There's more to look at this afternoon than viewing Neville Southall through a set of bi-noculars, from close range, but first, we'll have to chew on a bit of team news I think. Scrap that. First, have a listen to what the boys at
Sports Mole HQ have had to say on today's contest in the West Midlands. Do it!
WEST BROM XI: Myhill, Dawson, Evans, Olsson, Brunt, Morrison, Fletcher (c), Yacob, McClean, Sessegnon, Rondon
ARSENAL XI: Cech; Bellerin, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla, Kieran Gibbs, Alexis, Ozil; Giroud
WEST BROM SUBS: Lindegaard; Chester, Gardner, McManaman, Lambert, Anichebe, Berahino
ARSENAL SUBS: Ospina, Gabriel, Debuchy, Arteta, Flamini, Adelaide, Campbell
Being polite, we'll start with our visitors and
Olivier Giroud spearheads the Gunners' attack in the continued absence of Theo Walcott. Kieran Gibbs and Alexis Sanchez provide wide support, while Mesut Ozil, who has set up 10 league goals already, operates in behind the French striker.
Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin sit in midfield, while Hector Bellerin returns from a two-match absence through injury to displace Mathieu Debuchy at right-back. Laurent Koscielny, who was "deeply affected" by the terrorist attacks in Paris eight days ago, having been on the field at the Stade de France when a suicide bomber detonated himself upon being refused entry to the stadium, starts in defence along Per Mertesacker.
On to the hosts now and Pulis continues with Salomon Rondon, who has three goals this season, as his spearhead. James McClean and Stephane Sessegnon line up out wide, with
James Morrison, Darren Fletcher and Claudio Yacob in the middle. In defence, Jonas Olsson replaces the suspended Gareth McAuley following his red card in the 2-0 defeat at Manchester United.
Fancy reading our preview of this one? Of course you do. You'll find that bad boy
HERE!
Fancy one or two stats? Why not. Did you know that a 2-1 win here in 2005 is West Brom's ONLY home triumph over the Gunners? Did you also know that Arsenal legend Nwankwo Kanu was on the scoresheet for the hosts that day? Now you do. Wenger's side are also unbeaten in their last nine games in all competition versus the Albion. If that isn't ominous for the hosts then chew on this.
West Brom have won ONE home game all season long which, when you consider how much a fortress the Britannia was during Pulis's time with Stoke, is quite strange. Actually, they've only won four games all season long, all of which were by a 1-0 scoreline. You get the impression they'll need to score more than one today to beat this mob because, well, the Gunners have looked red hot for a few months now.
Since losing 2-0 at Chelsea on September 19, Wenger's men have looked simply irresistible. First, they responded by smashing Leicester City 5-2 at the King Power, before doing a job on Manchester United, who conceded three times in the first 20 minutes as Arsenal flashed their title credentials in fine fashion. Two more 3-0 wins over Watford and Swansea City followed, either side of a 2-1 victory at home to Everton, before they showcased a new-found resilience in the 1-1 draw with Spurs before the international break.
It was at the Emirates, but Tottenham looked like the home team. It was arguably the best Spurs performance in a North London derby against a Wenger-managed Arsenal, with Harry Kane giving them a half-time lead. Out of nowhere, Arsenal, completely against the run of play, equalised through Gibbs on 77 minutes and they somehow earned a point.
This does not seem like the same old Arsenal we've been seeing every year since 2004. Crucially, they have a stoicism about them now; a capacity to roll with the punches rather than be knocked down by one and, well, there is a school of thought which suggests that this could be their season. Could it be? Very possibly.
PREDICTION! Right, 17 minutes to go - let's get a prediction wrong and I'm going 2-0 Arsenal this afternoon. With 17 goals scored in their last six league outings, it is ever so hard to look past Arsenal tomorrow. Even with the Pulis factor, the Gunners look sharp enough this season to give their manager three points against one of his old foes. That being said, Albion have not welcomed a top-four club to The Hawthorns since August - a 3-2 defeat by Chelsea - and it might be the type of occasion they need to kick-start a stuttering campaign. But Arsenal seem to have a bit more about them this season, and we reckon that they will extend their unbeaten run with a win.
