Arsenal will try to snap their two-game English Premier League losing streak when they host West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates Stadium in North London this Monday, December 26th. The Gunners blew a 1-0 lead at Manchester City last weekend and were downed 2-1 while West Brom didn’t fare any better with a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Manchester United.
Arsenal vs West Bromwich Albion – 5Dimes Soccer Betting Line:
- Spread: Arsenal -1.5 1.962, West Brom +1.5 1.901
- Money Line: Arsenal 1.341, West Brow 10.420, Draw 5.640
- Goals Scored: Over 3 goals, 1.980, Under 3 goals 1.885
Arsenal vs West Bromwich Albion – Head to Head:
- These two teams met twice in league action last season with West Brom winning 2-1 at home and Arsenal winning their home match 2-0. It’s West Brom’s lone win in the last 12 meetings with two draws and nine losses. Overall, these two sides have met 136 times in the past with Arsenal winning 69, losing 37 and drawing the other 30. West Brom has two wins in the last 18 encounters and four in the last 39 meetings..
Arsenal – A Closer Look:
The Gunners have dropped to fourth place in the standings after their latest loss. They have 34 points from 10 wins, four draws and three defeats. The Gunners have scored 38 goals and allowed 19 against after 17 outings. Their 14-game Premier League undefeated string came to an end with a loss to Everton two weeks ago and they’ve now dropped two straight. This comes after going 23 matches without a loss in all competitions. Arsenal is nine points behind league-leading Chelsea and is three back of second-place Liverpool and two behind third-place Manchester City. On the bright side, they’re one point in front of fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur and four ahead of sixth-place Manchester United.
Arsenal has five wins, two draws and just one loss at home on the season. Manager Arsene Wenger has numerous injury problems to deal with as usual as midfielder Santi Cazorla is out until March while forwards Chuba Akpom and Danny Welbeck aren’t expected back until January along with Shkodran Mustafi and defender Mathieu Debuchy. In addition, defender Per Mertesacker is out with a long-term injury and could miss the rest of the season while midfielders Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey are listed as day to day along with forward Yaya Sanogo.
West Bromwich Albion – A Closer Look:
West Bromwich Albion took it on the chin 2-0 at home from Manchester United last weekend thanks to a pair of goals by Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The team enters the weekend in a top-10 position as they currently sit in eighth place in the 20-team league. West Brom has 23 points on the campaign from six victories, five draws and six defeats. They’ve managed to score 23 goals and have allowed 21 against. West Brom is now 20 points behind league-leading Chelsea and 11 back of fourth-place Arsenal. They’re also nine points in front of 18th-place Sunderland and the relegation zone.
West Brom had taken 13 out of a possible 18 points before running into Man United last weekend. They now have four wins, two losses and a draw in their past seven matches. Their only other loss during that stretch was a close 1-0 defeat at the hands of first-place Chelsea. Manager Tony Pulis still has the benefit of a relatively healthy squad as the only player currently on doubtful list is forward Saido Berahino as he’s presently playing with West Brom’s Under-23 squad.
Arsenal vs West Bromwich Albion – Takeaway:
Anything can happen in the Premier League over the Christmas and New Year’s period, but Arsenal desperately needs three points here to stop their losing skid and stay within reasonable reach of Chelsea.
by Ian S. Palmer
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