Baggies beaten by the Gunners
Written By: Robert Halter
Arsenal had won their last six Premier League games at the Emirates against West Bromwich Albion. After Alexis Sanchez was pushed off the ball by Craig Dawson, from the free kick, Sanchez bent his free kick wide to the right. But the Baggies broke through on eight minutes, from their captain Gareth Barry’s threaded pass and as Jay Rodriguez was brought down in the area by Shkodran Mustafi, he got up and struck a low drive which was diverted by Petr Cech onto the right post, before Jake Livermore, spurned the ball wide. In the eleventh minute from a delivery by Mohamed Elneny, the ball was put over on the right by Hector Bellerin, before a header from Aaron Ramsey, went over. Although the Throstles threatened again when from a knock by Hal Robson-Kanu, a thrashed strike by Kieran Gibbs against his former Gunners, flew into the back of the stand by the left post. On nineteen minutes, after Jonny Evans appended Elneny, by treading on his foot, a free kick by Sanchez was bent over the wall, and as Ben Foster, touched the ball onto the crossbar, the rebound was met with a header by Alexandre Lacazette, into the back of the net. After playing a one two with Sanchez, breaking through, Nacho Monreal charged into the box, but as he swung his foot, he was unable to find a connection onto the ball, on twenty six minutes. In the thirty first minute, Sanchez played through Ramsey, who took the ball off Foster, before firing his strike at the Baggies keeper, from a tight angle on the right. Two minutes later from a Granit Xhaka corner, the shirt of Sanchez was pulled by Grzegorz Krychowiak, in the area, but referee Bobby Madley, waived play on. But on thirty five minutes, after Evans was booked for treading on the foot of Lacazette, there was too much bend on a free kick by Sanchez, as the ball went past the right post. Although on thirty eight minutes, Albion went close, when from a sloppy pass by Ramsey, the ball was swung over from Krychowiak, and off a header by Rodriguez, the ball was heroically cleared off the line by Monreal. Within a minute, after Elneny, lost the ball, a touch by Krychowiak found Rodriguez, whose low drive went past the left post. In the forty first minute, from a cross by Allan Nyom on the right and a knock on by Robson-Kanu, the ball went narrowly past an unmarked Rodriguez, in the area. Before half time, a four way Baggies move started with Krychowiak and then from a Gibbs cross, at the back stick, Barry’s effort off Cech’s save, found Rodriguez, who was unable to convert from close range. In the fifty first minute, Sanchez found Kolasinac, and in turn Elneny provided Lacazette, whose fierce strike in the area, deflected off Gibbs, and over the upright. During the next three minutes, following a Sanchez corner, a crafty back heel by Mustafi, was comfortably collected by Foster. Following a caution for Krychowiak for pulling down Elneny, a Sanchez free kick could not be turned in by Mustafi. The Baggies later switched Livermore with James Morrison and then Salomon Rondon took over from Robson-Kanu. But on sixty six minutes, Nyom gave away a penalty for pushing over Ramsey, and up stepped Lacazette, to drill his spot kick into the bottom right corner. In the seventieth minute, after a mistake by Dawson, an over the top delivery by Sanchez, fell to Lacazette, who turned Foster, but fired over. A final WBA change saw Matt Phillips replace Nyom. A short corner by Xhaka was met with a soaring strike from Bellerin, which was diverted behind from the head of Rodriguez, in the eighty second minute. Arsenal then brought on Olivier Giroud for Lacazette and Mesut Ozil for Sanchez. Near the end, a delivery from Elneny was laid off by Giroud, but the strike from Xhaka flew over. In the ninetieth minute, Ozil combined with Giroud, before a low strike by Ramsey was blocked with the outstretched feet of Foster, before Ramsey was replaced with Ainsley Maitland-Niles, as Arsenal completed a 2-0 victory over WBA on Monday night football, during late September.