Let's see what the lovely people on Twitter have had to say about this one.
Her other half must be Trevor from Eastenders.
Unlikely I should think mate, but who knows.
Five minutes to go, my friends! Excited? Me too.
KICKOFF: And we're off in the West Midlands and West Brom appear to have a massive Swedish girl playing centre-back. Actually it's just Jonas Olsson, who's gone a bit Rapunzel since I last saw him, which was about four years ago. Anywho, we've had la marseillaise to remember the 130 people who lost their lives in Paris and we're off.
Arsenal bossing possession early doors, but West Brom can knock it around too. I've seen them a few times this season so despite their form, this isn't straight forward for the visitors.
They'll also be a huge threat from set pieces, but Jonas Olsson, their biggest player, is the one who delivers the cross into the box, which is a bit odd and criminal considering it went straight out for a goal kick.
Lots of possession but they've done nothing in the final third. They haven't been able to. The Baggies have kept them out superbly so far, but Arsenal are a very much a second-half team. They have an extra gear.
Brilliant work from James McClean here as the Northern Irishman makes a mug of Bellerin and Sanchez with his powerful running, but he lashes a ball across the face of goal and there's no home player on hand to convert.
First bit of promise by Arsenal as Sanchez finds Gibbs, whose first touch is perfect, but his cross is deflected into the arms of Boaz Myhill. Better from the visitors.
Some worrying moments for Arsenal now as Francis Coquelin goes down injured, which the visitors don't need right now because they've already got an injury list the length of the Great Wall of China.
SUB: Yep, Coquelin goes straight down the tunnel and he's replaced by
Mikel Arteta. He might be joined by another sub soon because Monreal is down injured, but he's okay. Arsenal have a promising free kick, with Sanchez standing over it.
SHOT! It's an excellent free kick as Sanchez pings it over the wall and it looks destined for the net, but it lacks a bit of pace and Myhill makes what seemed a comfortable save.
Arsenal are starting to warm up. Their flair players are getting more time and space in good areas now, with Ozil trying to make the killer pass, but there's nothing doing as of yet.
SHOT! A frustrated Alexis, who is playing right wing rather than left wing, lashes one quite a bit wide of Myhill's goal. I'm not at The Hawthorns but it looks very, very cold. I know this because I can see Giroud's nipples through his jersey.
Olivier Giroud is cutting a frustrated figure in this first 23 minutes or so. Nothing is going his way and he's just had a bit of a spat with Jonas Olsson, who isn't the type of bloke you want to argue with I don't think.
The Gunners have their first corner now but they've been quite poor in the final third so far, so don't expect much. And yep, Cazorla's delivery is woeful and fails to beat the first man.
GOAL! West Brom 0-1 Arsenal (Olivier Giroud)
Well he's been anonymous for the first 28 minutes or so, but he's made the difference so far. It's a wonderful free kick from Mesut Ozil and Giroud gets the slightest of touches with his head to guide it past Myhill. 'One nil to the Arsenal' rings around the away stand. It had been coming. The visitors were slowly but surely warming up.
CHANCE! The Gunners are certainly warming up now and it probably should be 2-0. Sanchez finds make-shift winger Gibbs on the edge of the box, but the left-back goes for precision over power and he curls into row-z.
BOOKING: Bellerin goes into the book for fouling Rondon, who's done nothing so far. Brunt lining this one up....
It's Sessegnon, who fires straight into the wall. Hugely disappointing effort it has to be said; one which kind of sums up the Baggies' half.
GOAL! West Brom 1-1 Arsenal (James Morrison)
Somehow, we're level! How? Don't ask. Chris Brunt delivers a brilliant cross into the box, with Morrison getting the run on Bellerin at the back post to simply guide it past Cech into the far corner. Beautiful finish but the defending was a little suspect.
