Are Arsenal back on track? What we learned from the thumping win over West Brom

Bukayo Saka

Are Arsenal back on track? What we learned from the thumping Premier League win over West Brom

By Peter White

The festive spirit was certainly flowing at Arsenal after back-to-back successes over the Christmas period, and the Gunners carried their recent upturn in form into the New Year with a thumping 4-0 win at West Brom on Saturday night. 

Having failed to win their previous seven, successive wins over Chelsea, Brighton and now the Baggies have lifted Mikel Arteta’s charges to 11th in the table - swiftly reigniting hopes of securing a European place.

It’s certainly amazing how much can change in the matter of just a couple of weeks, with the free-flowing, confident play on show throughout a scintillating display at the Hawthorns a far cry from some of the turgid stuff fans were put through earlier in the campaign. 

The hugely impressive Kieran Tierney set the tone for a comfortable night in the Black Country with a stunning solo effort in the 23rd minute, before Bukayo Saka finished off a smart team move moments later to earn Arsenal a 2-0 half-time lead. 

As the snow continued to fall, Alexandre Lacazette maintained his recent good run, etching his name on the scoresheet for the third game running with two goals to seal an emphatic win. 

While Arsenal will be keen to build on their good run as they begin their FA Cup defence against Newcastle next time out, we identify a few talking points from their latest showing that has helped raise hopes that 2021 can deliver plenty of success.


Confidence goes a long way 

They say winning breeds confidence, and that indeed seems the case with Arsenal who are playing with a lot more freedom and enjoyment having now picked up three wins in the space of a week. 

The influx of exciting young players into the starting line-up has no doubt had a hugely positive impact on the team, with the likes of 20-year-old Emile Smith Rowe - who has created a chance every 34 minutes this season - playing without fear and impressing once again. 

Saka and Tierney wreaked havoc all evening and the whole team is now looking to play forwards and create chances at every opportunity, with the former finishing off a slick team move that an Arsenal team of old would have been proud of. 

Lacazette has once again found his shooting boots having appeared off the boil earlier this season, while at the back Rob Holding and Pablo Mari delivered another assured performance that earned Arsenal a second clean sheet in a row.


Saka causing headaches down the right

It’s easy to forget that the aforementioned Saka - now a key cog in the Arsenal wheel and a fully-fledged England international - is just 19, with the talented teenager once again proving his worth at West Brom. 

While earning personal plaudits for his first-half goal - which takes him to 22 goal involvements since August 2019 - Saka’s switch to the right-hand side also yielded huge benefits for the whole team.

Mikel Arteta 

Arsenal have focused a lot of attention down the left for much of 2020/21, and while Tierney ensured that was a problem area for the Baggies, Saka provided an option on the opposite flank and gave young Baggies full-back Dara O’Shea the run-around all night. 

Saka contributed plenty of crosses and darting runs from the right - with two of Arsenal’s four goals being initiated from that area of the pitch - and his strong showing suggests he could make that position his own over the coming weeks.


Is it too early to get carried away?

It’s hard not to get too excited by the improvements demonstrated across the last three matches, but it’s important that the Gunners continue to close the six-point gap to the top four as we head into the business end of the season. 

Realistically, a win at relegation candidates West Brom should have been expected, with Sam Allardyce’s charges having been thrashed 5-0 by Leeds in their last outing, while they have now managed to score just 11 goals in 17 matches. 

Arsenal may consider their next three league games - at home to Crystal Palace and Newcastle, and away at Southampton - winnable, and a decent points haul from those encounters would set them up nicely to round off the month with a home clash against Manchester United. 

With light seemingly appearing at the end of the tunnel, Arteta will be desperate to capitalise on his team’s recent upturn in fortunes and avoid seeing all the festive cheer come crashing down.

Photo Credit: Getty Images 

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