Arsenal’s win against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday did nothing to dispel my disillusionment with Arsenal. In the opening minutes of this game it seemed as though The Baggies wouldn’t help in that field either. However with Cazorla and Sanchez getting two shots on target within the first six minutes I felt the familiar passions stirring within. This was certainly aided by the travelling Arsenal supporters who sounded as though they were in full voice at The Hawthorns stadium.
The only corner of the first half, won by WBA and taken in the 8th minute, looked dangerous for Arsenal but Lescott’s header was cleared by Koscielny. In the 12th minute Dawson blocked Santi shot and West Bromwich Albion attacked on the break. The game started off very much as a match of both halves with the ball going from one end of the field to another before making it’s way back again. By the end of the first half possession stood at 50:50. But back to the game.
The first substitution was in the 23rd minute. Gibbs came on for Monreal – is this another injury to add to the ever growing double-figure injury list? For the next 15 minutes Arsenal dominated the game. In the 25th minute, after a foul on Giroud, Sanchez took a free kick but failed in his endeavour. A minute later Welbeck made Foster make his first proper save of game. Then Giroud kicked the ball into the box but there was no-one there to pick it up. In the 31st minutes Cazorla kicked the ball into Foster’s waiting arms; six minutes later Ramsey took a shot that saw the ball go just wide of the net.
Then, the game switched. From the 39th minute West Bromwich Albion were in attack. At the half time whistle it was a case of the typical Arsenal rearing its ugly head – despite four shots on target they’d not been able to finish and get a result.
Onto the second half!
The Baggies came out with all cylinders firing and in the 47th minute Berahino was called offside as he rushed towards goal. Arsenal rallied in the 50th minute with a great pass by Chambers to Ramsey who wasn’t in position to finish it. Two minutes later another Ramsey shot was blocked, the ball played ping-pong and Cazorla’s subsequent shot was blocked too. Mertesacker then fired a shot wide after Ben Foster dropped the ball at his feet. The subsequent goal kick saw Berahino getting possession of the ball which he then volleyed into the side netting before Arsenal attacked again. Gibbs sent the ball across the box to Cazorla who missed the header opportunity. Giroud couldn’t make it either. In the 58th minute there was another corner for The Baggies. Mertesacker headed the ball out of danger before it eventually fell to a goal kick. Cazorla found himself in position, saw Welbeck and crossed the ball into position. Welbeck headed the ball and Foster got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out. In the 59th minute the score stood at West Bromwich Albion 0 : Arsenal 1. All you could hear reverberating around the stadium were the chants of:
One nil to the Arsenal
and
Oh, Santi Cazorla
The match fell into pretty much of nothingness for the next few minutes. Ramsey’s low shot in the 67th minute missed the target and went wide of the net. In the next three minutes there were three Arsenal crosses cleared by The Baggies. Next thing we know is that Gibbs is being treated on the sidelines for an apparent injury. I didn’t notice when he came back on. It seemed that none of the players from Arsenal were particularly worried by West Bromwich Albion until after the 77th minute when Craig Gardner rolled a ball into the awaiting arms of Martinez. This was West Bromwich Albions first shot on target since the opening whistle.
Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arsenal’s second substitution, came on for Giroud in the 78th minute. The impact of fresh legs was immediate until the ball found its way to the other end of the stadium and the next thing we knew was that Mertesacker had blocked a shot but the rebound hit the crossbar! The Baggies started piling on the pressure and it made me wonder whether Arsenal were doing the let’s give it all away in the last ten minutes of the match. Yet again, the ball made its way from one end of the pitch to the other. In the 85th minute another injury crisis. This time it was The Ox; Wenger, standing on the sidelines, looked worried. Thankfully The Ox was soon back in the game.
But the match wasn’t over and The Baggies weren’t yet finished. In the 90th minute, Gardner fired a shot from 25 yards out which ended up just wide of the goal after a slight deflection from Ramsey. The final Baggies corner of game was taken and luckily for Arsenal Martinez knocked it out. Four minutes of extra time during which a yellow card was issued to The Ox. The match gets more frantic and frenzied with each passing minute but there are no near misses from either team between added time and the final whistle.
Santi Cazorla was the Barclays Man of the Match and a valuable three points were banked by Arsenal who are back in their favourite position – fourth place. At least for the moment.