AT LEAST West Ham know where they stand now, having had their one remaining chance for a piece of silverware taken away from them by Arsenal’s late show at Upton Park on Sunday.

The Hammers led through Alessandro Diamanti’s expertly-taken goal on the stroke of half-time, but a sweet strike from Aaron Ramsey and an Eduardo header seven minutes from time sealed the hosts’ fate.

However, a cup exit may not be the worse thing that could have happened for West Ham. A draw would have provided an unwelcome further distraction from their stuttering league form, in the shape of a replay at the Emirates. And the prospect of a trip to Stoke in the fourth round will have done little to raise the spirits had they managed to hold on against Arsene Wenger’s side.

What would have given the players a boost is the way they stuck to their tasks against a talented Arsenal side.

Injuries and suspension had deprived Gianfranco Zola of the services of Scott Parker, Herita Ilunga and Guillermo Franco, giving youngsters Frank Nouble and Fabio Daprela the chance to make their full debuts.

West Ham succeeded in frustrating their illustrious visitors for the majority of the game, even creating several good chances of their own.

Although they eventually buckled following some heavy pressure, Zola will have seen plenty of signs that his squad are up for the fight that really matters, that being the one for Premier League survival.

Zola admitted as much afterwards: “I take a lot of positives from this game. I must say that the team is giving 100 per cent and if we maintain those conditions, trust me, when we have everybody back, this team is going to be different and tough to beat.”

The Italian revealed Cole would be back ‘sooner rather than later’, but refused to put a timescale on the striker’s return.

The injuries to Ilunga, Parker and Mark Noble are not thought to be serious, and all three could return for the vital game coming up against Wolves at the Boleyn Ground.

A win could propel the Hammers up into mid-table, and would provide some much-needed breathing space between themselves and the sides scrapping at the foot of the division.