vs
WEST BROMWICH ALBION
The Emirates, London
Sep 25, 2010, 7.25 PM IST
After an emphatic win over bitter rivals Tottenham in the Carling Cup on Tuesday, the Gunners return to Premiership action, squaring off against West Bromwich at The Emirates. The midweek victory provided the perfect tonic to get over the disappointment of their last minute draw against the Black Cats, and they will be raring to go all out against Robert Di Matteo’s side. The visitors enter into this fixture following back to back resounding victories over Birmingham City in the league and Manchester City in the Carling Cup, and they certainly won’t make things any easier for the Gunners. The odds of grabbing full points are heavily in favour of Wenger’s side, but they need to be alert throughout the match and avoid any sort of complacency against a side which plays good attacking football.
Arsenal news
The home team will miss the services of captain Cesc Fabregas, who suffered a freak injury in the game against Sunderland. Rosicky(ankle) and Eboue(knee) face late fitness tests; Diaby could be back for the game as a substitute, while Thomas Vermaelen will miss the next two games. Arsenal have been boosted by the extent of Kieran Gibbs’ injury, with the promising left-back sustaining only bone bruising. Van Persie, Bendtner, Walcott and Ramsey continue to keep the doctors busy.
Fabregas – will his absence be felt?
Alex Song picked up two yellows last weekend, and the one-match suspension was served in the Carling cup fixture, which means he is back in contention for this fixture. With the highly impressive Jack Wilshere having played for the entire duration of the last two games, including the extra time against Spurs, Denilson will be most likely to feature alongside the Cameroonian. Samir Nasri would be given a license to move freely and dictate the pace of the game. With Chamakh and Arshavin occupying the center and left forward positions, and Rosicky doubtful for the game, it will be interesting to see who Wenger deploys on the right side of the front three. Could this be the best opportunity for Jay Emmanuel Thomas to finally show his worth?
Arsenal Possible Starting Line-up
Almunia, Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Clichy, Denilson, Song, Nasri, Emmanuel-Thomas, Arshavin, Chamakh
West Bromwich Albion news
The Baggies are poor travelers, having lost 14 of their last 18 away fixtures and drawing in the remaining games. They have failed to score a goal in their last four away games so far, and will be hoping to break this deadlock this time around. Marek Cech, Ishmael Miller(thigh muscle strain) and Joe Matlock(ankle) are likely to miss the clash, but otherwise they have a fully fit squad.
Arsenal will have to bear the ‘Brunt’ of the Baggies attack
Di Matteo will be hoping that his side shows some fight against the rampant Gunners, and winger Chris Brunt, who saved the team against Tottenham, and Graham Dorrans will be likely to lead the charge of the Baggies. However, any gaps left in the middle of the park would only result in being at the mercy of Arsenal, which necessitates the need to adopt a more defensive and cautious approach, relying on counter-attacks; a draw would be considered as a bonus for the visitors.
West Bromwich Albion Possible Starting Line-up
Carson, Jara, Tamas, Olsson, Shorey, Mulumbu, Thomas, Brunt, Scharner, Dorrans, Odemwingie
TheHardTackle’s Prediction
Arsenal’s emphatic victory against Spurs would instill new confidence in the team, and they would prove to be too good for an equally inspired West Bromwich side. The expected outcome from this fixture would be 4-0 in favour of the home team.
Blast from the Past
Arsenal 1-0 West Bromwich (August 16,2008)
Arsenal kicked off their 2008-09 campaign with a narrow win over West Bromwich, which saw their marquee signing Samir Nasri score his premiership debut goal. The goal came in typical Arsenal fashion – a string of passes culminating in a simple tap-in for the Frenchman.
TheHardTackle’s Player To Watch Out For
Andrey Arshavin (Arsenal)
The mercurial Russian was guilty of squandering a host of opportunities against the Black Cats, and will be looking to redeem himself in this fixture. He has an uncanny knack for scoring goals from anywhere, and the Baggies defense will have an onerous task of keeping a check on the diminutive striker.