to up their game if they are to fulfil their own aim.
Van Marwijk's men have a 100% record in South Africa - matching their impressive achievement in winning all their qualification games for the tournament - and have now gone a Dutch record 23 games unbeaten, but there remains discontent amongst the Oranje Army, who feel their side are not winning with sufficient style. What England would give for such concerns.
Such gripes, whilst arguably trivial in a successful side, are valid as the current Netherlands side are not the aesthetically pleasing product of generations past.
They do not compare to the revered teams from 1974 and 1978, nor even are they as fluent as that which was eliminated from the European Championships at the quarter-final stage in 2008.
This Dutch have traded in their total game for dependent football, with an efficiently pragmatic, rigid structure functioning largely to feed a supremely talented and liberated front three of Sneijder, Robben and Robin van Persie.
This trio are capable of hurting the world's best and Slovakia - ranked 34 in the world - were unable to cope with their pace and movement.
All three had efforts on goal during the first half, and while Van Persie planted a poor header wide and Sneijder shot straight at Slovakia goalkeeper Jan Mucha from an angle, Robben ruthlessly exposed Slovakia's defensive fallibility to score in the 18th minute.
Sneijder floated a superb, raking pass to release the Bayern Munich man, who controlled, ran on, cut inside and then finished with aplomb into the bottom corner. It was the only moment of true quality in the first 45 minutes.
Robben was again in the thick of the action early in the second half, collecting the ball on the left and drawing a good full-stretch save from Mucha with a curling effort before appearing on the right and pulling back for Sneijder to shoot, but again the Slovakia keeper saved, this time with his face.
Slovakia offered little threat in the first half, but twice in a space of two second-half minutes they threatened to draw level.
Miroslav Stoch took a leaf out of Robben's book by cutting inside onto his right foot and shooting but Netherlands keeper Maarten Stekelenburg tipped over.
Seconds later Marek Hamsik toe-poked forward for Vittek, who showed none of the composure he demonstrated to score twice against Italy by firing straight at Stekelenburg.
With six minutes remaining, Sneijder made amends for his earlier miss, this time receiving a pull-back from Kuyt, after Mucha had missed the initial pass to the Liverpool player, and slotting home into a largely empty net.
Slovakia's final touch in this World Cup was a positive one as Vittek stroked home a penalty for his fourth and final goal of the tournament after Stekelenburg had tripped the striker.
Netherlands 2-1 Slovakia
Robben, 18
Sneijder, 84
Vittek (pen), 90+4
Netherlands
* 01 Stekelenburg
* 02 Van Der Wiel
* 03 Heitinga
* 04 Mathijsen
* 05 Van Bronckhorst
* 06 Van Bommel
* 08 De Jong
* 10 Sneijder (Afellay, 90+2)
* 07 Kuyt
* 09 Van Persie (Huntelaar, 80)
* 11 Robben (Elia, 71)
Slovakia
* 01 Mucha
* 02 Pekarik
* 03 Skrtel
* 05 Zabavnik (Jakubko, 87)
* 07 Weiss
* 15 Stoch
* 16 Durica
* 17 Hamsik (Sapara, 87)
* 19 Kucka
* 11 Vittek
* 18 Jendrisek (Kopunek, 71)
* Venue: Durban
* Referee: A Undiano Mallenco
* Attendance: 61,962
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Klaas Jan Huntelaar's late goal ensured Netherlands progressed to the last 16 of the World Cup with a 100% winning record in Group E.
Coach Bert van Marwijk's Dutch side, who will face Slovakia on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals, had to work harder than expected for the points against a spirited Cameroon side, who were already eliminated after losing their first two matches. Arjen Robben came off the bench to help give Van Marwijk's men their third win so far in South Africa.
Huntelaar fired home the rebound after Robben, who has had to wait to make his first appearance of the tournament because of injury, hit the post with a 20-yard drive.
Cameroon had gone behind when Robin van Persie finished off a neat move but levelled through Samuel Eto'o's penalty and will probably feel they deserved something from the game.
The African side enjoyed most of the early pressure and Aurelien Chedjou saw his snap-shot fly straight at goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg after he exchanged passes with Samuel Eto'o on the edge of the area.
Jean Makoun also sent a flicked header spinning over the bar from Benoit Assou-Ekotto's driven cross, but the Dutch were never really opened up at the back despite having defending to do.
Slowly but surely, Van Marwijk's men began to impose themselves on the game and they threatened for the first time when Giovanni Van Bronckhorst fed Van Persie but the Arsenal striker fired straight at Hamidou Souleymanou.
By now, Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder were linking up well and, although Makoun headed over again at the other end, the Dutch were dominating possession and enjoying most of the openings too.
Dirk Kuyt should have done better when Khalid Boulahrouz found him in space in the area, only to fire his shot across the face of goal.
But Liverpool's Kuyt made amends when he started the move that saw his side take the lead after 21 minutes. He advanced to the edge of the area and slipped the ball to Van Persie, who exchanged passes with Van der Vaart before burying a low shot through the legs of Souleymanou.
Van Persie continued to look dangerous after the interval, bringing a diving save from Souleymanou after sprinting on to a long clearance.
But Cameroon were clearly keen to end their World Cup on a high note and responded strongly, with only an instinctive stop by Stekelenburg denying Makoun after he beat the offside trap.
Paul Le Guen's side did not have to wait long for an equaliser, however, as referee Pablo Pozo had no choice but to point to the spot after Geremi's free-kick clearly struck Van der Vaart's arm - and Eto'o stepped up to score his second goal of the tournament.
The Dutch had more defending to do in the closing stages but they weathered the storm and hit back to win the game with a devastating counter-attack.
Robben cut in from the right before sending a rasping shot against the post, and the ball bounced back perfectly into Huntelaar's path for him to fire into an empty net.
Cameroon 1-2 Netherlands
Van Persie, 36
Eto'o (pen), 65
Huntelaar, 83
Cameroon
* 16 Hamidou
* 02 Assou-Ekotto
* 03 N'Koulou (R Song, 73)
* 12 Bong (Aboubakar, 56)
* 07 N'Guemo
* 08 Geremi
* 11 Makoun
* 14 Chedjou
* 19 M'bia
* 09 Eto'o
* 13 Choupo-Moting (Idrissou, 72)
Netherlands
* 01 Stekelenburg
* 03 Heitinga
* 04 Mathijsen
* 05 Van Bronckhorst
* 12 Boulahrouz
* 06 Van Bommel
* 08 De Jong
* 10 Sneijder
* 23 Van der Vaart (Robben, 73)
* 07 Kuyt (Elia, 67)
* 09 Van Persie (Huntelaar, 58)
* Venue: Green Point Stadium
* Referee: P Pozo
* Attendance: 63,093
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The Netherlands put themselves on the brink of qualification for the last 16 with a hard-fought victory in Durban over an impressively stubborn Japan side.
Wesley Sneijder's powerful 52nd-minute winner from just outside the box settled a fascinating Group E contest between two contrasting sides who opened up in the second half and were creating good chances right up to the final whistle.
The Dutch will qualify for the knockout stages before their final group game if Cameroon fail to beat Denmark later on Saturday, and are still likely to go through regardless.
Japan came into the match off the back of their first World Cup win on foreign soil after beating Cameroon 1-0 on Monday.
And the afterglow of that historic achievement was evident in the admirable tactical nous they executed in the first half as they stifled the Netherlands' search for fluid creativity with regimental efficiency in front of a near-full Moses Mabhida Stadium.
The Dutch, who are now unbeaten in 21 matches, started like a team full of quiet confidence as they kept possession well and used the width of Dirk Kuyt on the right and Rafael van der Vaart on the left.
Inter Milan midfielder Sneijder had the first clear chance but, on this occasion, could not keep his long-range shot, from a free-kick, down - a common sight in South Africa as players struggle to tame the much-criticised Jabulani ball.
When they did break up the Netherlands' passing, Grenoble midfielder Daisuke Matsui looked bright for Japan - instigating an incisive move that eventually resulted in Yuto Nagatomo hitting a stinging shot just wide.
