Arsenal travelled to the Hawthorns with a midweek victory against Dortmund on their minds. With the game kicking off at 12:45, there was no real rest from Champions League football, to Premier League football.
Arsenal grabbed all 3 points against the Baggies in a tight 1-0 victory. Danny Welbeck helped in himself to a delightful header assisted by Spanish maestro, Santi Cazorla. West Brom fought until the end and came close when Craig Gardener almost equalised close to the end. Alan Irvine said his side were on the end of a crucial “wrong decision” when Berahino was flagged for offside, when he clearly was not. However, Arsenal won away from home and face a fierce encounter in midweek against Koeman’s exciting Southampton side.
1. The Presence Of Giroud
Olivier Giroud returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Besiktas away in the Champions League. Giroud was the spearhead of the new dynamic attack set out by Wenger. He set out with Welbeck on the left, Cazorla in the middle and Sanchez on the right. The Frenchman offered a new dimension to Arsenal’s attacking game as his aerial ability and physicality, is something Welbeck & Sanogo both need to work on. Arsenal also had a real presence in the attacking department, so the players could launch it up to Giroud, to which he could lay it off to someone else. It was a welcome change to see Giroud in the starting lineup after nearly 3 months out with injury.