West Brom vs Arsenal is live in 170+ countries on January 2, 2021: here's how to watch it

January 2, 2021 By Ali M.

Topics: TV Schedules, West Brom, Arsenal, English Premier League

The Gunners have the chance of moving within three points of fifth-placed Chelsea but must first beat the Hawthorns. Here's our preview of West Brom vs Arsenal.

Preview – Arsenal vs West Brom

Arsenal are preparing for their first game of 2021, taking on West Brom at the Hawthorns for the 3:00 PM kick-off. The Gunners head into this game on the back of commendable form, something that could not be said about the north London giants in the Premier League for far too long.

Arteta's men ended their horrific winless run two games back when they beat Chelsea 3-1, their first Premier League win since beating Man United 1-0 in early November. However, everyone immediately began wondering whether this was a fluke or a turnaround in form, with all eyes turning to their trip to Brighton over the midweek.

Fortunately, the Gunners picked up a second consecutive win, their first back-to-back triumphs since beating Fulham and West Ham in the opening two rounds of the season. It wasn't a brilliant display from Arteta's men. They resorted to their old ways in the first half at the Amex, with sideways passing dominating. They picked up the pace after the break and exhibited a more direct-style of attack, which lead to their one and only goal of the game courtesy of Alexandre Lacazette.

Arsenal struggled to create in the 1-0 triumph over Graham Potter's men, which has fans concerned about the West Brom clash. Considering that Sam Allardyce is now in charge of the Hawthorns, the Gunners can expect the home side to sit deep in an attempt to frustrate Aubameyang and Co. The question is whether the visitors can play their way through a low block.

Another reason why this game is crucial is the fact that Arteta's men could climb up the table once again and move closer to the top six. Interestingly, despite spending weeks near the relegation zone, Arsenal are now only six points behind fifth-placed Chelsea. This is important because Lampard's men will be taking on Man City this weekend, which means Aubameyang and Co. could move within three points of their London rivals should the Blues lose to Guardiola's side.

As for West Brom, they head into this game on the back of a horrible 5-0 defeat against Leeds. The Hawthorns recently picked up a 1-1 draw at Anfield, which not many clubs have been able to achieve over the past few seasons, but their record under Allardyce so far hasn't been impressive – mind you, they are only three games into his reign. Since taking over, the relegation-battling side have picked up only one point and have conceded a whopping nine times, thus averaging at three goals per game. Can they end this horrible run when they visit the Emirates? Tune in to find out.

Team news

West Brom: Kieran Gibbs is a doubt for this game, meaning the fullback may miss out on this clash against his former team. Jake Livermore is suspended and thus sits this one out but Filip Krovinovic, Matheus Pereira, and Branislav Ivanovic could return to the mix for Saturday's clash.

Arsenal: Bukayo Saka limped off in the 1-0 win over Brighton after single-handedly setting up the one and only goal but appears fit to feature in this fixture. Furthermore, David Luiz and Willian are both back and fit after recovering from illness, but it remains uncertain whether they will start or merely warm the bench. Thomas Partey is not ready to make his return while Gabriel continues to quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.

Key stats

Arsenal haven't won any of their last three trips to West Brom (D1, L2).
The Gunners have failed to win five of their last six clashes against newly-promoted sides.
The north London giants have lost only two opening Premier League games of the calendar year (W11, D6).