The Asian side slowly began to frustrate the Dutch, who struggled to bring striker Robin van Persie into the game and lacked a killer pass.
And by the end of the first half Japan had relative control, with towering Brazilian-born defender Tulio heading just wide before Matsui lashed a decent volley straight at goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
But the Netherlands - who have never won the World Cup, despite a rich pedigree of world-class footballers - took the second half by the scruff of the neck, with Van Persie breaking free on a couple of occasions.
After a period of concerted pressure as the ball ricocheted around the box in the 52nd minute, the Arsenal striker managed to nudge it into the path of Sneijder.
Loitering just outside the penalty area, the Inter Milan star lashed a powerful right-foot shot towards goal that keeper Eiji Kawashima could only deflect into the net when he was well placed to make an effective save.
That moment liberated both teams and no longer could containment tactics be the limit of Japan's ambitions.
They responded in kind, Van Persie finding himself hooking a dangerous cross from substitute Shunsuke Nakamura over his own crossbar from within the six-yard box.
Hamburg's Eljero Elia came on as a substitute for Van der Vaart and nearly recreated the impression he had from the bench in the Netherlands' first match, cleverly releasing Ibrahim Allelay for a one on one, although his fellow substitute could not add a second with seven minutes remaining as Kawashima smothered his attempt.
Japan had the best chance to level the score one minute from time but unmarked substitute Shinji Okazaki fired over from 10 yards.
Seconds later, referee Hector Baldassi waved away penalty claims as Yuto Nagatomo went down under a challenge from Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong and the Dutch clung on to achieve maximum points from their opening two fixtures.
Netherlands 1-0 Japan
Sneijder, 53
Netherlands
* 01 Stekelenburg
* 02 Van Der Wiel
* 03 Heitinga
* 04 Mathijsen
* 05 Van Bronckhorst
* 06 Van Bommel
* 08 De Jong
* 10 Sneijder (Afellay, 82)
* 23 Van der Vaart (Elia, 72)
* 07 Kuyt
* 09 Van Persie (Huntelaar, 87)
Japan
* 21 Kawashima
* 03 Komano
* 04 Tanaka
* 05 Nagatomo
* 22 Nakazawa
* 02 Abe
* 07 Endo
* 08 Matsui (Nakamura, 64)
* 17 Hasebe Captain (Okazaki, 77)
* 18 Honda
* 16 Okubo (Tamada, 77)
* Venue: Moses Mabhida Stadium
* Referee: H Baldassi
* Attendance: 62,010
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A freak own goal from Denmark defender Daniel Agger helped Netherlands on their way to victory in the World Cup Group E contest at Soccer City.
After a tight first half, the crucial breakthrough came moments after the break as Simon Poulsen tried to head a Robin van Persie cross clear only for the ball to strike Agger on the back and fly past a wrong-footed Thomas Sorensen.
At the time the goal was harsh on Denmark after Morten Olsen's side matched the Dutch in the opening period, but they offered little having fallen behind and can have few complaints about the result.
The Dutch wrapped it up with five minutes left when lively substitute Eljero Elia raced on to a through ball and after his shot struck the post, Dirk Kuyt tapped in the rebound to add gloss to the scoreline.
But in truth, the ninth game of the tournament followed many of its predecessors as both teams struggled for any sort of fluency and neither could find any real attacking momentum in the Johannesburg sunshine.
With World Cup greats Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane watching on from the stands, it provided another sharp reminder that, Germany apart, so far this tournament has significantly failed to provide the entertaining, creative football many had expected.
Netherlands were many people's dark horses coming into the competition, but, missing the wing play of the injured Arjen Robben, they struggled to find a way through a dogged Danish defence.
Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Van Persie all threatened to deliver in the early stages, but the Dutch build-up was too laboured and with Denmark getting men behind the ball they managed to frustrate Bert van Marwijk's side.
After Van der Vaart had a shot deflected behind and then curled narrowly off target it seemed as though Netherlands had found their feet, but that only prompted the best spell Denmark had in the game.
The Scandinavians burst into life as Nicklas Bendtner headed a gilt-edged chance wide from six yards, Dennis Rommedahl shot straight at Martin Stekelenburg and then Thomas Kahlenberg forced a fine save from the Ajax stopper.
Unfortunately for Denmark, that was as good as it got as, seconds after the restart, Poulsen and Agger's calamitous moment gave the Dutch an initiative they never looked likely to surrender.
Denmark had no answer to falling behind and the Netherlands began to press for a second they knew would put the result beyond doubt as Van der Vaart brought a sprawling save from an increasingly extended Sorensen.
When the Dutch brought on Elia his pace and directness presented another problem the Danes could not deal with and after Sneijder's shot was deflected on to the bar, the goal that killed the game arrived soon after.
Elia's pace took him clear of the static Danish backline and after his shot stuck the post, Kuyt was only hand to wrap up the three points for the jubilant Dutch.
The nearly had another in the closing stages, only for Poulsen to produce a fabulous clearance with an overhead kick, but the damage had already been done and the Netherlands' World Cup campaign got off to a winning start.
Netherlands 2-0 Denmark
Agger (og), 46
Kuyt, 85
Netherlands
* 01 Stekelenburg
* 02 Van Der Wiel
* 03 Heitinga
* 04 Mathijsen
* 05 Van Bronckhorst
* 06 Van Bommel
* 08 De Jong (De Zeeuw, 88)
* 10 Sneijder
* 23 Van der Vaart (Elia, 67)
* 07 Kuyt
* 09 Van Persie (Afellay, 77)
Denmark
* 01 Sorensen
* 03 Kjaer
* 04 Agger
* 06 Jacobsen
* 15 Poulsen
* 02 Poulsen
* 10 Jorgensen
* 12 Kahlenberg (Eriksen, 72)
* 20 Enevoldsen (Gronkjaer, 56)
* 11 Bendtner (Beckmann, 62)
* 19 Rommedahl
Venue: Soccer City
Referee: Lannoy
Attendance: 83,465
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A stunning second-half fightback saw Holland run out 6-1 winners in their final World Cup warm-up game against Hungary at the Amsterdam ArenA.
The victory came at a cost with Arjen Robben forced from the action with a left hamstring injury, and Oranje coach Bert van Marwijk will be hoping the World Cup injury jinx that has struck so many big-name players this week does not come to include the Bayern Munich winger.
Robben is due to undergo a scan on Sunday, but was on fine form before the injury struck late on, scoring twice after coming on as a substitute at the interval.
Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder, Mark van Bommel and Eljero Elia were also on target for the Dutch, who fell behind to Balazs Dzudzsak's shock opener for Hungary.
Holland were caught napping for the opener which arrived on six minutes.
Sandor Torghelle's long ball from his own half was collected with ease by Dzsudzsak, who dispatched a powerful shot into the top-left corner of Maarten Stekelenburg's net from the edge of the area.
The hosts were back on level terms after 22 minutes when Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt crossed from the right wing and Arsenal striker Van Persie lashed home.
Hungary looked good value for the draw at the interval with the Oranje offering little in the way of attacking threat, but all that changed in the second period as the hosts hit their stride.
Holland went ahead after 56 minutes when Giovanni Van Bronckhorst picked out Wesley Sneijder and the Inter Milan midfielder fired home from close range.
Feyenoord veteran Van Bronckhorst was again the provider eight minutes later when he crossed from the left and Robben side-footed home from six yards.
Van Bommel made it 4-1 after 71 minutes after being played in by Robben while Elia added a fifth from the left side of the area four minutes later as Van Bommel turned provider.
Robben completed the scoring with a stunning sixth from the edge of area 12 minutes from time but the day would end on a sour note for the former Chelsea playmaker, who faces an anxious wait to discover whether his World Cup dream remains intact.
