• Date: Tue 03 March 2009
  • Venue: The Hawthorns
  • Ref: Tanner, S
  • Attendance: 26,244
1 - 3
Arsenal

Arsenal

Bendtner (4)

Toure, K (38)

Bendtner (44)

West Bromwich Albion vs Arsenal

Team Lineups

West Bromwich Albion

Scott Carson
Ryan Donk
Abdoulaye Meite
Gianni Zuiverloon
Paul Robinson
James Morrison (Juan Carlos Menseguez, 72)
Jonathan Greening
Chris Brunt (Filipe Teixeira, 72)
Robert Koren
Marc-Antoine Fortune
Luke Moore

Arsenal

Manuel Almunia
Gael Clichy
Johan Djourou
Bacary Sagna
Emmanuel Eboue (Aaron Ramsey, 67)
Kolo Toure, K (Vassiriki Abou Diaby, 46)
Pereira Neves Denilson
Samir Nasri (Perez Fran Merida, 83)
Alexandre Song
Nicklas Bendtner
Andrey Arshavin


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

Full time: WEST BROM 1-3 ARSENAL: The Gunners pick up a fully deserved win thanks to a brace from Bendtner and a Toure header. Brunt's first half strike is scant consolation for the relegation threatened Baggies.

87

Carson dives to his right to palm out Arshavin's 20 yard strike. The England keeper has had a good game.

85

Bendtner misses a great chance to get his hat-trick by blazing over from inside the West Brom box.

83

Merida's first touch is to find Clichy but the full back can't control it and it's out for a West Brom throw.

81
Substitution
 

Nasri leaves the field to be replaced by Merida.

79
Yellow Card
 

Donk is the fourth West Brom player to pick up a booking this evening.

77

Sagna hits a shot from the edge of the West Brom penalty area but the effort goes horribly wide of the target.

75

Almunia is called into action again. He dived at the feet of Moore and has been injured in the collision.

73

Great chance for West Brom to pull a goal back. It was Fortune who raced through one-on-one with Almunia but the Arsenal keeper just managed to save his effort.

71

Donk plays in Menseguez but Diaby closes him down and wins the ball back.

70
Substitution
 

Double substitution for West Brom as Brunt and Morrison make way for Menseguez and Teixeira.

68
Substitution
 

Ramsey takes to the field in place of Eboue.

68

Denilson tries a long range effort but the ball flies well wide.

67
Yellow Card
 

Meite is booked for a foul on Eboue.

67

Robinson sends a decent cross into the Arsenal box looking for Fortune but Song clears.

65

Eboue toes the ball towards goal but Carson is able to make a comfortable save.

62

Arsenal are in total control now. It's difficult to see how West Brom can get back into the game. There's still 28 minutes left though.

60

The post comes to West Brom's rescue this time - and denies Bendtner a hat-trick.

57

Diaby nearly made it 4-1 to Arsenal. He strode forward and fired a 25 yard shot on goal but Miete managed to deflect it up and over the crossbar.

55

Great skill by Arshavin. He shifted the ball from left to right but his shot was deflected out for a corner.

53

Great save by Carson. It was Bendtner who turned provider this time to set up Arshavin but his shot was beaten out by the Albion keeper.

51

Donk plays a long pass forward looking for Morrison but the ball runs out of play for a goal kick.

49

Morrison gets to the byline but Nasri had tracked but to rob the ball from him.

47

Robinson does well to safely chest the ball back to Carson from Arshavin's cross.

46
Substitution
 

Toure hasn't come out for the second half and is replaced by Diaby. Song has moved into central defence for Arsenal.

Second half
 

Moore and Fortune get the second half under way.

Half time
 

Half time: WEST BROM 1-3 ARSENAL: West Brom will be disappointed to be 3-1 down after playing some neat passing football. Unfortunately they haven't been able to beat the Gunners at their own game and will have to tighten up after the break.

44
Goal
 

WEST BROM 1-3 ARSENAL: BENDTNER finds room in the West Brom box to smash a half volley past Carson.

42
Yellow Card
 

Brunt goes into the book for unsporting behaviour.

42

West Brom players looked shell-shocked following Arsenal's second goal.

40

Zuiverloon does well to cut out a dangerous cross from Eboue.

38
Goal
 

WEST BROM 1-2 ARSENAL: The Gunners retake the lead thanks to a TOURE header from Arshavin's free-kick.

35

West Brom are playing some decent football. Can they up the tempo to take the lead?

32

Robinson stretches to flick a header goalwards but the ball sailed just over the Arsenal crossbar.

30
Yellow Card
 

Referee Steve Tanner books Koren for a late challenge on Bendtner.

29

Carson raced out of his area to hack the ball clear as Bendtner chased a through ball.

27

Brunt tried to lay the ball through to Moore but Sagna was on hand to intercept.

25

Arsenal are just starting to get their trademark passing game going and West Brom are chasing shadows a bit.

23

Arshavin showed a glimpse of his talent by dancing into the West Brom box and bending a shot just wide of the right hand post.

21

Fortune tried to use his pace against Toure but ran the ball out of play. West Brom are holding their own.

19

Carson flapped at a Eboue cross but there was no one there for Arsenal to take advantage of the England keeper's mistake.

17

Zuiverloon tees up Morrison in the Arsenal box but he fired well wide of the target.

15

Brunt played an inch perfect ball into the path of Koren but the West Brom midfielder was offside.

13

Good save by Almunia. It was Moore who tested the Arsenal keeper with a low shot.

11

Bendtner should have put Arsenal back in front. Eboue had a cross shot from outside the box but the Gunners striker blazed high over the West Brom goal.

9

West Brom have sprung into life since they scored their equaliser. Morrison surged down the left this time but was stopped by a last-ditch Sagna tackle.

7
Goal
 

WEST BROM 1-1 ARSENAL: West Brom are straight back in this one. It was BRUNT who lashed home a free kick.

4
Goal
 

WEST BROM 0-1 ARSENAL: BENDTNER drives into the West Brom box and bends a low shot into the bottom corner.

4

Sagna beats Robinson and plays a dangerous ball into the West Brom box looking for Bendtner.

3

Greening wins the ball from Song but the West Brom captain plays it straight back to the Arsenal midfielder.

1

Referee Steve Tanner gets the game under way.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

The teams are out at The Hawthorns. Can Arsenal get their league campaign back on track or will the Baggies secure a priceless home win?

Awaiting Kickoff
 

West Brom are in desperate need of a win in their battle to beat the drop. Arsenal will be hoping to capitalise on Stoke's late equaliser against fourth-placed Aston Villa on Sunday, as the Gunners go in search of a Champions League qualifying spot.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Eboue, Clichy, Song Billong, Djourou, Nasri, Denilson, Bendtner, Arshavin

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger must make do without defender William Gallas, who has an ankle injury. Johan Djourou is his replacement. Robin van Persie drops to the bench with Nicklas Bendtner starting up front for the Gunners.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

West Brom: Carson, Zuiverloon, Meite, Donk, Robinson, Morrison, Greening, Koren, Brunt, Moore, Fortune

Awaiting Kickoff
 

West Brom captain Jonathan Greening makes his first start for nearly six weeks after returning from injury. Luke Moore replaces the ineligible Jay Simpson in attack.