EYEWITNESS: Arsenal 2 West Brom 3, Premier League

EMIRATES CUP: ARSENAL 2 WEST BROM 3

EYEWITNESS REPORT from the EMIRATES STADIUM

By RICHARD OSLEY

OH my. This is why we love football.. but also why we hate it.

We want the 17-1 away wins to come in, the shocks and surprises. We don't want it to sting our own teams. And Arsenal were well and truly stung here this afternoon. Deservedly. West Brom, organised under Roberto Di Matteo to look like a team capable of avoiding relegation, stuck to a gameplan, pressing the Gunners high up the field and breaking with pace on the counter attack. In response, Arsenal helped author their own downfall with defensive lapses and goalkeeper bungling.

The warning signs should have been there when late in the firtst half West Brom missed a penalty. It was saved, actually. Manuel Almunia foiling Chris Brunt. Instead of jumping into life at the shock of almost going behind, the Gunners shunted into reverse. Almunia had another one of his dozy-faced afternoon. He couldn't do much about the opener. Peter Odemwingie's sliding finish from six yards was manufactured by Jerome Thomas taking advantage of Bacary Sagna's uncharacterisic sleepiness.

But goals two and three had the Almunia's fingerprints looming large. Gonzalo Jara's shot should have been safely parried. Instead, it spun off Almunia's palms and into the net for 2-0. His lack of confidence showed for the third. Out of position and indecisive, he embarked on a deluded walkabout around his area, failing to win the ball amid the passing and giving West Brom the opening for Thomas to bag a third.

The momentum for a Gunners comeback was shot. Samir Nasri - the man who looked like the biggest believer in the impossible - netted twice in the last 15 minutes and Arshavin and Rosicky both had injury time shots that would have stolen a draw but there was a lack of composure in the response. There was panic.

At 2-0 down with over half an hour to go against West Brom, you might expect a team which wants to win the league to rally. The best Manchester United teams have done that in the history of the Premiership, salvaging points when seemingly dead and buried. Chelsea are capable of doing that too. Arsenal brought on the reinforcements but too few of them seemed to believe the Baggies could be pegged back. Crosses became hopeful rather than penetrating.

MANUEL ALMUNIA 3 Saved penalty he conceded. Downhill from there.

BACARY SAGNA 4 Possibly worst match in an Arsenal shirt. Sleepy.

GAEL CLICHY 4 Looking more and more vulnerable. Caught on second goal.

SEBASTIAN SQULLIACI 6 Generally solid - the weaknesses were to his left and right.

LAURENT KOSCEILNY 6 Still learning but not to blame. (Vela 66)

ALEX SONG 8 Good engine, tried in vain to kick start a comeback

SAMIR NASRI 8 Best player by a mile.

ABOU DIABY 5 Ineffectual. (Wilshere 56)

EMMANUEL EBOUE 4 Contributed little. (Rosicky 56)

ANDREY ARSHAVIN 5 Match passed him by. Arsenal needed more from him.

MAROAUNE CHAMAKH 5 Poor. Lacked control and composure at key moments,

SUBS

JACK WILSHERE 7 Frustrated by wall of stripes.

CARLOS VELA 5 Quickly ran out of ideas.

THOMAS ROSICKY 6 Strangely panicked performance.

Not used: Fabianski, Denilson, Emmanuel-Thomas, Djourou

ARSENAL MAN OF THE MATCH: SAMIR NASRI