Netherlands: Stekelenburg, van der Wiel, Heitinga (Ooijer 61), Mathijsen, van Bronckhorst, van Bommel (de Zeeuw 79), de Jong, Kuyt (Robben 46), Sneijder (Elia 73), van der Vaart (Afellay 80), van Persie (Huntelaar 68).
Hungary: Fülüp, Bodnár (Laczkó 76), Vanczák, Juhasz, Szelesi, Dzsudzsák, Horváth (Vadócz 80), Bodor, Huszti (Lázok 68), Torghelle (Elek 58), Priskin.
Goals: Dzsudzsák 0-1 '6, van Persie 1-1 '21, Sneijder 2-1 '56, Robben 3-1 '64, van Bommel 4-1 '71, Elia 5-1 '74, Robben 6-1 '78.
Booked: Lázok
Att: 48,000
Ref: Meyer (Germany)
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Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk seems to have built a solid framework for his team who cruised to a 4-1 World Cup warm-up win over Ghana on Tuesday.
Dirk Kuyt cut in from the right flank to open the scoring after half-an-hour when he netted a rebound after goalkeeper Richard Kingson blocked a shot from Robin van Persie.
The Dutch added three more in the last 20 minutes although a defensive blunder by Joris Mathijsen allowed Asamoah Gyan to pull a goal back five minutes after Rafael van der Vaart had doubled the home side's lead in the 73rd minute.
Wesley Sneijder then got the best goal of the night against a disappointing World Cup-bound Ghana side when he volleyed home from a Van der Vaart corner from outside the area.
Striker Van Persie added a fourth from the penalty spot, his third goal in two matches, after Kingson fouled Van der Vaart.
With only Arjen Robben missing, with a minor hip strain, Van Marwijk gave midfielder Ibrahim Afellay a run out and reserve goalkeepers Michel Vorm and Sander Boschker played a half each.
The coach had named his 23-man squad for the finals on May 27, the day after Netherlands beat Mexico 2-1 with a Van Persie double in a friendly played in Freiburg, Germany.
They host Hungary on Saturday in their final warm-up match before travelling to South Africa, where they face Denmark on June 14 followed by Japan and Cameroon in Group E.
Netherlands: Stekelenburg (Boschker 46), Van der Wiel, Mathijsen, Heitinga, Van Bronckhorst, De Jong, Van Bommel, Kuyt (Babel 73), Sneijder (Elia 83), Afellay (Van der Vaart 63), Van Persie.
Ghana: Kingson, Pantsil, Addy, Vorsah (Mensah 46), Sarpei, Owusu Abeyie (Adiyiah 46), Annan, Appiah (Tagoe 46), Boateng, Muntari (Ayew 46), Amoah (Asamoah 46).
Booked: Adiyiah, Gyan, Mensah.
Goals: Kuyt 1-0 '30, Van der Vaart 2-0 '72, A. Gyan 2-1 '73, Sneijder 3-1 '80, Van Persie 4-1 '87 (pen).
Att: 35.000
Ref: Moen
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Robin van Persie proved his worth as central striker with two fine volleys to lift the Netherlands to a 2-1 win over Mexico in a World Cup warm-up match on Wednesday.
The Dutch started with only five first-team regulars after coach Bert van Marwijk said the match would be the last test before he reduces his 27-man squad to 23 on Thursday.
The Dutch were without Arjen Robben, Mark van Bommel and Wesley Sneijder, who all featured in Saturday's Champions League final.
Van Persie led the line alongside Dirk Kuyt and Ibrahim Afellay with Rafael van der Vaart as playmaker.
The Dutch made a bright start and created chances before Van Persie opened the scoring from Van der Vaart's crossfield pass and the Arsenal forward added a second three minutes before the interval.
But Mexico, also World Cup-bound, dominated the second half and tested the nervous Dutch defence more than once before Javier Hernandez headed home from close range.
"We showed some fine combination football in the first half, though followed by a lesser second but for a first friendly match we can be satisfied," Van Persie told SBS6-TV.
Van Marwijk said he understood why the performance had been a bit flat.
"Van Persie was excellent tonight with two beautiful goals, but we missed the power in the second half and allowed Mexico to play much better," he said.
"But that all has to do with the intensive training sessions last days."
The Dutch host Ghana on June 1 in Rotterdam and Hungary four days later in Amsterdam before travelling to South Africa where they face Denmark in their World Cup opener on June 14. Japan and Cameroon are their other group opponents.
Netherlands: Stekelenburg, Boulahrouz, Heitinga, Mathijsen, Braafheid (Anita 46), Kuijt, De Zeeuw, Schaars (Engelaar 46), Van der Vaart (Elia 71), Afellay, Van Persie (Huntelaar 46)
Mexico: Ochoa, Aguilar (Vela 55), Magallón, Moreno, Torres, Israel Castro, Guardado (Juárez 46), Torrado, Blanco (Barrera 46), Hernández, Medina (Giovani 55)
Goals: Van Persie 1-0 '17, 2-0 '41, Hernández 2-1 '74
Booked: Moreno
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Arsenal crushed a weakened Fulham side to ensure they ended the season in third place in the Premier League.
The Gunners needed only a point to stay above Tottenham and they easily beat Fulham, who rested players ahead of Wednesday's Europa League final.
Andrey Arshavin punished an error by Mark Schwarzer to open the scoring and Robin van Persie slotted in the second.
Chris Baird turned Theo Walcott's cross into his own net and Carlos Vela sealed the win with a cheeky dinked chip.
It could have been more for Arsenal, who barely needed to hit top gear to secure the result that clinches automatic entry into the Champions League next season.
Not that any blame could be laid at Fulham's door after a remarkable season for the Cottagers in which they could still do what Arsenal failed to do and win silverware.
Roy Hodgson's side face Atletico Madrid in midweek and it was inevitable key players would be rested ahead of the match in Hamburg.
The Fulham boss made eight changes in total, which indicated he was willing to sacrifice the chance to potentially finish ninth in the table, seemingly settling for 12th place - and close to £3m less in prize money.
However, should Fulham triumph on Wednesday surely none of that will matter.
Arsenal themselves might cast an envious glance Fulham's way after their season fell apart in recent weeks as they exited the Champions League and blew their title chances, making it five seasons without a trophy.
The Gunners' campaign would have ended on a very sour note had they relinquished third place to bitter-rivals Tottenham, and from the start they appeared determined not to let that happen.
Van Persie quickly brought out the best in Schwarzer, who produced a stunning save to tip away a shot headed for the top corner and Samir Nasri sent a low shot narrowly wide of the post.
After Sol Campbell almost got on the end of a Van Persie free-kick and Arshavin tested Schwarzer, it seemed a matter of time before the hosts got the opener.
And it came when Schwarzer miscontrolled a backpass, allowing Arshavin to nick the ball, round the Australian and slot in from a tight angle.
It was soon 2-0 when Walcott squared for Van Persie, who stroked in after Schwarzer had deflected his first shot on to the bar but was unlucky to see it bounce back to the striker.
Aside from the goal, Van Persie's influence was obvious - his creativity, vision and touch were top class - and Arsenal may well reflect on how the season may have turned out had the Dutchman not been injured for most of it.
Arsenal got their third when Walcott sent in a low cross from the right, Emmanuel Eboue flicked it on and Baird could only turn the ball into his own net.
Walcott should have added another when clean though on goal, but he dragged his shot wide - not the impression he would want to make given that England boss Fabio Capello names his 30-man provisional World Cup squad this week.
At the end of the half, Fulham had two chances from rare attacks but Stefano Okaka fell backwards when he tried to get a shot away and Erik Nevland headed over the bar.
After the interval the pace dropped, but Arsenal still carved out chances as Fulham sat back.
Van Persie was denied by a stunning reaction save from Schwarzer at close range and the striker hit the foot of post from the rebound.
Fulham were let off again when Van Persie rifled over after cutting in from the right.
But Arsene Wenger's men were not to be denied a fourth goal and it came when substitute Vela latched on to a pass by Nasri and finished with a classy effort.
