Arsenal 2-0 West Brom: Vote for Player Ratings/MOTM!

In a match in which Arsenal seemed bound and determined to highlight their reputation as long on style and short on substance, and in which West Brom seemed just as determined to confirm the reputation of Pulis-managed sides for physicality, it was set-pieces and penalties that made all the difference. Lacazette pounced on a well-saved free-kick from Alexis to make it 1-0. He then slotted home from the spot after Ramsey was barreled out of bounds. West Brom felt hard done by on a few non-calls that could have changed the complexion of the game, but the run of play was firmly if not always under Arsenal's control. After all the to-do about Gibbs's return to the Emirates, there's not much to say about his impact for good or for ill. Let's get down to the poll to rate the lads!

Kieran gives the kiss of death to Arsenal's "British Core"...

There was a time, not so long ago, when Kieran Gibbs might have been the left-back of choice for England and for Arsenal. It wasn't so far-fetched to think that he would eventually overtake Leighton Baines as the heir-apparent to none other than Ashley Cole for country if not club as well. Then, along came Nacho Monreal. Way back in January 2013, as the transfer-window was about to slam shut, Gibbs suffered an injury, and Monreal's signing—potentially set to happen in the summer window to follow—was pushed through. The significance of this sequence of events is brought into high contrast as West Brom, the club that finally agreed to take Gibbs off of Arsenal's hands, pays a visit to the Emirates on Monday.

Arsenal 1-0 West Brom: Giroud smashes Pulis's parked-bus!

West Brom enjoyed nearly 86 minutes of success, filling the box with as many defenders as could fit, and Ben Foster dilly-dallied all day long, but all of that success was shattered when Olivier Giroud, despite being mugged while doing so, headed over Foster from a beautiful cross from Özil. Foster had made some brilliant saves but couldn't quite get fingers to this one. Alexis was denied numerous times, once striking the woodwork, but all of the frustration from the last few weeks were forgotten. It wasn't pretty, but it's a vital three points as we look at a softer stretch of fixtures coming up. Check out the highlights below, and savor those points!

A batterin' for the Baggies on Boxing Day...

Saturday, December 9th, 1663. Samuel Pepys, a British diarist, parliamentarian, and naval administrator, wrote "Thence by coach to my shoemaker’s and paid all there, and gave something to the boys’ box against Christmas". What's that got to do with Arsenal? Other than the British military association, it sheds the slimmest sliver of light on Boxing Day. For those of us unfamiliar, Pepys is referring to a tradition in England that happens on the first weekday after Christmas when servants and other workers would receive a gift or tip in a box. The custom itself seems to date back to the Middle Ages; the tradition of Boxing Day football dates back to 1860.

Maybe it's time to ring up Pulis about ending Gnabry's loan...

Once we set aside the result itself and realize that losing to Sheffield Wednesday should do little to impede our momentum, we have to face a cold, hard reality that presented itself in two forms on Tuesday and looks likely to menace us going forward: our first-choice XI is quite good, but it's awfully slim pickin's after that. It looks like we'll be without Theo, Ramsey, and the Ox for a few weeks, one position in particular looks awfully thread-bare—that right wing. The only player currently in the squad who has anything remotely resembling Prem experience there is Joel Campbell. Why do I not feel a surge of confidence?

West Brom Preview: Pulis just keeps poppin' up...

Sigh. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be a thing of beauty, not this…this monstrosity. Three matches and two weeks ago, we were booking our best finish in a decade, offering a nifty bookend to winning our first bit of silverware in a decade a season ago. Instead, we’ve staggered and stumbled through our last three matches, dropping seven points from nine, and now have to settle for a third place finish—provided we can get at least a point from the Baggies.

Time to inflict a dirty Sanchez on a Pulis-less Palace...

I'm sorry, Crystal Palace. I genuinely am. I love that you not only earned promotion to the Prem last season, I love even more that you fought your way to 11th place. Normally, Gooners are supposed to heap scorn on Tony Pulis, what with his Neanderthalian tactics and all. However, I can't help but hang my head just a little now that he's gone. He seized your squad by the scruff and dragged it onward and upward, and I don't know if his replacement will be able to inject the same intensity or aggro that he brought. What's worse, we're set to unleash a weapon against whom you may not have had much of a defense even with Pulis calling the shots. This new weapon, he's cheeky. He's pacey. He's used to working in tight, clenched-up spaces. Of whom do I speak? Alexis, of course. I have a feeling that he's going to deliver a bit of dirty business.

Why not pluck this pugnacious player from under Pulis's nose?

We have unfinished business. Scores to settle. Teams to beat. Trophies to win. As I write, a Prem season full of promise is set to open little more than two days away. As we size up our opponents—and assess our needs—why not go after someone like Mile Jedinak? It may sound ludicrous, but would such a transfer make any more or less sense than, say, Kim Källström? His arrival and departure were largely unnoted and unheralded, but Jedinak, spine intact, might actually make a few vital contributions where we sorely need them. At a risk of looking past Palace and towards the rest of the Prem, we could use a physical presence in the midfield, and Jedinak, available at a pittance, could provide that.

Crystal Palace: a trip-wire akin to Aston Villa?

At long last, the season is upon us. Even after a summer filled with World Cup action, a trip to New York, the Emirates Cup, and the Community Shield, nothing quite scratches the itch like a proper Prem match. Come Saturday, finally, we'll have a clash on our hands. It comes through a visit from a down-on-its-luck squad hoping to bravely stave off relegation and stay up in the Prem. Following closely on the heels of this match is the two-leg Champions League qualifier with a Turkish club whose supporters defy social norms. It sounds a bit like the screenplay for last year's season opener, one that saw us lose rather infamously to Aston Villa at home on opening day. Replace Aston Villa with Crystal Palace and Fenerbahçe with Beşiktaş, and it sounds like a recipe for repeating last season's debacle.