Today’s View From The Enemy comes direct from the official WBA website and provides lots of interesting facts and figures, like don’t have a bet on a 0-0 draw! Plus you can hear live commentary from anywhere in the world.
Albion v Arsenal match preview
ALBION will be looking to build on a positive draw against Everton when they play Arsenal at The Hawthorns on New Year’s Eve (ko 4.30pm).
The opposition
Arsenal currently sit 6th in the Premier League table having accumulated 37 points from their 20 games so far this season.
Arsene Wenger’s side have won two and drawn three of their last five games, and are still competing across all four competitions that they started the season taking part in.
The Gunners won their Europa League group to set up a Round of 32 tie against Ostersunds FK, are in the semi finals of the Carabao Cup where they take on Chelsea and begin their FA Cup campaign with a trip to Nottingham Forest next month.
Last time out
The most recent game between the two teams was back in September when an Alexandre Lacazette brace handed Arsenal a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium.
The last meeting at The Hawthorns, however, was a 3-1 win for Albion in March thanks to a couple of Craig Dawson goals and a Hal Robson-Kanu strike despite Alexis Sanchez’s early opener.
Stats
Albion
This will be the first time the Baggies have ever played Arsenal on New Year’s Eve.
Albion have won their last two matches against The Gunners at The Hawthorns – a 3-1 victory last season and a 2-1 win the campaign before.
Gareth McAuley will make his 200th Premier League appearance for the Club if he plays any part of the game against Arsenal.
Arsenal
Arsenal have kept just one clean sheet from their last nine visits to The Hawthorns in all competitions.
There hasn’t been a goalless draw between the sides since way back in November 1985 – a run stretching back an incredible 28 games.
The Gunners have made the second most amount of passes in the PL so far this season (12,623).
Head to head
The head-to-head record doesn’t make for particularly good reading if you’re an Albion fan.
From the 140 meetings, the Baggies have won on 38 occasions, drawn 31 of the games and been defeated 71 times.
Man in the middle
Mike Dean will be the referee, and he’ll be assisted by Simon Long and Ian Hussin – with Chris Kavanagh as the fourth official.
Dean has officiated the Baggies twice so far this campaign, the draw at Leicester and the loss to Swansea.
Follow the game
Comprehensive coverage of the clash with Arsenal is available in our Match Centre, where you can listen to free live commentary on WBA Radio or follow our live text feed.
WBA Radio is the only service that allows Baggies fans around the world – from Smethwick to the Sahara – access to uninterrupted live commentaries from every one of our competitive games. Join Gez Mulholland and Dave Bowler for Baggies-biased live commentary on New Year’s Eve.
Right they beat us last season but they are bottom of the table right now .
An our forward line is naughty .
Sanchez has just been called by his agent ….”right city have just lost Jesus an de bruyne to injury ..the window opens Tommorow Alexis , unleash the kracken ”
He will score
A hat trick??!!
I wouldnt care at this point, as long as we get money from him! City are already champions.
Imagine: Wenger sold RVP to United and they won the title. WRONG DECISION.
Wenger puts his foot down and declines selling Sanchez to City so the RVP situation won’t repeat. City still goes and wins the title. And we are left with an unhappy player who doesn’t put in a shift. WRONG DECISION AGAIN.
Wenger really doesn’t know how to make the right decisions.
It was rvp who force goes to manutd, wenger traying to keep rvp, we call him traitor, not because wenger sold him, but rvp decide to left out arsenal.
Wenger also right about keeping sanchez, to showing that we are not a feeder for another club, and also the failed landing lemar make wenger have to keep sanchez.
Ozil not in squad today!