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Arsenal vs West Brom preview: How to watch, predicted lineups, score prediction & injury updates

By Ross Kennerley

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta (L) greets West Bromwich Albion's English head coach Sam Allardyce (R) at the end of the English Premier League football match between West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal at The Hawthorns stadium in West Bromwich, central England, on January 2, 2021. (Photo by Tim Keeton / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by TIM KEETON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta (L) greets West Bromwich Albion's English head coach Sam Allardyce (R) at the end of the English Premier League football match between West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal at The Hawthorns stadium in West Bromwich, central England, on January 2, 2021. (Photo by Tim Keeton / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by TIM KEETON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Kieran Tierney
WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 02: Kieran Tierney of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal at The Hawthorns on January 02, 2021 in West Bromwich, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Rui Vieira – Pool/Getty Images) /

Arsenal vs West Brom Team News

Thursday coughed up a whole mountain of different variables in the injury department, some that would have been reassuring had progression to the next stage been assured, while others had detrimental effects.

Granit Xhaka was injured in the warm-up against Villarreal, a setback Arteta insisted had a major impact on the gameplan for the night. He has no excuses to hide behind, yet it was clear that the Swiss’ injury left its mark with his presence sorely missed.

There were returns for a clearly not fit Kieran Tierney, who was blowing within minutes of starting the match, and an extended rest on his road to recovery would be preferred.

Alexandre Lacazette also earned his first minutes since a hamstring strain which will ease the workload on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who is still recovering from the lasting effects of contracting malaria.

David Luiz will be pushing for a return having suffered his own hamstring problem, one that he battled hard to return from yet wasn’t deemed fit enough for the bench against Villarreal.

Mat Ryan has started two of the last three Premier League matches and looks set to keep his place, while Dani Ceballos may return after being suspended from midweek following his red card.

For the visitors, their obvious omission will be on-loan Ainsley Maitland-Niles given the rules of his temporary move from Arsenal. Other than that, Sam Allardyce brings a fully fit squad to north London off the back of just one defeat in their last five outings.

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