It’s unlikely anyone foresaw this Saturday’s game as potentially critical; we have made our worst start to a season while they have made their best. And after the abomination that was Swansea last weekend there’s no doubt that there is plenty riding on it.
A victory gets Arsenal back in the hunt for fourth. A loss leaves them eight points behind the Baggies and in the lower half of the table. But this game doesn’t feel important simply because of league position, this is about relieving the intense pressure building up off the pitch.
Regaining momentum
Six points from 18 in the league is awful form, and there was little sign of a revival against a well-drilled Swansea side who deserved their win. But the Emirates ‘faithful’ will assemble hoping that something finally clicks for a team that has looked disjointed since October’s international break.
And their biggest hope of victory might spring from West Brom’s own dip in fortunes. While nothing compared to our malaise, Steve Clarke’s side have followed up four victories, including a 2-1 reverse of Chelsea, with losses at Swansea and at home to visiting egg-chasers Stoke Barbarians.
West Brom’s away form has so far been distinctly average, with only two wins and eight points on the road. The only problem is, this season, Arsenal and the restless fans haven’t so much turned the Emirates into a fortress as reduced it to a sodden cardboard box, with only three wins from seven.
Key men
After it looked like it was on the mend a couple of weeks ago, injuries have hit the team hard, with Laurent Koscielny, Bacary Sagna, Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott joining Abou Diaby on the sidelines. The wide men will be missed, having been among our best players this season – Podolski’s ability to float onto crosses across the six-yard box was sorely missed last weekend.
But so be it. There will be new personnel on the wing, and that could be fortuitous. The Ox and will possibly Gervinho start out wide but with Tomas Rosicky back, now is the time to try Santi Cazorla on the wind. There, he can get more space and hopefully help carve out the opportunities that have been so rare in recent weeks.
The Baggies are missing Ben Foster but Boaz Myhill hasn’t been bad, surprisingly. They should welcome back a key trio or Chris Brunt, James Morrison and Peter Odemwingie. The Nigerian will surely fancy his chances against the Arsenal backline, but will he even get back in the team? In Romelu Lukaku and Shane Long, West Brom already have two forwards that can hurt us, the Belgian especially, given his Drogba mk. II stylings and five goals this term.
Get back on track
After weeks of doom and gloom, a win would be even sweeter. And it couldn’t come at a better time. Belief is what the fans and players need leading into a programme of fixtures that look, on paper, eminently winnable. If the players can rediscover their best we might all be far happier by Christmas.
Likely Line-up
Szczesny, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Arteta, Cazorla, Wilshere, Gervinho, Oxlade Chamberlain, Giroud
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