Arsenal
* 21 Fabianski yellow card
* 03 Sagna
* 18 Silvestre (Djourou 62)
* 22 Clichy
* 27 Eboue yellow card
* 31 Campbell
* 02 Diaby
* 08 Nasri
* 14 Walcott (Lansbury 77)
* 23 Arshavin (Vela 77)
* 11 Van Persie
Substitutes
* 24 Mannone,
* 20 Djourou,
* 28 Gibbs,
* 37 Eastmond,
* 32 Merida,
* 45 Lansbury,
* 12 Vela
Fulham
* 01 Schwarzer
* 04 Pantsil (Kelly 58 yellow card)
* 06 Baird
* 07 Shorey
* 26 Smalling
* 17 Riise (Elm 46)
* 23 Dempsey yellow card (Stoor 67)
* 27 Greening
* 34 Dikgacoi
* 09 Okaka Chuka
* 10 Nevland
Substitutes
* 19 Zuberbuhler,
* 02 Kelly,
* 22 Stoor,
* 11 Gera,
* 13 Murphy,
* 29 Davies,
* 35 Elm
Goals: Arshavin 1-0 '21, Van Persie 2-0 '26, Baird 3-0 (og) '37, Vela 4-0 '84
Ref: Jones
Att: 60,039
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Chris Samba scored the winner as Blackburn came from behind to defeat Arsenal, who must wait to secure third place in the Premier League.
Robin van Persie put Arsenal ahead with a header from six yards but Blackburn equalised when David Dunn tapped home after a corner was not cleared.
Lukasz Fabianski saved from Morten Gamst Pedersen and Junior Hoilett.
But Rovers bombarded the Arsenal keeper with high balls, and it was from a corner that Samba headed the winner.
The home team are assured of a mid-table finish after moving from 13th to 10th in the table.
But Arsenal's aim of finishing third - and therefore avoiding having to qualify for the group stage of next season's Champions League - could go down to the final day.
The Gunners have one game left to play, but Manchester City and Tottenham, who play each other on Wednesday, lead the chasing pack and could still potentially catch Arsenal.
It was a frustrating afternoon for visiting boss Arsene Wenger, who appeared to be unhappy with what he saw as Rovers' robust approach to the contest.
On the field, Fabianski repeatedly complained to referee Martin Atkinson, although replays suggested that on several occasions at least, Rovers were guilty of nothing more than standing their ground.
Arsenal had settled quickly and Theo Walcott's blistering pace created a fourth-minute opening that Carlos Vela, making his first Premier League start since the closing stages of last season, should have converted but missed from six yards.
Rovers were the next to threaten, with Fabianski diving sharply to his right to save a free-kick from Pedersen, but Arsenal clearly possessed the greater cutting edge in the early stages and took the lead after 13 minutes.
Bacary Sagna flicked on a corner at the near post and Van Persie headed home unmarked to score his 10th goal in nine games against Rovers.
Paul Robinson parried a free-kick from Van Persie, while Pedersen again forced Fabianski into action with a dead-ball strike that swerved viciously.
Rovers took every opportunity to test the handling of Fabianski, who landed heavily on his right knee as he jumped above Sol Campbell to collect a loose ball.
The Arsenal keeper was able to continue but he was picking the ball out of his net shortly before the break after his team failed to deal with a corner.
The ball eventually fell to Keith Andrews, who drilled a low cross back across goal that several Arsenal players failed to clear, gifting Dunn a simple tap-in.
It had been an entertaining opening half in the spring sunshine at Ewood Park - and the openings continued after the break.
Andrews played an excellent through ball to Pedersen, whose shot was parried by Fabianski. Pedersen chased the rebound and went down under a challenge from Campbell but Atkinson was not interested in his penalty appeals.
Dunn played Hoilett through, with the substitute forcing Fabianski to tip his strike over the crossbar, before Arsenal threatened to regain the lead.
Van Persie embarrassed Michael Salgado with a sharp turn but the Dutch striker lost his footing as his opponent tried to rescue the situation. Once again, Atkinson waved away the penalty appeal.
Mikael Silvestre almost diverted a flick-on into this own net as he tried to clear the danger, but Rovers scored the winner after the visiting team failed to deal with the physical presence of Samba.
The Rovers skipper stood close to the Arsenal goal-line as a corner was delivered and finished the simplest of headers after both Fabianski and Campbell failed to clear the danger.
Arsenal substitute Andrey Arshavin forced a decent save from Robinson but Rovers held out to ensure that they avoided defeat against the Gunners, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool at home this season.
Blackburn
01 Robinson
04 Samba
05 Givet
06 Nelsen
21 Olsson
27 Salgado
08 Dunn (Jones 85)
11 Grella yellow card (Hoilett 57)
12 Pedersen yellow card
17 Andrews
09 Roberts
Substitutes
32 Brown,
02 Jacobsen,
28 Jones,
07 Emerton,
20 Basturk,
23 Hoilett,
26 Di Santo
Arsenal
21 Fabianski
03 Sagna
18 Silvestre yellow card
27 Eboue (Eduardo 77)
30 Traore
31 Campbell yellow card
02 Diaby
08 Nasri
14 Walcott
11 Van Persie
12 Vela (Arshavin 67)
Substitutes
24 Mannone,
20 Djourou,
28 Gibbs,
37 Eastmond,
23 Arshavin,
43 Henderson,
09 Eduardo
Goals: Van Persie 0-1 '13, Dunn 1-1 '44, Samba 2-1 '68.
Att: 26,138
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Manchester City moved to within one point of fourth-placed Tottenham as Arsenal's mathematical chances of winning the league title disappeared.
But the point came at some cost for City with keeper Shay Given stretchered off with a suspected broken shoulder after he made a second-half save.
In a poor first half, Given was called into action just once, which was more than counterpart Lukasz Fabianski was.
Arsenal's Robin Van Persie went close late on with his free-kick inches wide.
Arsenal's best chance of the game came with 20 minutes remaining when Abou Diaby forced a fine save from Given, who superbly tipped the French midfielder's 20-yard low strike round the post.
But in making the save, City's keeper injured his left shoulder and play was stopped for five minutes as the former Newcastle keeper received treatment before he was stretchered off the pitch.
During a turgid first-half, Arsenal enjoyed the majority of possession but failed to break down a resilient defence that was brilliantly marshalled by former Gunners centre-half Kolo Toure, despite the loss of Wayne Bridge after 27 minutes with a dead leg.
Carlos Tevez was an isolated figure up front as City continuously pumped long balls up to the Argentine, which Arsenal defender Sol Campbell lapped up with consummate ease.
With Tevez struggling, Craig Bellamy and Adam Johnson on the flanks also failed to have any impact in the opening 45 minutes.
Arsenal's solitary chance came from Smair Nasri whose angled shot from Van Persie's fine pass was comfortably kept out by Given.
Earlier Nasri had been dubiously flagged offside after latching onto another Van Persie's through ball with replays suggesting the French international had timed his run perfectly.
At the other end, Campbell's last-ditch tackle prevented a marauding Patrick Viera from pulling the trigger from just inside the area.
It took City manager Roberto Mancini just six minutes of the second half before he turned to former Gunners striker Emmanuel Adebayor.
He came on for ex-Gunners captain Viera, who left the field to a standing ovation, while Adebayor's arrival was greeted with a chorus of boos.
That hostile reception was due to Adebayor's altercation with Van Persie earlier in the season, as well as his infamous goal celebration in front of the Arsenal fans at Eastlands during City's 4-2 win in September.
City had claims for a penalty turned down when Toure's low cross was put behind for a corner seemingly off the arm of Campbell as the visitors started to get into the game, thanks largely to Adebayor's introduction.
Mancini was forced to make a third substitution due to Given's injury, with Faroe Islands keeper Gunnar Nielsen coming for his City debut.
The game started to become stretched but Arsenal failed to test Nielsen with Van Persie curling a free-kick inches wide, with substitute Nicklas Bendtner later firing straight at the City reserve keeper.