GOAL! West Brom 2-1 Arsenal (Mikel Arteta own goal)
It's all gone Pete Tong down in The Hawthorns, my friends. Sessegnon plays in the overlapping McClean, who drills a ball across the face of goal and it rebounds off the unfortunate Mikel Arteta. Madness.
BOOKING: Giroud joins Bellerin in the book following a foul on Yacob. The visitors are losing it a bit. They need a bit of leadership here.
HALF TIME: West Brom 2-1 Arsenal
So, that's it for one half my friends. It's bedlam in the West Midlands after James Morrison's excellent finish cancelled out Olivier Giroud's opener, before Mikel Arteta's own goal saw the Baggies take a 2-1 half-time lead! All of the goals were ever so soft from a defensive perspective, with Jonny Evans and Hector Bellerin culpable for the first two. Any way back for the visitors? Of course, there's still 45 minutes to go and, as touched on, Arsenal are very much a second-half team. They have a lot of gears that they will go through after the break.
KICKOFF: We're back underway and Arsenal have a free kick in a promising position almost immediately.
It's another excellent delivery from Ozil, but this time West Brom know their jobs and nothing comes from it.
OFF THE POST! It's an up-and-at-them start to this second half by Arsenal, who are so unlucky not to be level as Ozil fires against the woodwork from outside the box.
SUB: It's gone from bad to worse for the visitors, who lost Coquelin through injury after 12 minutes, and his replacement Arteta has just been subbed for Flamini. Arsenal's injury list is mounting.
Arsenal are playing like they were given a kick up the you know what from Wenger and they're unlucky not to be level again as Olsson does brilliantly to block what was surely a certain goal for Gibbs. On the plus side, West Brom just can't deal with Sanchez at the moment. He's been different class in this half.
Good spell by West Brom as Mertesacker clears for a corner to snuff out a brilliant ball from Brunt, but the set piece comes to nothing.
This one could go either way, my friends. I can see Arsenal scoring a few more, but I can also see the Baggies scoring a few as well. It's been that type of game.
Looks like Joel Campbell is being readied by Wenger, which will be their final change.
SUB: Here's Campbell, who replaces Gibbs. Sanchez returns to the left-hand side. Twenty five to go. Can Arsenal salvage something? Yep, but will they? Lord knows.
MISS! Oh my word how did Joel Campbell miss! It's a classy cross from Cazorla and Campbell, unmarked after McClean slipped, side-footed wide from about five yards out. Wenger is furious.
OFFSIDE GOAL! Arsenal survive after West Brom seemingly score an offside goal via an epic goal-mouth scramble. They need to take these warnings.
Arsenal being roared on by their hoards of supporters in the away stand, but gaps are few and far between at the moment. Seventeen minutes of normal time to go.
Sanchez deserves a goal this afternoon, and he should've had it here but his first touch is too heavy and Myhill gobbles up. Time is swiftly running out.
Right, we've got 11 minutes to go, not including stoppage time, and the hosts still toiling it seems. They're running out of ideas.
Wenger is growing increasingly frustrated with his troops in this half. They've had chances but they haven't been clinical.
PENALTY TO ARSENAL!
MISSED! Oh my word. Cazorla has done a John Terry on it and slipped at the crucial moment, sending his spot-kick over the bar. If Arsenal lose this they can only blame themselves.
Arsenal have responded well despite that missed penalty and they're still throwing the kitchen sink. Here's a corner.
FOUR MINUTES ADDED ON: Can the Gunners pull something out of the bag.
FULL TIME: West Brom 2-1 Arsenal
Well, that's it. We knew it wasn't Arsenal's day after 12 minutes when Coquelin went off injured. We knew it wasn't their day when Arteta scored an own goal. And then Cazorla went and missed a penalty in the final quarter! West Brom rode their luck, but they take all three points! ANywho, that's all from us. Cheers!