West Brom 1-1 Arsenal

Ben Clifford
Mar 5, 2018
3 min read

Division 1

The Hawthorns

Attendance: 25,110

West Brom hosted Arsenal on Sunday night in another entertaining game of division 1 football. Both side's fighting for very different reasons now as the season comes to a end, Arsenal fighting for the title while West Brom are in a dog fight to save there division 1 status, both sides were expected to be roughly where they are now before the season started. Colas the Wba manager narrowly avoided the drop last season sending down Middlesbrough, Swansea and Bournemouth. While Arsenal it can be argued never really looked in the title race only finishing 5 points of eventual winners Manchester City.

Arsenal have a well documented cup finial fast approaching on the 6th of March against local London rivals Chelsea so it was no surprise last night when the team sheets were handed in.

The divisions top scorer Messi left out along with Captain Kroos, Mbappe, Asensio, Matic, Eriksen, Hummels and Boateng.

West Brom smelt blood and lined up in a 5-3-2 formation which at times thanks to Manager Colas' attacking mentality led west brom's fullbacks playing as wingers. Arsenal's second string have had a good amount of game time now for the excuse of lack of minutes to have lost its appeal to fans and pundits alike, que the start of the match !

Kompany who leads by example on the pitch pulling no punches did just that in the 6th minute - A solid no nonsense tackle on the slippery Sterling earning the West Brom man a early booking. Mo Salah probably the jewel in the crown of Colas' transfers since taking over west brom looked dangerous showing early signs of why he shouldn't be playing his trade in division 2 next season. West Brom were certainly fired up for this one and in the 25th minute another yellow card was handed out this time to Kompany's center back partner Mascherano.

Arsenal's only real chance of the half coming to Sterling who had famously taken two free kick's of Messi in the last game scoring both was this time perhaps unsurprisingly officially on free kick duty. Lacazette who has been struggling for goals and indeed first team football tried to get onto the end of the well taken free kick forcing Reina into a good save Half time 0-0

Second Half

Arsenal came back out under the full instruction to pull their socks up, with Liverpool on track to over take them at the top of the league a result was needed. Another free kick to Arsenal and another yellow card handed out to West Brom in the 49th minute - Sterling again not finding that golden touch.

This game was passing both teams by with the home team looking by far hungrier and by far more deserving of the goal should one come, however manager Colas would have to settle down his players if he wanted to keep all 11 men on the pitch. Wanyama the 4th man to go into the book.

The game was finally brought into life on the 69th minute Salah easily the best player out on the field the difference working himself nicely in from the left channel into a central shooting position, giving Arsenal man Lloris the eyes he sent a zipping low drilled shot past the diving French man. 1-0 West Brom with the table at both ends heating up !

Arsenal needed a response and quickly as the game threatened to get away from them, Salah again finding the space soon after his first goal only to see his shot saved well by Lloris. Iniesta a man surly deserving of more playing time getting on the ball a lot more as West Brom started dropping of with 15 minutes to go. Arsenal won themselves a corner after a siege on the West Brom goal in the 81st minute. With 9 men up for it, it needed to count or West Brom would be away on the counter. Step up young centre back Diego Llorente, Sterling whipped the ball into the box with the Spaniard rising highest to head home the equaliser. West Brom 1-1 Arsenal very much against the total run of play.

The game wouldn't have concluded without another West Brom booking Schar picking up West Brom's 6th of the match. It was clear that both side's wouldn't find a winning goal and either did the game finishing at 1-1.