Gameweek 6 of the 2017/18 Premier League culminates with a Monday Night Football encounter between Arsenal and West Brom at the Emirates Stadium live on Sky Sports Football tonight in what promises to be a decent spectacle. Our man Danny Archer has analysed the game...
Arsenal 1/3
Draw - 22/5
West Brom - 19/2
(All odds with Unibet - get your first bet of £30 risk free)
Arsenal - The Gunners' inconsistent start to the season is emblematic of a club which seemed to be in disarray following a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool but who showed their mettle with a superb 0-0 draw against Chelsea last Sunday, which my Mrs said was the best Arsenal performance she'd seen in a while. Most Arsenal fans agreed and despite the threat of Alvaro Morata and later Eden Hazard, Arsenal's backline held strong and they were unlucky not to come away with victory, highlighted by Aaron Ramsey hitting the post, Alexandre Lacazette missing the rebound and Skodran Mustafi having a goal disallowed for offside. Ramsey and Xhaka in particular played much better in that game but the Gunners did miss the creative presence of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, with the latter looking sharp when he came on. Laurent Koscielny back to full fitness is also a major positive for Wenger's side and he was immense at Stamford Bridge.
A confidence boosting, if laboured 1-0 win over Doncaster in the Carabao Cup third round on Wednesday courtesy of a Theo Walcott goal will have helped and it would be disappointing if they couldn't get the better of a West Brom side, who while solid defensively, should offer little going forward. This is the start of a really tough week travelling wise for the Gunners who play BATE Borisov in Belarus in the Europa League on Thursday before a home game against Brighton on Sunday.
Ozil and Sanchez could both return and I personally think that Lacazette, who if he scores tonight, would become the first Arsenal player to score in his opening three Premier League matches, could do with another couple of goals to maintain his decent start to the season in front of goal. Danny Welbeck has taken his chances with open arms but is out with a groin strain for a month which could also pave the way for Walcott and Olivier Giroud to gain more first team action. This should be a mere formality for the North Londoners who have won their last six home matches against the Baggies, conceding just once in that time. Arsenal are also unbeaten at home this season in all competitions and will be looking to arrest a slide in the table which sees the Gunners 12th in the Premier League table following two defeats from five games.
West Brom - Tony Pulis' side have made a creditable start to the season despite a slight lull in form in their last couple of matches. Consecutive 1-0 victories in the opening two weeks of the Premier League season at home to Bournemouth and away to Burnley propelled the Baggies to the Champions League places but a 1-1 draw at home to Stoke was quickly followed in Gameweek 4 by a very disappointing 3-1 defeat away to Premier League new boys Brighton at the Amex. Another creditable 0-0 draw with West Ham sees the Baggies in 10th place, a very good start to the campaign for Pulis' men.
Summer signing Gareth Barry looks set to break the record for Premier League appearances with this being his 633rd game in the top flight, a phenomenal effort and Chris Brunt, Oliver Burke, Nacer Chadli and England international Jake Livermore could all feature. Without a win in 4 matches in all competitions, this is one of the toughest tests of the season for West Brom, who play an Arsenal side that relishes playing teams off the park at the Emirates.
Another worrying stat for the Baggies is their woeful away form recently, having won just once in 11 Premier League away matches in 2017. However, Pulis did buy well in the summer with Jay Rodriguez, Barry, Krychowiak and Kieran Gibbs all potential starters in tonight's game. However, you would still think Arsenal will have too much firepower for West Brom, with the away side aiming to make this match as frustrating as possible for the hosts.
Verdict - This really should be a mere formality for the Gunners which would keep the Mrs and her Mum happy but which could also prove a defining point in the season for Wenger's men, who could really do with putting a run of wins together in the Premier League.They have lost vital momentum in the title race with the two Manchester clubs and their North London rivals Spurs in particular and the need to rack up a run of league victories now looks paramount. I'm hoping Alexandre Lacazette can find the net for my fantasy team but also to boost his confidence in front of goal in a match I see Arsenal winning to nil.
Archer's selections
Both Teams To Not Score - 7/10 Unibet
Arsenal/Arsenal (Half Time/Full Time) - 17/20
Over 1.5 Arsenal goals - 2/5
Alexandre Lacazette first goalscorer - 29/10
Alexandre Lacazette to score anytime - 22/25
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