Arsenal were off to a poor start in the new campaign after losing back-to-back games against Brentford and Chelsea. This midweek clash against West Bromwich Albion presented Mikel Arteta with the perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways.
The Spaniard fielded a relatively strong team. Aaron Ramsdale started in goal, making his debut for the Gunners. Martin Odegaard was also handed his first start after joining Arsenal on a permanent transfer.
Apart from the opening quarter of an hour, the visitors utterly dominated the game. They netted six past the Baggies, courtesy of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka, and Alexandre Lacazette. The north Londoners will face AFC Wimbledon in the third round of the EFL Cup.
Here are some talking points from the game:
1. Hat-trick hero Aubameyang
The club captain missed the opening game of the season after testing positive for Covid-19. He was also only able to come off the bench during the loss against Chelsea. However, he looked like he was on top of his game against the Midlands club.
It took only 17 minutes for the Gabon international to open the scoring. The ball fell kindly towards him in front of an open goal. He doubled the advantage just before half-time with a similar tap-in goal after Nicolas Pepe’s effort found the post. He completed his hat-trick around the hour mark with a spectacular curled-in shot from the edge of the 18-yard box.
The 32-year-old endured a tough campaign last season. He will be determined to carry this form going into the weekend as Arsenal take on the defending champions, Manchester City.
2. Ramsdale makes a solid debut
The former Bournemouth shot-stopper joined the Gunners for a reported fee in the region of £25million. He made a couple of fine saves to keep the clean sheet intact. His overall distribution was also good. During the opening stages of the games, he had to make some crucial interventions due to some poor passing from the defenders.
Fans have been skeptical about Ramsdale’s transfer. His performance against the Baggies shows why the north London club splashed out the cash for him. A clean sheet on his debut will do the youngster a world of good.
3. Saka with another scintillating performance
The England international was one of the few shining lights of Arsenal’s campaign last season. He looks to continue from where he left off.
Saka was tenacious down the left flank and linked up perfectly with Nuno Tavares. He played a slick one-two with Odegaard before slotting the ball past the keeper to open his scoring account of the season.
The 19-year-old will be an integral part of the team this year. Arsenal’s ambition of securing the top-four spot will hugely depend on the Englishman’s performances.
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