West Brom vs Arsenal preview, team news, stats, prediction, kick-off time
Kieran Gibbs is a doubt to face his former club while Bukayo Saka is expected to be fit for Arsenal; follow West Brom vs Arsenal with our live blog on Sky Sports website and app; watch free match highlights shortly after full-time on Sky Sports' digital platforms and YouTube channel
Sunday 3 January 2021 07:22, UK
Image:Kieran Gibbs is a doubt to face his former club Arsenal with a quad injury
Team news and stats ahead of West Brom vs Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday; kick-off 8pm.
Team news
West Brom boss Sam Allardyce is expected to make changes for the visit of Arsenal.
The manager questioned his players' commitment following the 5-0 home defeat to Leeds on Tuesday and Filip Krovinovic, Matheus Pereira and Branislav Ivanovic could return.
Kieran Gibbs is a doubt with a quad injury after pulling out of the warm-up ahead of the Leeds defeat and Jake Livermore serves the final game of his three-match ban.
Image:Bukayo Saka is expected to be fit for Arsenal ahead of their trip to The Hawthorns
Bukayo Saka is expected to be fit for Arsenal's clash at West Brom with boss Mikel Arteta set for a selection headache.
The teenager was forced off late on during Tuesday's win over Brighton where Alexandre Lacazette scored off the bench after he reported a sore back.
The pair should be fit to start at the Hawthorns while David Luiz and Willian (both illness) may be available, but Thomas Partey (thigh) remains absent along with Gabriel (coronavirus) and Reiss Nelson has a minor muscle injury.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Leeds’ win at West Brom in the Premier League
Follow West Brom vs Arsenal in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
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A look at some of the key stats surrounding matchweek 17's Premier League fixtures
West Brom are unbeaten in their last three Premier League home games against Arsenal (W2 D1), having only avoided defeat in three of their first nine against them at the Hawthorns in the competition (W1 D2 L6).
Arsenal have scored in all 24 of their Premier League meetings with West Brom, the best 100% scoring record by one side against an opponent in the competition's history.
Arsenal have won just one of their last six Premier League away games against promoted sides (D2 L3), with that victory coming at Fulham on the opening day this season.
Arsenal have lost their opening league game in just two of the last 19 calendar years (W11 D6), losing 0-2 at Southampton in 2015 and 1-2 at Fulham in 2012.
Arsenal lost their last league game against a side in the relegation zone, losing 0-1 at home to Burnley - the Gunners have never lost consecutive Premier League games against a side starting the day in the drop zone before.
West Bromwich Albion have lost their last three home Premier League games by an aggregate score of 1-13, conceding three or more goals in each defeat. The Baggies have never lost four consecutive home top-flight games while also shipping 3+ goals in each defeat.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Arsenal's win over Brighton in the Premier League
West Brom have won just eight points in the Premier League so far this season - only in 1985-86 have they amassed fewer points after 16 games of a top-flight campaign (6 - converted to 3pts/win all-time). Each of the previous five sides to earn eight points or fewer after 16 Premier League games of a season were relegated, most recently Aston Villa in 2015-16.
Arsenal have won as many Premier League games in their last two outings (2), as they did in their previous 12 combined (W2 D2 L8). The Gunners are looking to win three consecutive Premier League games under Mikel Arteta for the fourth time, also doing so in September, July and March 2020.
Only against Man City and Man Utd (17 each) has West Brom boss Sam Allardyce lost more Premier League games than he has vs Arsenal (16). His last three league victories against the Gunners have been with different clubs - 3-1 with Bolton (Nov 2006), 2-1 with Blackburn (May 2010) and 3-0 with Crystal Palace (April 2017).
Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been involved in 17 goals in 15 Premier League games against promoted sides (13 goals, 4 assists). However, four of the five games in which he's failed to score against a promoted side have come away from home.
