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On Wednesday, the Gunners will take on West Bromwich Albion in the second round clash of the 2021/22 EFL Cup at The Hawthorns.
Mikel Arteta’s side will be involved in this phase of the tournament the EFL Cup’s second round after a long while, as the teams playing in Europe enter this competition in the third round. Last season was something Arsenal would like to forget soon, but they are not looking any better in this season either.
The London-based team spent heavily this summer and signed five first-team players, but the investment is not showing on the pitch so far. They started their 2021/22 Premier League campaign with a trip to newly-promoted team Brentford, where they lost the match 2-0.
After that, Arsenal faced local rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where the result was exactly the same. Not only have the Gunners been poor defensively, but they have lacked an attacking threat, which can be understood by looking at their blank goals column.
Reports suggest that Arteta has been handed an ultimatum to show improvement by October, failing which, the board will start considering other candidates for the managerial position. In such a situation, this game will be of utmost importance for them.
The team they will take on have had contrasting fortunes. After getting relegated to the Championship, WBA appointed former VfL Wolfsburg and Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael, and the Frenchman’s debut month has been nothing short of remarkable.
After drawing 2-2 against a strong Bournemouth team in their first match, West Bromwich won three consecutive matches. The Baggies struggled to score last season, but they have found the back of the net 9 times in their first four matches of the season. It is safe to say that it will be foolish to take Ismael’s men lightly.
Key Players
Skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looks set to deputise as the target man for the Gunners in this clash after missing the game against Brentford due to COVID-19. Despite testing negative ahead of the match against Chelsea, the Gabon international was only used as a substitute in the last game. From the little glimpses Arsenal fans saw of their captain in the last match, they can be optimistic, as the striker caused the Chelsea backline a few problems once he came on.
Martin Odegaard missed the London derby as well, but that had nothing to do with match sharpness. The Norwegian had some logistics to deal with before he could play for Arsenal. Now that everything is all set and done, he is expected to feature in the starting XI against West Brom. Former Real Madrid midfielder might have scored only two goals in his loan spell at London, but he created a few chances from the midfield, which Arsenal have lacked in the last two matches.
There have not been many good performers from the Gunners in the last two matches, but Emile Smith-Rowe is one of those players who can hold their heads high. He has arguably been Arsenal’s best performer in their first two Premier League outings. At the young age of 21, the English midfielder has become an indispensable part of the Arsenal lineup. He played 33 matches for Arteta’s side last season and found the back of the net four times.
When Ismael joined WBA, he took one of his trustworthy weapons alongside him in Alex Mowatt. The 26-year-old English midfielder has not taken long to become a fan favourite. Mowatt scored his first goal for the club in their 4-0 win against Sheffield United and then made it two goals in two games with his goal against Blackburn last Saturday.
Prediction
The Arsenal manager and players are under immense pressure and scrutiny, and they will know well that this encounter can help them get the monkey off their back. Given that they will be involved in only two competitions in this season, Arsenal are also expected to give their best in this tournament, which can pacify the agitated fanbase.
West Bromwich Albion might be on a great run of form, but their head-to-head record against Arsenal is not very impressive. They have won only 38 matches against the North London club, while Arsenal have got the better of the baggies on 74 occasions. The two teams shared spoils on 31 occasions.
Hence, with past records being on their side and two of their star players in Aubameyang and Odegaard likely to feature from the start in this game, it will be safe to say that Arsenal are the favourites to win this match.