There was eight minutes of injury time but by that stage City seemed content to settle for the point, keeping alive their Champions League hopes, as the visitors packed men behind the ball.
And Arsenal's attempts to break them down seemed almost half hearted as the realisation of another trophy-less season finally hit home.
Arsenal
* 21 Fabianski
* 03 Sagna
* 18 Silvestre yellow card
* 22 Clichy
* 31 Campbell
* 02 Diaby yellow card
* 07 Rosicky (Eboue 68)
* 08 Nasri
* 14 Walcott (Bendtner 68)
* 17 Song Billong yellow card
* 11 Van Persie yellow card
Substitutes
* 24 Mannone,
* 27 Eboue,
* 30 Traore,
* 37 Eastmond,
* 09 Eduardo,
* 12 Vela,
* 52 Bendtner
Man City
* 01 Given (Nielsen 73)
* 03 Bridge (Richards 27)
* 05 Zabaleta yellow card
* 28 Toure
* 33 Kompany
* 11 A Johnson
* 18 Barry
* 24 Vieira (Adebayor 52)
* 34 De Jong
* 32 Tevez
* 39 Bellamy yellow card
Substitutes
* 37 Nielsen,
* 02 Richards,
* 04 Onuoha,
* 07 Ireland,
* 08 Wright-Phillips,
* 14 Santa Cruz,
* 25 Adebayor
Ref: Dean
Att: 60,086
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A late Wigan comeback has all but ended Arsenal's title bid and also virtually secured their top-flight status.
Theo Walcott's neat finish gave Arsenal the lead, which they doubled via Mikael Silvestre's header from a corner.
Three goals in 10 minutes turned the game in Wigan's favour late on, with Ben Watson side-footing in the first.
A mistake from Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski allowed Titus Bramble to head Wigan level and then, deep into injury time Charles N'Zogbia's strike won it.
It was a stunning end to a game that Arsenal had seemed certain to win and in the process keep alive a title bid that was reawakened by Chelsea's 2-1 defeat at Spurs on Saturday.
That result will have altered the pessimistic admission of Gunners boss Arsene Wenger after his side's own 2-1 loss at White Hart Lane on Wednesday that their challenge was over.
He must now revert back to his initial prognosis that Arsenal are destined to finish trophyless for the fifth season in a row.
Wigan are very much in a race of their own at the bottom end of the table and cannot breathe easily just yet but this victory goes a long way to securing them a sixth successive season in the Premier League.
The Latics now have a seven-point cushion over 18th-placed Hull with three games to play.
Whilst taking nothing away from Wigan, a large portion of the blame must go to an admittedly weakened Arsenal defence, which had already demonstrated its fragility earlier in the game and capitulated during a remarkable last 10 minutes.
Watson's 80th-minute side-foot finish from a Hugo Rodallega pull-back was greeted with cheers of hope more than expectation from the home crowd.
However, this quickly became belief that three points were these for the taking when Fabianski - filling in for injured first-choice keeper Manuel Almunia - fumbled a corner and allowed Bramble to head home the equaliser in the 89th minute.
With momentum fully behind them, the Latics took full advantage of their shell-shocked opponents when, four minutes into injury time, N'Zogbia unleashed a superb, curling shot from the edge of the area into the top corner of the net fro the killer blow.
The Gunners had been far from their best in the 80 minutes prior to Watson's first for Wigan but appeared to be on course to move within three points of Chelsea courtesy of a brace of goals in a 10-minute spell either side of half time.
Walcott's opener - a neat finish after he had been put through on goal by Nicklas Bendtner's pass - was reward for the way Arsenal had grown into the game throughout the first half following a nervous start, no doubt partly due to the absence of key defensive figures.
Fabianski looked uncertain as he tentatively edged forward but failed to claim a Watson corner, which flashed across goal just ahead of the lunging Mario Melchiot early on.
Minutes later, the Gunners defence - missing both first-choice centre-backs William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen, gifted possession to N'Zogbia but his shot from the edge of the area bobbled tamely wide.
The first goal was well timed - coming just before the break - and the second even more so as Arsenal quashed any momentum the home side may have had from their half time team-talk.
Silvestre was given far too much room on the penalty spot to rise and head home Nasri's corner into the far corner of the net which, judging by his scrambled attempt to get across to clear, Watson had neglected his duty to cover.
Arsenal celebrated the goal like the game-winner it appeared to be, little aware of the late drama still to come.
Wigan
* 01 Kirkland
* 02 Gohouri
* 19 Bramble yellow card
* 25 Melchiot
* 31 Figueroa
* 08 Watson (Scharner 90+2)
* 14 N'Zogbia
* 24 McCarthy
* 27 Diame yellow card
* 18 Moreno (Moses 62)
* 20 Rodallega
Substitutes
* 29 Stojkovic,
* 07 Scharner,
* 17 Boyce,
* 11 Moses,
* 15 Gomez,
* 16 Sinclair,
* 09 Scotland
Arsenal
* 21 Fabianski
* 03 Sagna
* 18 Silvestre
* 22 Clichy
* 31 Campbell
* 37 Eastmond (Van Persie 90)
* 02 Diaby
* 07 Rosicky (Merida 81)
* 08 Nasri yellow card
* 14 Walcott (Eboue 81)
* 52 Bendtner
Substitutes
* 24 Mannone,
* 27 Eboue,
* 30 Traore,
* 32 Merida,
* 43 Henderson,
* 11 Van Persie,
* 12 Vela
Ref: Lee Mason
Att: 22,113
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Tottenham all but ended Arsenal's hopes of winning the Premier League with a win which boosted their own chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
Spurs' Premier League debutant Danny Rose hit a thunderous 30-yard volley past Manuel Almunia after 10 minutes.
Gareth Bale tapped in Spurs' second from six yards after Jermain Defoe's pass, only a minute after half-time.
Heurelho Gomes made three stunning saves to keep out Arsenal before Nicklas Bendtner pulled a goal back.
But it was not enough to prevent Tottenham recording their first league win over their arch rivals since November 1999 - a run of 20 games.
Both Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and Spurs manager Harry Redknapp admitted prior to the match that anything other than victory would end their hopes of achieving their respective targets this season.
For the Gunners that aim was winning the Premier League title, which now appears an unlikely outcome given that league leaders Chelsea are six points clear of Arsenal with four games to play.
For Spurs, however, fourth place in the Premier League and qualification for the Champions League remains a realistic aim with Redknapp's side one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City.
Both sides went into the north London derby viewing it as the perfect opportunity to put elimination from knockout competitions behind them.
Spurs had suffered a 2-0 defeat by Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Sunday, while Arsenal's last game was a 4-1 loss to Barcelona at the Nou Camp which ended their Champions League campaign.
But it was Tottenham, without the benefit of an eight-day break, who played with more desire.
Redknapp sprung a surprise in his starting line-up, throwing Rose into the fray - and that decision was to reap dividends after 10 minutes.
Almunia punched away a corner but 30-yards out Rose was lurking and the 19-year-old unleashed an instinctive left-foot volley beyond the Arsenal keeper for one of the goals of the season.
Tottenham have only conceded 10 league goals at home this season, fewer than any other club in the division.
And Arsenal, unbeaten in their last eight league games, found the home side's back line tough to break down, struggling to create clear-cut opportunities despite dominating possession.
It was Spurs who started to ask questions of Arsenal's unconvincing defence, by now weakened after Thomas Vermaelen limped off with a calf injury to be replaced by Mikael Silvestre.
Almunia thwarted Luka Modric bravely before Defoe's snap-shot slammed into the body of the Spanish goalkeeper as Spurs pressed for a second goal.
And only one minute into the second half Spurs stunned Wenger's title-chasing side.
Defoe rode two challenges before splitting the Gunners' defence with a diagonal ball to the edge of the six-yard box where Bale, being played onside by Bacary Sagna, stroked the ball home with ease.
Shell-shocked Arsenal eventually regained their composure and tried to pick a hole in the Spurs back line but clear-cut opportunities were in short supply.
