Arsenal vs West Brom: Pain In The Arsenal Predictions

Arsenal and West Brom return to Premier League action nearly fully rested and ready to go. Here are all of predictions from the staff here at Pain in the Arsenal.

There will be no more breaks until March, and for that we must celebrate with a win against West Brom. Obviously the biggest question going into the game is health. Arsenal figures to welcome back Hector Bellerin but Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are still a little off.

That means that Joel Campbell will have another opportunity to impress, which he has been doing a masterful job of doing so far.

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Alexis Sanchez is also a major question. He struggled to do much against Uruguay as Chile fell 3-0. Prior to the game, Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli noted Alexis’s sore calf but he played anyway. Go figure. So the big issue is whether or not Arsene Wenger will want to send his star man out onto the pitch to face off against West Brom, who does not figure to be a big test, when Dinamo Zagreb is lurking on Tuesday.

Another question is who Arsenal will go with on defense. With Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista all set for action and healthier than ever, who is the go-to? All three have their pros and cons.

With all of these numerous factors in mind, Pain in the Arsenal’s dedicated staff yet again launched their predictions forth, hoping to move up the Pain in the Arsenal predictions table. Let’s get started with those predictions.

Nate: Arsenal 2-0 West Brom

My last prediction didn’t go so hot so I’ll keep this one short. Arsenal are going to want to get a good result ahead of the champions league clash midweek and for better or worse I’m keeping the faith.

Andy: Arsenal 3-0 West Brom

Coming off the international break, with some players rested, Arsenal will be back to their irresistible best. West Brom are defensively astute, as all Tony Pulis teams are, but they should not pose too much of an a offensive issue. The Gunners will dominate possession and the game and will win in fairly comfortable fashion.

Brian: Arsenal 2-0 West Brom

Brian’s prediction can be read here.

Thomas: Arsenal 1-1 West Brom

Coming off the international break, the Gunners will continue to split opinions following a sloppy yet fiery match at the Hawthorns. Giroud will grab the Gunners’ only goal by the end of the first half, but West Brom will score on a set piece to tie it up later on. Meanwhile, though Giroud will grab a goal, he will once again fail to impress. The Arsenal defense will be inconsistent at best, too, and West Brom will secure a valuable point against the North Londoners.

Daniel: Arsenal 2-0 West Brom

Arsenal will see the return of pace to the right back position in Hector Bellerin, but Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remain out. Additionally, Giroud and Koscielny aren’t guarantees given potentially fragile psyches after the Paris attacks. My bet is they both start and turn in fantastic performances. A hostile stadium at West Brom could be just the thing for a cathartic release. West Brom is without Gareth McAuley due to his red card, but Pulis has an otherwise fit squad. I like Arsenal 2-0 over West Brom, with Giroud grabbing a brace and Koscielny keeping all comers in his deep pockets.

Nasra: Arsenal 1-1 West Brom

After yet another long international break, Arsenal will be back in action against West Brom at the Hawthorns on Saturday. This game is a bit tough to predict, given that there are a lot of variables in play here. Arsenal are likely to have Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Hector Bellerin and Theo Walcott back fit and raring to go, which will undoubtedly give them an added boost. West Brom currently sit in the same spot they finished in last season, and will be looking to move up the table. A win on Saturday could take them up as far as eleventh, so you can bet they will not roll over against the North Londoners. As much as I would like to think we’ll win easily on Saturday, I can’t because you just never know which Arsenal will turn up after a long layoff, especially in an away game. I think our defence might struggle in this one, especially if Koscielny isn’t in the starting 11. I think we’re destined for a draw in this one.

Jabari: Arsenal 2-0 West Brom

Arsenal are finally back to action after a much needed International break. Injuries are starting to lessen and the Gunners are entering a rather favorable stretch of games until playing Manchester City on December 21. The Baggies have been in luke-warm form and I doubt Tony Pulis’ side will be able to gain traction against the North Londoners. I suspect that West Brom will set up to concede possession and attack on the break, sitting deep and trying to absorb pressure. However like so many of Arsenal’s games this season, there will be a moment of magic that will open the floodgates. I’m expecting this to be very similar to the game against Watford away. I’m backing Mesut Ozil to continue his scintillating form, picking up an assist for the in form Olivier Giroud and grabbing a goal himeslf, both from set pieces.

Josh: Arsenal 1-0 West Brom

Arsenal have a history of coming back slow from international break and West Brom’s defense is not an easy one to pierce. That being said, just give Arsenal time to break it down and they will get through via Olivier Giroud. On the other side of things, West Brom will not pose much of a threat.

Finn: Arsenal 2-0 West Brom

The presence of the international break requires teams to rekindle form quickly in their domestic leagues. Arsenal will want to turn their fortunes around from their two fixtures prior to the break; West Brom’s fans will also be hoping Tony Pulis’ dangerously defensive tactics do not continue going into the difficult Christmas period.

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The probable presence of Alexis Sanchez in the Arsenal team for the upcoming fixture could spurn the Gunners on to a win via his explosive pace. Hector Bellerin is also a possibility to play. He will add yet another dimension to the Arsenal attack. At the moment, quick attackers are scarce, so the Chilean and his Spanish team-mate will need to keep doing what they have been this season to secure a win.

The Baggies look too intent on defending to present a goal scoring threat at the moment. It is purely a question of whether Arsenal can break through. I also predict Olivier Giroud will get on the scoresheet

Rohan: Arsenal 2-0 West Brom

Max: Arsenal 3-1 West Brom

The Gunners are still engulfed with injuries but let’s look on the bright side here. Nobody else in the squad picked up injuries during the international break. And we’re now two weeks closer to getting some of our injured players back!!! In fact, Hector Bellerin and Gabriel Paulista are both back training, and could possibly start in this weekend’s fixture against the Baggies. Which would be colossal for our defense.

West Brom don’t exactly have the most potent offense in the league, with only ten goals in 12 games. And their defense isn’t exactly stellar either (16 goals in 12 games, in case you were wondering). Not to mention the fact that Wenger and Co. haven’t lost on eight consecutive trips to The Hawthorns, dating back to 2005 when ex-Arsenal striker Nwanko Kanu came back to haunt Arsenal in a 2-1 defeat. So on paper, there is no question that Arsenal are the favorites here. But at the end of the day it is up to the players to prove why they’re second (soon to be first, hopefully) in the Premier League Table.

…And I’m confident that they will prove why they’re the favorites this weekend, with a comfortable 3 – 1 victory. Arsenal definitely have the potential to keep a clean sheet here but I’ll give Albion the benefit of the doubt with a consolation goal from relatively new striker Salomon Rondon. Otherwise, Giroud will score a crucial header. Campbell will score his second Arsenal goal. Sanchez will play like Sanchez, and score another cracker… oh, and Mesut Ozil will assist all three goals (because, he’s the best passer in the world right now, in case you weren’t aware).

Game, Set, Arsenal.