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Arsenal 2-0 West Bromwich Albion
Goals: Alexandre Lacazette 20' 67'
A brace from summer signing, Alexander Lacazette meant Arsenal secured all three points in an entertaining clash at the Emirates. The Gunners needed a win to reduce the deficit with the table toppers and Wenger's men did just that. Three points mean Arsenal have jumped to seventh in the league table.
Lacazette scored his first from just two yards out, heading the ball in from a subsequent Alexis Sanchez freekick. The second goal was from the spot kick, the Frenchman slotting it home in the bottom right corner. Along with Lacazette, it was also a memorable night for Gareth Barry. We'll discuss this further in the five talking points from Arsenal's 2-0 win over the Baggies:
#5 A night of individual records
Though he ended up on the losing side, Gareth Barry will remember this game for a long time. A start against Arsenal meant Barry made history by becoming Premier League's all-time leading appearance maker. Last night was Barry's 663rd appearance in the Premier League; beating the previous record set by Ryan Giggs.
Barry made his debut as a 17-year-old in 1998 and has been a regular member of the various sides that he has represented in the first division. However, Barry has a long way to go if he aims to become the most capped player in England's top flight history; Peter Shilton holds that feat with a massive 849 appearances.
For Arsenal, Alexis Sanchez made his 100th Premier League start in an Arsenal shirt. Not many Arsenal fans had dreamt of Sanchez achieving this milestone after all the drama surrounding him in the summer. And with his brace, Alexander Lacazette became the first Arsenal player to score in three consecutive home games since Brian Marwood achieved that feat in 1988.
#4 West Bromwich Albion should have had a penalty
Arsenal started the game brightly but the counter attacks of the Baggies caught them napping on more than one occasion in the first half. One such counter-attack saw Jay Rodriguez in a one on one against Shkodran Mustafi. The German defender clearly fouled Rodriguez in front of the referee Bobby Madley. But the referee didn't signal for a spot-kick as Rodriguez did not fall on the ground and continued in his stride to take a shot.
West Brom boss Tony Pulis was not at all impressed by the decision as he said after the game, "It's a stonewall penalty. Everybody has seen it. The player could have been sent off as well." The game was in the balance when this incident happened and the result of the match could have been a lot different had the Baggies were given a penalty before Lacazette scored the opener in the 20th minute.
We have often criticized players for going down easily and looking for a foul even at the expense of even a touch from an opposition player. BUT the case at the Emirates saw a player showing the correct spirit to play the game just to be denied a right call by the referee. You can't expect the diving and the simulation to go out of the window if the referees do not award penalties/free kicks to a player without taking a tumble! This will always be a two-way street.
#3 Alexandre Lacazette - Arsenal's new hope
In a gameweek which saw the likes of Alvaro Morata, Sergio Aguero and Romelu Lukaku scoring for their sides, Arsenal needed their frontman to get on the score sheet. The club's record summer signing did just that, scoring two poacher goals to give Arsenal all three points. Lacazette was not at his influential best against the Baggies, he was slow to react at times and had the least number of touches for an outfield player.
Yet, Lacazette was the one who received a standing ovation when he was taken off in the 82nd minute. Such is the life of a striker! The Frenchman was there at the right place when it mattered for the first goal and tucked in a penalty for the second with ease.
This is what prolific strikers do and Arsenal now have one in their ranks. Lacazette is now tied with the likes of Harry Kane and Mohammad Salah on four goals in the league and has the sixth best goal ratio in Europe since last August, scoring a goal every 88 minutes.
#2 Tony Pulis' miserable run against Arsenal continues
Once upon a time, a match against Pulis' teams were considered as a bogey fixture for the Gunners. But the recent seasons have turned the tide completely in Arsenal's favour. After a latest 2-0 defeat at the Emirates, West Bromwich Albion have now lost their last seven away games at the Emirates. This defeat also meant that the Baggies have now lost an away game against Arsenal 10 times in the Premier League era, more than they have lost against any other side.
Tony Pulis has an even disappointing record. The veteran has lost his last 10 outings at Arsenal's home turf. It was meant to be a memorable game for Pulis who was managing his 100th game for the Baggies but it turned out to be a rather usual result for the Englishman in London. In the 10 games that he has managed at the Emirates, Pulis' West Brom and Stoke sides have scored just three goals and conceded 22 goals.
#1 Arsenal back on track
The soul-crushing defeat against Liverpool last month needed a reaction from this Arsenal squad. This month of action has proved that the Gunners have a lot of fight in them which is proved by their form after the international break. A 4-0 win against Bournemouth and a stalemate against Chelsea can be said as brilliant results for the team which lost back to back games against Stoke City and Liverpool.
Against West Brom, Arsenal had their share of problems in the first half but the second interval saw a vintage Arsenal side in cruise control. 70% possession and 11 shots attempted. A damning statistic for the Baggies and a heartening one for the Gunners! The North London side have had a slow start to the campaign but next games against Brighton, Watford, Everton and Swansea offer them a chance to go straight into the mix of the summit sides.
Arsenal have now won eight consecutive league games at the Emirates which is also their second best run at the stadium since moving in from Highbury. It is a sign of how strong the Gunners are at their base camp and a warning sign for all the visitors in the upcoming matches.