With the Spurs centre-back pairing of Ledley King and Michael Dawson proving almost impossible to break down, Wenger threw on Robin van Persie for his first game since rupturing ankle ligaments five months ago.
And the Dutchman made an impressive impact, forcing a stunning save from Gomes as the Gunners manically searched for a goal.
Van Persie took the ball on his chest on the penalty spot and swivelled quickly to crash a volley towards goal but Gomes instinctively palmed the effort over the bar.
And the Brazilian denied Van Persie for the second time in two minutes when he got his outstretched hand to the striker's vicious curling free-kick to turn it around the post.
The keeper completed a hat-trick of superb saves when he tipped Sol Campbell's header on to the crossbar.
However, tired legs which had defended manfully for Spurs finally faltered as Arsenal pulled back a goal to set up a tense finale.
Theo Walcott's low cross was met by Bendtner, who stabbed home from three yards.
But despite unrelenting Arsenal pressure in the four minutes of added time at White Hart Lane, Spurs held out for an impressive victory.
Tottenham
* 01 Gomes
* 03 Bale
* 04 Kaboul yellow card
* 20 Dawson yellow card
* 26 King
* 32 Assou-Ekotto
* 06 Huddlestone
* 14 Modric yellow card
* 25 Rose (Bentley 46)
* 09 Pavlyuchenko (Crouch 88)
* 18 Defoe (Gudjohnsen 67)
Substitutes
* 27 Alnwick,
* 19 Bassong,
* 28 Walker,
* 05 Bentley,
* 29 Livermore,
* 15 Crouch,
* 17 Gudjohnsen
Arsenal
* 01 Almunia
* 03 Sagna (Walcott 52)
* 05 Vermaelen (Silvestre 20)
* 22 Clichy
* 27 Eboue
* 31 Campbell
* 02 Diaby
* 07 Rosicky
* 08 Nasri
* 15 Denilson yellow card (Van Persie 68)
* 52 Bendtner
Substitutes
* 21 Fabianski,
* 18 Silvestre,
* 37 Eastmond,
* 14 Walcott,
* 32 Merida,
* 09 Eduardo,
* 11 Van Persie
Goals: Rose 1-0 '10, Bale 2-0 '47, Bendtner 2-1 '85
Ref: Clattenburg
Att: 36,041
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Italy and Netherlands were both far from impressive in Pescara and had to settle for a goalless draw in Saturday's international friendly.
The first chance of the game was for the Italians after seven minutes of play. Gilardino was found unmarked as he broke the offside trap, but he couldn't get into a good position and his final shot hit the outside of the net.
Netherlands dominated play and Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt came close to opening the score after about 20 minutes. The former Feyenoord star got the ball in a dangerous position and tried his luck from the edge of the area. However, Kuyt aimed just wide and the chance went begging.
Debutant Antonio Candreva dribbles past Van Bommel after a corner kick for the Azzurri before he fired a shot on goal that went wide of the Dutch goal.
Genoa winger Raffaele Palladino took a nice shot on goal from the edge of the area after some sustained pressure from the Azzurri halfway the first half only to see his shot comfortably saved by Holland shot stopper Maarten Stekelenburg.
The Oranje got a free kick in a dangerous position about ten minutes before the half-time whistle and Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart stepped up to take it. His shot deflected off the head of Palladino, but Gianluigi Buffon was alert and prevented the opener.
The hosts got a huge chance to break the deadlock five minutes later. A corner kick by Pirlo found Palladino alone in the area, but his touch from close range somehow went over the bar.
Holland started the second half the better side of the two and could have opened the score after 52 minutes. Van Der Vaart beat his man and played a great pass for Nigel de Jong, who tried a volley from the edge of the area. Nevertheless, his powerful shot was deflected out.
Gross was found in acres of space on the left wing at the hour mark before he sent in a good cross from Mauro Camoranesi. Nevertheless, the Juventus man failed to get his shot on target and the score remained blank.
John Heitinga could have added his name to the score sheet halfway the second half after a corner kick, but the Everton stopper aimed his header too high and squandered the chance.
Italy scored ten minutes before the final whistle after a goalmouth scramble following a cross by Pirlo from the right. However, Pazzini's final touch was with his hand and the goal didn't stand.
Domenico Criscito played a good long pass for Giuseppe Rossi in the dying minutes of the game. The Villarreal star tried to round the keeper but he got into an impossible position and the ball went out.
Italy: Buffon, Zambrotta, Chiellini, Cannavaro, Grosso (Criscito 80), Pirlo, Candreva (Montolivo 77), Palombo (Biondini 71), Camoranesi (Marchionni 87), Gilardino (Pazzini 77), Palladino (Rossi 56).
Booked: Chiellini, Grosso.
Netherlands: Stekelenburg, Van der Wiel, Heitinga, Van Bronckhorst, Van Bommel, De Jong, Kuyt, Van der Vaart (Afellay 76), Elia (Babel 72), Van Persie (Huntelaar 15).
Booked: De Jong, Van Bommel.
Att: 17,134
Ref: Circhetta
www.goal.com
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Arsenal moved into second place in the Premier League after dismantling Wolves with another fine attacking display.
The Gunners were a touch fortunate with their opener as Ronald Zubar turned a Cesc Fabregas corner into his own goal.
And Eduardo's chip went in off Jody Craddock's head to make it 2-0 before Robin van Persie's exquisite touch set up Fabregas to score a classy third.
Andrey Arshavin struck with a low shot from the edge of the area before Craddock headed in a late consolation.
The result means Arsenal leapfrog Manchester United, who play leaders Chelsea on Sunday, and it also leaves Wolves in the bottom three.
For Arsenal the signs are growing that they can make a real challenge for the title this season, but Wolves are set to face a battle to stay in the top flight.
Wolves' biggest problem is their lack of a goal threat as the first 15 minutes of this match demonstrated.
Playing a direct brand of football and hustling Arsenal into errors, the hosts looked to gain an advantage as they racked up the set-pieces.
But Kevin Doyle and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake missed good chances with headers from corners, while Christophe Berra misdirected his header from a free-kick.
The hosts' start might have given boss Mick McCarthy hope that he could mastermind only his second victory over Arsenal - and Wolves' first since 1979.
But 20 minutes into the game, Arsenal served warning they were about to step through the gears as an interchange between Abou Diaby and Arshavin almost opened up Wolves.
Diaby was forced off injured shortly after and was replaced by Alex Song, who had been rested with Aaron Ramsey drafted in.
Yet Arsenal's misfortune soon turned on its head when Fabregas' corner came off Zubar's thigh and went into his own goal.
It served to settle Arsenal, and have the opposite effect on Wolves.
Ramsey headed straight at Wayne Hennessey, and then the Welshman over-hit a pass that would have played in Eduardo as the visitors took control.
Wolves were opened up again as they committed far too many men forward, and at the end of a rapid counter-attack Eduardo's shot clipped Craddock to leave Hennessey stranded as the ball went over his head.
With McCarthy's men still reeling, Arsenal carved out a superb third, when Bacary Sagna's cross was brilliantly laid off by Van Persie for Fabregas to slot home.
Almost inevitably it led to a subdued period after the break as Wolves looked to regroup, while Arsenal stroked the ball around with little urgency.
Then an injection of pace from Arshavin saw him test Hennessey with a stinging shot.
And from the resultant corner, the Russian rifled in after Hennessey had punched the cross away.
Eduardo almost added a fifth goal but was denied by Hennessey who did well to smother the striker's low effort.
More fluid approach play carved out another chance for Arsenal as Van Persie pulled the ball back for Fabregas but the Spaniard blazed over.
Instead it was Wolves who were to score the next goal, as Craddock thumped in a header from a corner.
