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A resurgent Arsenal side overcame an out-of-sorts West Bromwich Albion and steady snowfall to produce a dominant performance that saw them register a 4-0 win over the Baggies at The Hawthorns on Saturday evening.
The visitors went into a two-goal lead before the half-hour mark. Kieran Tierney opened the scoring with a sublime solo effort before Bukayo Saka added the second at the end of a flowing team move.
Alexandre Lacazette then scored in a fourth successive Premier League game with a quickfire second-half brace that put the result well beyond doubt as West Brom struggled to find answers against a rampant Arsenal.
After a seven-match winless run in the top flight prior to Christmas, Arsenal’s third win on the bounce sees them move up to 11th in the table, just three points off the top six.
On the other hand, Sam Allardyce’s struggling West Brom remain entrenched in the relegation zone, with only Sheffield United currently below them in the standings.
On that note, here are Arsenal’s player ratings as the Gunners produced their best performance thus far in an emphatic dismantling of West Brom.
Arsenal player ratings
Bernd Leno: 5/10
Although never unduly troubled by a toothless West Brom attack, Bernd Leno was assured in his handling and was good value for his clean sheet, given the treacherous conditions.
Hector Bellerin: 5/10
As has been the case for a large part of his Arsenal career, Hector Bellerin got forward well but was found lacking defensively. He picked up a yellow card in the first half that prompted his substitution early in the second.
Rob Holding: 5/10
Rob Holding occasionally struggled to deal with West Brom’s long balls up to the striker but was able to put those nervy moments behind him and grew increasingly assured as the game wore on.
Pablo Mari: 6/10
After having his fair share of injury woes, Pablo Mari is enjoying an extended run in the Arsenal side. He and continues to justify his inclusion in the starting eleven with a calm and composed performance in defence.
Kieran Tierney: 8/10
Absolutely unfazed by the elements, Kieran Tierney brought the game to life with a fantastic solo effort in the first half, adding an assist to his tally in the second as he completely dominated the left flank for his side.
Dani Ceballos: 6/10
The more mobile of Arsenal’s central midfield pairing, Dani Ceballos was full of running as he kept his side on the front foot throughout the game, either with his frequent forward passes or by carrying the ball forward from midfield himself.
Granit Xhaka: 6/10
This was a quietly effective display in central midfield from Granit Xhaka. The Switzerland international, who formed an effective shield in front of his defenders, also kept things ticking over with simple and efficient passing.
Bukayo Saka: 8/10
Arsenal’s man of the moment got himself on the scoresheet yet again, finishing off a sumptuous passing move to double his side’s advantage.
Bukayo Saka was lively and full of running in the 70 minutes he spent on the pitch, sending in several dangerous crosses for his strikers to attack.
Emile Smith Rowe: 7/10
Quickly establishing himself as a mainstay in the Arsenal starting lineup, Emile Smith Rowe impressed once again with his intelligent and energetic running, topped off with a couple of assists.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 5/10
The Arsenal skipper found himself on the periphery of his side’s attacking plays rather than in the thick of the action. He struggled to make an impact on proceedings even as his fellow attackers ran riot.
Alexandre Lacazette: 8/10
Alexandre Lacazette was rewarded for his impressive work rate in the first half with a brace of second-half goals.
The Frenchman was instrumental in Arsenal’s brilliant second goal and added the finishing touches to their third and fourth as he continued his hot streak in front of goal.
Substitutes:
Ainsley Maitland-Niles: 5/10
Ainsley Maitland-Niles slotted in seamlessly at right-back after coming on early in the second half. He helped his side maintain their clean sheet with a tidy performance.
Willian: 5/10
This was a mixed cameo for the returning Brazilian. He gave the ball away on a couple of occasions but was also involved in the creation of a few presentable chances that Arsenal were unable to profit from.
Joe Willock: N.A.
Joe Willock replaced Smith Rowe for the final stages of the game and rarely got on the ball aside from a headed chance that went wide of the West Brom goal.
