A strong performance by Arsenal at the Emirates led by Alexis Sanchez was enough to see off a 2-0 comfortable win over West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Thursday night.
The Chilean got his first inside six minutes and doubled his tally with a well-taken free kick in the 38th minute. The win takes Arsenal to the third spot in the league table with 63 points, 2 points clear of Manchester City and 4 points clear of Manchester United.
Read also: Arsenal 2-0 West Bromwich Albion: Player Ratings
Here are the major talking points from the game:
Alexis Sanchez was at his best
The game started with Arsenal being on the front foot as the Baggies defended deep. This gave the Arsenal players the chance to get on the ball more comfortably and enjoy possession in the opposition’s half.
Alexis Sanchez made the most of this opportunity when he got the ball and took a sweet turn to beat Sandro, got a bit forward and had a shot at goal from the edge of the box. This resulted in the first goal for Arsenal in the 6th minute of the game.
The Chilean was at his best from kick-off as he beat the West Bromwich players on many occasions with his tricks and skills, much to the delight of the Emirates crowd. As the first half progressed, Arsenal began to get comfortable on the ball and it was Aaron Ramsey who was brought down by Yacob at the edge of the box in the 37th minute.
The Copa America winner took the free-kick and got his second goal of the game, handing a 2-0 lead to his side. The two goals were his fifth and sixth goals that he has scored in his last seven games. Given the impact he has on his team’s play, it is fair to say that whenever Sanchez clicks, Arsenal also click.
Poor tactics from Pulis in the first half
When Tony Pulis revealed his starting XI to play at the Emirates, there were two noticeable changes. First, the manager decided to pick three holding midfielders in his side – Sandro, Yacob and Fletcher.
This meant that he had picked a defensive team which was modified to stop the Gunners from playing their passing game, but also that his side were short of attacking options.
Second, there was no Salomon Rondon in the XI and Saido Berahino was picked to play upfront. This meant that the latter was given the role of breaking on the counter. But throughout the first half, it was Arsenal, who typically dominated possession.
Pulis might have tried to emulate Crystal Palace’s tactics from last the weekend, but deciding to sit deep and wait for the Gunners to give away possession is suicide. His side played in a 4-5-1 formation but his players failed to stop Sanchez from scoring twice.
It was poor tactics from the manager as his striker did not even get a chance and his midfielders failed to close down the Gunners. However, when the manager brought on the changes at half-time, the Baggies got enough decent chances.
500th victory for Arsenal in the Premier League
The win against West Bromwich Albion made it 500 wins for Arsenal in the Premier League era. It meant that a certain Arsene Wenger has presided over 86% of the games that Arsenal have played in the Premier League since its inception in 1992.
The Gunners have had just three managers in these 24 years and the Frenchman has won 432 games for the Gunners since he came to the club in 1996. Arsenal have played 919 games in the Premier League and won 500 of them, having drawn 238 and lost 181 games.
It means that they have now accumulated 1738 points from these 919 games. Only Manchester United have a better record than the Gunners, having won 584 games and accumulating 1939 points. Behind Arsenal, it is Chelsea at the third spot with a total of 485 wins. Wenger will be hoping he can give his club more wins in the last four games.
Baggies’ poor form continues
The visitors came into the game having got only one point from their last four league games, which included three losses and a draw. After the game concluded, it became just a point from the last five games for the Baggies.
Tony Pulis has been criticised off late for his tactics and how he has used his players in a very defensive manner. But given the lack of depth in his squad, it is appropriate that they have been struggling to get past opponents who are more determined and more willing to win than Pulis’ men are.
Having got to the mark of 40 points already, safety from relegation is already guaranteed for the Baggies. Hence, the side have taken their feet off the gas. But if you are a Premier League side, you should be focussing on getting higher up the table as much as you can by collecting points.
The problem for them has also been their inability to score goals. Defensively, the Baggies have been quite good as they have now conceded only 6 goals in their last five games, but it is offensively where the problem lies. It is up to Tony Pulis to find his right combination to get some points on board.
Champions League race is definitely on
Arsenal’s victory means that the Gunners are now at the 3rd spot in the table with a tally of 63 points, having played 34 games. They are now five points behind 2nd placed rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Manchester City are at the fourth spot with 61 points as they failed to win at Newcastle United in their last game.
Manchester United occupy the fifth spot with a tally of 59 points. However, another team that is also looking for a top-4 finish is West Ham United, who are at 6th spot with 56 points. The difference between these four sides is only 7 points and the risk is very high. If any one team falters in the last four games, it might be difficult for them to find a place in the top four.
However, Manchester City and Liverpool are still alive in Europe and if either of the two manage to win their respective tournaments, then the 4th placed team might have to give way to the winner.
With just under a month to go for the finish line, the race for the top-4 is well on and Arsenal are now leading the way but have faltered in their chase of the Championship.