Wolverhampton
* 01 Hennessey
* 05 Stearman
* 06 Craddock
* 16 Berra
* 23 Zubar
* 04 Edwards (Mancienne 80)
* 08 Henry
* 20 Milijas yellow card (Jarvis 74)
* 35 Castillo (Kightly 65)
* 09 Ebanks-Blake yellow card
* 29 Doyle
Substitutes
* 13 Hahnemann,
* 27 Mancienne,
* 07 Kightly,
* 15 Halford,
* 17 Jarvis,
* 10 Keogh,
* 33 Maierhofer
Arsenal
* 01 Almunia
* 03 Sagna
* 05 Vermaelen
* 10 Gallas yellow card
* 28 Gibbs yellow card
* 02 Diaby (Song Billong 24)
* 04 Fabregas
* 16 Ramsey
* 23 Arshavin yellow card (Nasri 74)
* 09 Eduardo (Rosicky 70)
* 11 Van Persie
Substitutes
* 24 Mannone,
* 06 Senderos,
* 18 Silvestre,
* 27 Eboue,
* 07 Rosicky,
* 08 Nasri,
* 17 Song Billong
Goals: Zubar 0-1 (og) '28, Craddock 0-2 (og) '36, Fabregas 0-3 '45, Arshavin 0-4 '66, Craddock 1-4 '89
Ref: Bennett
Att: 28,937
www.bbc.co.uk
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Cesc Fabregas scored a brace as Arsenal cruised to victory over AZ Alkmaar to all but secure their qualification from the Champions League group stages.
The Spaniard kick-started an impressive home win with a low shot that crept in from 20 yards and Samir Nasri made it two after a typically flowing move.
Fabregas's second came from Andrey Arshavin's through-ball, and Abou Diaby finished off a counter-attack for 4-0.
Jeremain Lens fired a late consolation, but Arsenal rarely looked troubled.
The victory puts Arsenal on 10 points, a tally which will only see them fail to progress into the next stage of the competition if they lose their final two games coupled with an unlikely combination of results for Olympiakos and Standard Liege.
But that seems a distant possibility if another dominant victory at the Emirates Stadium is anything to go by - a win which makes it 10 out of 10, with 33 goals scored, at home for Arsenal this term.
The hosts controlled possession and the tempo of the game from the first minute, Diaby and Fabregas in particular pulling the strings in midfield and Arshavin and Robin van Persie always a threat up front.
That quartet linked up for the first chance of the match, a sweeping move that ended with Van Persie flashing inches wide in the third minute, and after keeper Sergio Romero had handled a back-pass, the same player slammed another shot straight at the goal-line wall.
Fabregas finally broke the deadlock on 25 minutes when his low 20-yard shot crept in Romero's near post.
And, unlike in the reverse fixture a fortnight ago when AZ punished the Gunners' profiligacy by snatching a barely-deserved draw with a 93rd-minute strike, Arsenal rarely looked like surrendering their advantage.
Nasri, in only his second start since breaking his leg in July, doubled the lead just before the break, latching on to Arshavin's through-ball, turning inside the defender, and slipping into the corner with calm precision.
It was no more than the hosts deserved, having restricted last season's Dutch champions to just one shot on target all half - a tame Maarten Martens effort that was easily held by Manuel Almunia.
The visitors were not helped by the absence of top scorer Mounir El Hamdaoui because of a muscle injury, though his replacement Graziano Pelle did prove AZ's biggest threat in front of goal, not least when he forced a fine point-blank save from Almunia, the Spaniard pushing his volley on to the bar.
That came after Arsenal's third, though, Fabregas side-footing into the roof of the net from Arshavin's through-ball, and marked only a brief foray into the opposition half from the disappointing Dutch side.
And soon it was four, Eduardo and Arshavin combining well on the counter attack to set up Diaby, who side-footed home from close range with aplomb.
There was still time for Lens to at least give the small army of travelling fans something to smile about, the substitute running on to Brett Holman's flick to run clear and stab past Almunia.
But it was a minor blot on an otherwise near-perfect night for Arsene Wenger's side, who also saw Tomas Rosicky get a run out as he continues his recovery from a knee problem.
Arsenal
* 01 Almunia
* 05 Vermaelen
* 10 Gallas
* 27 Eboue
* 28 Gibbs
* 02 Diaby
* 04 Fabregas (Ramsey 66)
* 08 Nasri
* 17 Song Billong
* 23 Arshavin (Rosicky 74)
* 11 Van Persie (Eduardo 67)
Substitutes
* 24 Mannone,
* 03 Sagna,
* 06 Senderos,
* 18 Silvestre,
* 07 Rosicky,
* 16 Ramsey,
* 09 Eduardo
AZ Alkmaar
* 22 Romero
* 02 Jaliens
* 04 Moreno
* 06 Mendes Da Silva (Wernbloom 70)
* 08 Schaars
* 11 Martens
* 15 Poulsen (Pocognoli 64)
* 25 Moisander yellow card
* 18 Dembele (Lens 58)
* 27 Holman
* 29 Pelle
Substitutes
* 01 Didulica,
* 05 Pocognoli,
* 23 Van der Velden,
* 16 Wernbloom,
* 28 Swerts,
* 07 Lens,
* 09 Ari
Goals: Fabregas 1-0 '25, Nasri 2-0 '43, Fabregas 3-0 '52, Diaby 4-0 '72, Lens 4-1 '82
Ref: Hamer
Att: 59,345
www.bbc.co.uk
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Arsenal emphatically swept aside claims from Tottenham that they were ready to challenge the supremacy of their north London rivals with a convincing victory at the Emirates.
The game turned inside 11 seconds shortly before the interval as Arsenal struck twice to set up a victory that gave manager Arsene Wenger 1,000 Premier League points since his arrival at the club in 1996.
It also ended any hopes Spurs may have harboured of ending a winless league sequence against Arsenal that now stretches back 20 games.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp would have been satisfied with how his side had coped with Arsenal's threat until they imploded spectacularly as half-time approached.
Robin van Persie reacted quicker than Ledley King to meet Bacary Sagna's cross in the 42nd minute, but Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes should have done much better than fumble the ball over the line.
And worse was to follow for Spurs straight from the kick-off when Wilson Palacios gifted possession to Cesc Fabregas, who ran through the heart of a static defence to beat Gomes.
Any lingering optimism that Spurs could follow in the footsteps of West Ham and claw back a two-goal lead against Arsenal was snuffed out by more crass defending that saw Wenger's side add another on the hour.
Referee Mark Clattenburg played a clever advantage after Benoit Assou-Ekotto fouled Eduardo and, while Spurs inexplicably waited for a whistle that was never going to come, Sagna set up Van Persie for his second from eight yards.
Spurs striker Robbie Keane had insisted, perhaps unwisely given the timing, that they now had a squad capable of competing with Arsenal. But it soon became clear that the absence of suspended Jermain Defoe, injured Aaron Lennon and long-term casualty Luka Modric had robbed Tottenham of a crucial cutting edge.
Arsenal had absentees of their own with Theo Walcott again sidelined, but they coped with their loss more convincingly than Spurs.
The vast swathe of empty spaces in the visitors' section, well before the final whistle, told the story of another day of derby disappointment for their half of north London.
And, as Arsenal performed their passing party pieces in the closing stages - when Eduardo should have added a fourth - Spurs' misery was complete as defender Sebastien Bassong pulled up with a hamstring injury.
Arsenal boss Wenger recalled Manuel Almunia in goal with Lukasz Fabianski sidelined by a thigh injury and Vito Mannone relegated to the bench while Spurs gave starts to Peter Crouch and David Bentley.
Bentley, so often a marginal figure in his Spurs career, appeared over-eager to prove a point in the early stages and was fortunate to be spared by the leniency of referee Clattenburg.
He escaped a yellow card for deliberately handling an Arsenal clearance and then received only a lecture when a late lunge left defender Thomas Vermaelen requiring lengthy treatment.
Spurs keeper Gomes has been dogged by inconsistency - as he was to subsequently prove - but he showed his best side when he saved superbly from Fabregas after 20 minutes when Andrey Arshavin's effort deflected invitingly into his path off King.
Arsenal were forced into a change two minutes later when Nicklas Bendtner, who had made a bright start, signalled to the bench that was struggling with an injury and limped off, to be replaced by Eduardo. Wenger later said Bendtner can expect to be out "for a while".
