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After their midweek 2-0 victory over Napoli in the UEFA Champions League, the Gunners travel to the Hawthorns to take on the Baggies, a side who won at the Old Trafford, last weekend. Arsenal have not lost any of their last 6 visits to The Hawthorns in all competitions as they have won 4 & drawn 2.
Arsenal have won their last eight Premier League away games in a row, equaling their best run in the competition. The player to look out for, is, none other than, Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman is in dazzling form since start of the season & has scored 8 goals in his last 8 appearances for Arsenal. He also has scored in 3 successive Premier League games (4 goals) for the first time in his career. In addition to that, no player has attempted more tackles in the Premier League this season than Aaron Ramsey (33).
For the West Bromwich Albion, Morgan Amalfitano has scored in his last two Premier League appearances. Saido Berahino, who scored his first Premier League goal in last week’s win at Manchester United, has already scored against Arsenal this season in the Capital One Cup. “Saido has a chance to start. You have to look at every game on its merits but no-one can quibble if he starts. He’s not a gamble for me, his performance in training and starts are right up there.”, said the Baggies’ manager. Steve Clarke has the best win percentage of any West Bromwich manager in the Premier League (36.4%) who will come up against the man who recently completed 17 years at Arsenal as the Gunners’ longest serving manager.
Team News:
- Arsenal: Bacary Sagna picked a hamstring injury in Champions league game & could be out for 3 weeks. Carl Jenkinson will take his place in the starting XI. Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain & Lukas Podolski along with Abou Diaby are still sidelined while the game has come too soon for Santi Cazorla (ankle) and Yaya Sanogo (back) with the pair expected to be available after the international break.
- West Bromwich Albion: The Baggies will be without Scott Sinclair (hamstring) & Ben Foster (foot), while Victor Anichebe (groin) is a doubt. However, James Morrison and Matej Vydra (both hamstring), Shane Long and Stephane Sessegnon (both knocks), Chris Brunt (groin) and Nicolas Anelka (foot) could be available after returning to training.
OPTA Stats:
- West Brom have scored fewer than half as many goals as Arsenal (6:13) in the Premier League this season.
- The Gunners have scored a league-high 4 goals in the opening 15 minutes of Barclay’s Premier League games this season.
- Five of the Baggies’ 6 goals this season have arrived in the second half of matches, with 3 of these coming in the final 15 minutes.
- West Brom have won 2 successive matches in the Premier League – the last time they won 3 in a row was in November 2012.
- Arsenal have scored the first goal of the game in each of their 6 Premier League games this season.
- The Gunners have made a league-high tally of 12 through-balls in the Premier League this season.
- No side has seen their opponents booked (15) or sent off (1) more often than Arsenal in the PL this season.
Match Appointments:
- Referee: Lee Mason
- Assistants: S Ledger, M Perry
- Fourth Official: J Moss.
