Arsenal vs. West Brom: Score and Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match

Arsenal halted their two-match losing streak in the Premier League on Boxing Day, beating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a late goal from Olivier Giroud.

West Brom closed up shop during the first half, limiting the Gunners to a few minor looks on goal. The match opened up slightly after the break, but the Baggies stood their ground until Giroud struck with a late header.

As the Gunners shared on their official Twitter account, manager Arsene Wenger opted to play Giroud in attack, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain missing out due to injury:

Our team once more to play @WBA: Cech, Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Gibbs, Coquelin, Xhaka, Alexis, Ozil, Iwobi, Giroud#AFCvWBA pic.twitter.com/VRT95oBhFc

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) December 26, 2016

Predictably, Arsenal saw much of the ball early on, with the Baggies sitting back and aiming for the counter-attack. Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin were very involved, and the former threatened with a driving shot that flew high of the mark.

Giroud and Alexis Sanchez put together a clever combination on the edge of the box, but the Frenchman failed to pick out the Chilean with his final pass. Sanchez caused chaos in the box whenever he got on the ball, but chances were rare.

West Brom mostly threatened through set pieces, but Chris Brunt’s deliveries weren’t on point. When one of his corner kicks did fall into a dangerous area, Petr Cech was there to deal with the pressure.

Before long, the Emirates Stadium …

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