West Brom vs Arsenal Preview: How to Watch, Predicted Lineups, Score Prediction & Team News

Arsenal face West Brom in the Premier League on Saturday.

Off the back of a year to forget, Arsenal did still manage to win both their first and last Premier League matches of 2020.

While the rest is best left forgotten, kicking off 2021 with a win against Sam Allardyce’s West Brom is the perfect start to what is hoped to be fresh beginnings. On top of that, it’d mean Arsenal will have won three consecutive Premier League matches for the first time this campaign.

Victories against Chelsea and Brighton have significantly lifted the mood in north London, from utter despair and agony to elation in the space of just four days. Sadly, that doesn’t mean the Gunners are suddenly a good team. Far from it.

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They face one of the few sides doing worse than them this season, on a ground they’ve not tasted victory on in their last three Premier League visits. With a new man at the helm for the Baggies, it’ll be the third different boss to host Arsenal in the last three encounters at the Hawthorns.

What will that constitute? Well, Allardyce knows precisely how he wants his teams to set up, and it isn’t pretty. He’s yet to taste victory in his three matches since taking charge, with his side having just ten shots across those 270 minutes.

You get the picture.

However, this is the kind of fixture where Arsenal could come unstuck. Chelsea and Brighton were both willing to commit men, even just beyond the halfway line, providing Mikel Arteta‘s side with greater space to expose. They won’t be granted such freedoms on Saturday.

After this fixture Arsenal can enjoy the pleasantries of a one week break before FA Cup duty, so whether he opts to rest anyone will be interesting to see. Here’s your preview.

How to Watch on TV

When Is Kick Off? Saturday 2nd January
What Time Is Kick Off? 20:00 (BST)
Where Is it Played? The Hawthorns
TV Channel/Live Stream? BT Sport (UK) fuboTV (USA)
Referee? Martin Atkinson

Team News

There were some injury scares from the win over Brighton, none more worrying than Bukayo Saka having to be substituted following a hefty collision. Saka is a true warrior and he only stays down unless he’s in real trouble, so the initial fears were justified.

However, Arteta has stated that he’s recovered well and is now expected to be available for the journey to the Midlands.

"“I hope he is available. We will see with training on Thursday or not. He has played a lot of minutes. I am confident he will be OK,” he told the official Arsenal website."

https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1344588423953326081

Players will need a rest eventually, one of whom could be Gabriel Martinelli, who was replaced after just 66 minutes against the Seagulls. Missing from that trip was Brazilian trio Gabriel, David Luiz and Willian, the latter two suffering from illness. Gabriel has to sit out due to contracted COVID-19, but the other two are expected to be back.

"“We have the players who have been through all the regulations with COVID, different individuals which I think we’re gonna recover for the game against West Brom,” Arteta said."

Thomas Partey will be an interesting one to observe as he nears a return from a thigh injury, one that leaves him touch and go for the weekend. At this stage, Arsenal need to be cautious…unlike last time.

As for the Baggies, former Gunner Kieran Gibbs picked up an injury pre-Leeds and will not be available to face Arsenal, while Conor Townsend is struggling his own injury issue and not likely to be available for selection.

Predicted Lineups

West Brom: Johnstone; Furlong, Ajayi, O’Shea, Peltier; Sawyers, Robinson, Phillips, Gallagher, Diangana; Ahearne-Grant

Arsenal: Leno; Bellerin, Holding, Mari, Tierney; Xhaka, Ceballos, Smith Rowe; Aubameyang, Lacazette, Saka

West Brom vs Arsenal Score Prediction

Including the previous two fixtures, this will be the toughest of the lot.

Allardyce will relish the idea of watching the visitors pitter-patter around the West Brom box, go backwards and sideways and then lump a cross into the box for any one of the Baggies’ defenders to clear with ease.

It’s likely that will be the pattern throughout. Sods law is that the hosts will get one chance to score and take it, either clinch a narrow 1-0 win with a grand total of 12% possession or hold Arsenal to a draw.

That’s the obvious narrative facing Arteta’s side.

Them getting embarrassed by Leeds in their most recent fixture, also at home, was far from the ideal result. Even more so than before, they’ll escape into their shell in some variant of a 6-4-0 formation, and invite pressure – albeit slow, and far from troublesome pressure.

Incapable of breaking down sides in a low block, it might not be the perfect start to the season that Arsenal will have wanted. In truth, this fixture ranks very lowly wanted games to start the year. What’s worse, the Baggies’ keeper is bang in form.

Should Arsenal claim three points then they’ll have to score early. Simple as that. Get one or two in the first half and they can rest easy. Otherwise, it’s going to be 90 minutes of torture. Probably would be anyway.

Score Prediction: West Brom 0-0 Arsenal