Spurs were surviving in relative comfort and even threatened to prosper as the Emirates crowd started to show signs of frustration, but they gifted Arsenal control of what had been a tightly-contested game in a minute of madness just before the interval.
Slack marking from a throw-in allowed Sagna to cross for Van Persie to beat King and steer in a near-post finish which left question marks over Gomes, who allowed the ball to squirm through his grasp.
As the Emirates basked joyously in the breaking of the deadlock, matters became considerably worse for Spurs as Palacios was robbed straight from the kick-off by Fabregas, who waltzed through unchallenged to fire a composed shot low past the exposed Gomes.
The gap between the goals was timed at 11 seconds - and in that space of time, the destiny of the three points was decided.
Spurs needed to find a way back into a game in which they had self-destructed, and Bentley almost provided hope with a long-range free-kick turned over the top in acrobatic fashion by Almunia.
Then, as if to confirm their defensive incompetence of the first half was by no means an accident, Spurs switched off fatally once more as Arsenal extended their lead with a third goal on the hour.
As the linesman flagged for a foul by Assou-Ekotto on Eduardo, Spurs defenders stood around obligingly as referee Clattenburg played a splendid advantage. Sagna took advantage with a ball into the box that was bundled home by Van Persie.
Keane was hauled off to a reception liberally sprinkled with mockery as Redknapp took the desperate measure of introducing Roman Pavlyuchenko.
Arsenal were revelling in the time and space they were being afforded and Eduardo was guilty of squandering an opportunity to make it four when he shot wide with only Gomes to beat after being released by Fabregas.
Spurs simply indulged in damage limitation until the final whistle - but many of their aspirations have now been placed in context, after they failed to seriously test an Arsenal team they believe they can beat to a place in the Premier League's top four.
Arsenal
* 01 Almunia
* 03 Sagna
* 05 Vermaelen yellow card
* 10 Gallas
* 22 Clichy
* 02 Diaby
* 04 Fabregas
* 17 Song Billong
* 23 Arshavin (Eboue 78)
* 11 Van Persie (Ramsey 86)
* 52 Bendtner (Eduardo 37)
Substitutes
* 24 Mannone,
* 06 Senderos,
* 27 Eboue,
* 28 Gibbs,
* 08 Nasri,
* 16 Ramsey,
* 09 Eduardo
Tottenham
* 01 Gomes
* 19 Bassong
* 22 Corluka (Hutton 86)
* 26 King
* 32 Assou-Ekotto
* 05 Bentley
* 06 Huddlestone (Bale 55)
* 08 Jenas
* 12 Palacios
* 10 Keane (Pavlyuchenko 65)
* 15 Crouch yellow card
Substitutes
* 35 Button,
* 02 Hutton,
* 03 Bale,
* 20 Dawson,
* 39 Woodgate,
* 21 Kranjcar,
* 09 Pavlyuchenko
Goals: Van Persie 1-0 '42, Fabregas 2-0 '43, Van Persie 3-0 '60
Ref: Clattenburg
Att: 60,103
www.bbc.co.uk
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Late goals from Carlton Cole and substitute Alessandro Diamanti saw West Ham come from 2-0 down to claim a deserved draw with Arsenal.
Robin Van Persie tapped Arsenal ahead after an error by Rob Green and William Gallas headed in Van Persie's corner.
But West Ham rallied in the second half and Cole nodded in after Vito Mannone could only parry Diamanti's free-kick.
Alex Song then felled Cole and Diamanti scored from the spot but Scott Parker was sent off late on for two bookings.
The result sees Arsenal move above Tottenham into third on goal difference but manager Arsene Wenger will rue his side's failure to see out the match and move to within three points of leaders Chelsea with a game in hand.
West Ham remain second from bottom and are still yet to win since the season's opening day, but should take confidence from an outstanding fightback.
Boss Gianfranco Zola introduced Diamanti and Zavon Hines in the second half and those decisions turned the game on its head.
But the euphoria surrounding the Hammers comeback should not disguise their defensive frailties.
There were early signs that all was not well in the hosts' back four when, inside a minute, Van Persie raced on to Alex Song's chip and mistimed a header from a completely unmarked position eight yards out.
Moments later, the Dutchman ran unchallenged on the left before seeing a rasping drive from an acute angle tipped over the bar by Green.
West Ham were an altogether different proposition going forward, the quality of their passing and movement making it difficult to believe they had previously collected just one point at home all season.
With Parker driving them forward from the base of a midfield four, Mark Noble, Jack Collison and Valon Behrami were able to push forward and support strikers Guillermo Franco and Carlton Cole, who failed to seize on an early sight of goal.
Collison then drew a fine save from Mannone and his rebound looked set to squirm over the line - only for referee Chris Foy to halt play for an offside flag against debutant Franco.
Wenger rues missed opportunties
West Ham looked comfortable and were enjoying plenty of possession but their good work was undermined by a woeful piece of defending which enabled Arsenal to open the scoring.
Green came for a Bacary Sagna cross but ended up colliding with team-mate James Tomkins, allowing Van Persie an easy finish for his fourth goal in as many league games.
West Ham, who were without a goal in their last four meetings with Arsenal, responded positively and worked hard to restore parity.
Noble's cross-come-shot was deflected narrowly wide and Cole should have scored from Jonathan Spector's right-wing cross but glanced his close-range header off target.
For the second time, however, the hosts' defensive frailties were exposed all too easily as Gallas outjumped both Tomkins and Herita Ilunga to head home Van Persie's corner via a despairing Parker on the line.
West Ham looked to be hurtling towards defeat but with Diamanti replacing Noble on 55 minutes, Zola replaced a midfielder with a striker and indicated his intention to go for the jugular.
Hines soon came on for the ineffective Franco and West Ham looked a team reborn.
The 20-year-old striker was sent through on goal by Diamanti's scoop over the top but was foiled by Gael Clichy and, after Andrey Arshavin had a drive well saved by Green, the hosts struck.
Hines was felled by Clichy and Mannone palmed Diamanti's superb curling set-piece straight onto the forehead of Cole.
Arsenal were on the ropes and, with West Ham swarming forward, an equaliser seemed inevitable.
Parker had a strong penalty appeal rejected when he appeared to be tripped by Gallas but Foy had no hesitation as Song needlessly bundled Cole down from behind.
Diamanti sent Mannone the wrong way with an assured spot-kick and West Ham went in search of a winner.
The only blemish for Zola was the dismissal of Parker, for fouls on Eboue and a handball, but West Ham's evening ended on a high when Green saved brilliantly with his feet deny Van Persie's goalbound header from six yards out.
West Ham
* 01 Green
* 15 Upson
* 18 Spector
* 23 Ilunga
* 30 Tomkins
* 08 Parker yellow card, red card
* 16 Noble (Alessandro Diamanti 56)
* 21 Behrami (Kovac 90+2)
* 31 Collison yellow card
* 10 Franco (Hines 64 yellow card)
* 12 Cole
Substitutes
* 28 Kurucz,
* 22 Da Costa,
* 14 Kovac,
* 20 Faubert,
* 46 Stanislas,
* 32 Alessandro Diamanti,
* 41 Hines
Arsenal
* 24 Mannone yellow card
* 03 Sagna
* 05 Vermaelen
* 10 Gallas
* 22 Clichy
* 27 Eboue yellow card (Bendtner 82)
* 02 Diaby (Eduardo 88)
* 04 Fabregas
* 17 Song Billong
* 23 Arshavin
* 11 Van Persie
Substitutes
* 01 Almunia,
* 18 Silvestre,
* 28 Gibbs,
* 08 Nasri,
* 16 Ramsey,
* 09 Eduardo,
* 52 Bendtner
Goals: Van Persie 0-1 '16, Gallas 0-2 '37, Cole 1-2 '74, Diamanti 2-2 '80 (pen)
Ref: Foy
Att: 34,442
www.bbc.co.uk
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