West Brom vs Arsenal: The nightmare continues for Wenger
After defeats to Bayern Munich and Liverpool, the Gunners must face up to their manager's bogeyman, Tony Pulis
Fresh from the trauma of losing 10-2 to Bayern Munich and negotiating the minefield of an FA Cup tie against Lincoln, Arsenal return to the bread and butter of the Premier League with a visit to West Brom on Saturday. It's a game that should reveal a lot about how much damage the Gunners have sustained in the past five weeks.
Arsene Wenger's men haven't won a Premier League match for over a month, but then again they've only played one. That was against Liverpool two weeks ago and they lost it 3-1. Their other results since a victory over Hull in early February are two wins against non-league opposition and two massive defeats against a member of the European elite.
Now Arsenal must face West Brom, managed by Arsene Wenger's nemesis Tony Pulis. It's not a fixture the London club will relish and it's one they cannot afford to lose.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"An arch-aesthete and philosopher of the game, Wenger deplores teams who try to make the sport a physical battle and engage in what he sees as intimidating skullduggery," says Charlie Eccleshare of the Daily Telegraph. "Step forward Tony Pulis, an uncompromising Welshman who has forged a reputation for making up for his team's technical deficiencies with power and organisation.
Things do not augur well for the Gunners. "Arsenal's record away at Pulis teams is dreadful – played seven, won one, lost four – as if the micro-climate of Pulis-land is too inhospitable for Wenger's delicate sensibilities."
With results going against him and fans calling for his head, the Arsenal boss "probably feels as though he has been living a recurring nightmare over recent weeks", says Goal.com. "Wenger will be hoping to be woken with a start this weekend, but he could just as easily slip deeper into a world of cold sweats.
"Bogeymen are the last thing the beleaguered Gunners boss needs," says the website, but "Tony Pulis is the monster that lives under his bed".
Even victory wouldn't propel Arsenal back into the top four, and the price could be hugely significant for their manager's future and their chances of Champions League football next season.
Paul Merson of Sky Sports calls the fixture a "banana skin" and predicts a draw and so does Mark Lawrenson of the BBC. If that is the result then it could prove more significant than either the thrashings at the hands of Bayern or the wins over Sutton and Lincoln.
Betfair - new customer offer - bet £10 and get £10 in free bets
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Codeword: November 22, 2024
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: November 22, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Aston Martin Vanquish: 'the best Aston Martin full stop'?
The Week Recommends The third-generation Vanquish 'offers spectacular performance'
By The Week UK Published
-
The Premier League's spending cap: levelling the playing field?
Talking Point Top clubs oppose plans to link spending to income of lowest-earning club, but rule could prevent success gap from widening
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is a new English football regulator an own goal for the game?
Talking Point PM hails 'historic moment for football fans' but West Ham owner warns it could 'ruin' Premier League
By The Week UK Published
-
English football and the etiquette of leaving the stadium early
Talking Point The belief that 'true fans stay to the end' does not always apply
By The Week UK Published
-
2023-2024 Premier League predictions: champions, relegation and golden boot
feature A look at the top flight talking points and pundit picks for the new season
By Mike Starling Published
-
Man City: can ‘one of the best sides in history’ win the treble?
feature Guardiola’s Premier League champions have two more trophies in their sights
By The Week Staff Published
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictions
feature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham after ‘extraordinary’ rant at players
feature After another year without a trophy, Spurs are now searching for a new manager
By The Week Staff Published
-
Liverpool 7 Man Utd 0: ‘welcome to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0’
feature Anfield’s ‘new front three’ were on fire in the humbling of their bitter rivals
By Mike Starling Published