Robert Green, in front of watching England manager Fabio Capello, had pulled off a string of fine saves to keep the Gunners at bay.
However, with just two minutes left, Song dived to head home Gael Clichy's cross as Arsene Wenger's improving side kept up the pressure on leaders Chelsea.
Arsenal had plenty of momentum going into this afternoon's game after following up impressive Champions League performances with victory at Manchester City and marching into the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.
However, Wenger had warned against complacency, with the Irons looking to battle their way clear of the relegation zone. Arsenal started brightly, with Andrey Arshavin put away down the left a couple of times, but the Russian was unable to make the most of the openings.
On nine minutes, Song tripped Frederic Piquionne conceding a free-kick on the left, which Scott Parker - so impressive during the Hammers' Carling Cup win over Stoke - whipped in and Lukasz Fabianski punched clear.
At the other end, Arshavin's deflected cross flew through the West Ham six-yard box before Song sent a bullet header over.
Piquionne burst clear down the right wing, but then after getting to the box, the former Portsmouth frontman seemed to run out of ideas and Arsenal cleared before former Gunner Luis Boa Morte drove a 20-yard effort over.
Bacary Sagna arrived on the end of Song's through pass to pull the ball back for Cesc Fabregas, who swept it goalwards, but Green produced a superb reflex save to deny the Arsenal captain.
West Ham remained positive, though, as Mark Noble ran at the Arsenal defence, and his 22-yard strike was straight at Fabianski.
Gunners fans were starting to get restless as half-time approached, with West Ham continuing to frustrated the home side.
Green again denied Arsenal when he kept out Song's angled drive and from the resulting corner, the often-criticised England keeper flicked over Sebastien Squillaci's looping header.
The hefty challenges continued in the second half, this time Parker on Denilson, taking the legs of the Arsenal midfielder as he followed through, but again there was no action from the referee.
Arshavin broke clear down the left and darted to the edge of the West Ham penalty area, but dragged his low shot wide.
Boa Morte was cautioned for pushing over Denilson as the Brazilian charged forwards.
From the resulting free-kick, around 35 yards out, Samir Nasri crashed the ball against the crossbar, with Green beaten.
The Emirates Stadium faithful upped the tempo as Arsenal went on the offensive.
After a goalmouth scramble, play was held up to allow Parker treatment as he had been struck in the face by Fabregas' shot.
Arshavin then went tumbling as Manuel Da Costa looked to have tugged his arm, but the referee waved away penalty appeals.
With 23 minutes left, Wenger turned to Theo Walcott as the England man, who had scored twice in the midweek Carling Cup win at Newcastle, replaced Denilson.
Chamakh got on the end of Arshavin's free-kick into the box, but could not guide the ball either side of Green.
Fabregas sent Walcott away down the right, and he dashed into the area, before sliding the ball under Green - only for it to come back off the inside of the far post and bounce to the grateful Hammers keeper.
Green again came to the Hammers rescue when he saved Walcott's deflected effort before then keeping out Fabregas' snapshot as the Gunners pressed for a late winner.
However, the Irons keeper was finally beaten with just two minutes left when Song headed in Clichy's cross at the far post as Arsenal took all three points.
After the match, manager Arsene Wenger breathed a huge sigh of relief after snatching late victory over Premier League strugglers West Ham.
"When you win with two minutes to go, it is always a relief," Wenger said. "We needed to be patient, intelligent and not to make a mistake at the back against a team who had a strong spirit and were well organised. We did not do anything stupid, kept trying to be intelligent and that got us the goal.
"I was thinking it was one of those days when the ball went onto the post and came back into the goalkeeper's hands, that is not a good sign. But we kept going and out of this game we have once again shown a great attitude."
Arsenal had plenty of momentum going into this afternoon's game after following impressive Champions League performances with victory at Manchester City and marching into the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.
However, Wenger had warned against complacency, with the Irons looking to battle their way clear of the relegation zone.
"We have matured, you see that in the game the way we handle it when it does not work for us, the players remain calmer than before," Wenger said. "We have a good chance [for the title], yes, but we want to show consistency first. We go step by step and we still need to step up a gear to completely achieve that.
"But on the other hand you feel there is more to come out from this team, we have good potential on bench today and some players to come back. If can jeep a good injury record then we have a chance."
Wenger added: "It is too early in the season, but I have belief. We need to show from game to game we can handle every single game with a different aspect which the Premier League has - today we played against the team bottom of the league and it was a real battle. We have to show can compete like that in every game."
Wenger hopes captain Cesc Fabregas will be fit to travel to Shakhtar Donetsk for next week's Champions League game.
"Cesc played a bit within himself. He had a bit of tension in his hamstring. Let's hope he has no setback," Wenger said. "At half-time, I had a hesitation to take him off. Then I left him on, I thought 'just for 10 or 15 minutes', but in the end he got better and better."
The final result was somewhat harsh on West Ham, who had fought a brave rearguard action and also looked dangerous on counter-attacks as well as at set-pieces. However, Hammers boss Avram Grant maintains all is not lost, his side still just three points from safety.
"When you come to just two minutes from the end, and it was 0-0, Arsenal almost did not create many chances, because we defended well and played well, so we are very disappointed," the Israeli said.
"We have played a game against a very good team who just beat us in the last minutes, so we can take a lot of positive things and also from many things which have happened in the past week.
"I don't want to talk about history, whether things are possible or not possible. We are not in a situation where we cannot do it - we can do it. We need to win games, we have deserved to win games and will try to do it in the next game.
"We are not yet in November, so we have time to do it. There are six or seven months until the end of the season. Even if we were in this situation in April, I would not think it was the end of the world."
Grant added: "We are not in a good situation in the league, but we are in a good situation with our performances so we need to take more points like we deserve.
"I really believe we can do it because the team have a good spirit and it was an heroic performance today. We know the difference to us winning games is not so big, so let's continue to fight. The players are not giving up, they are fighting, it is a good basis for the future."
Source: ESPN Soccernet on 30 Oct 10
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