Match Preview
West Brom v Arsenal
Arsenal are likely to be without Swedish midfielder Freddie Ljungberg for their Boxing Day clash with West Brom.
Ljungberg is suffering from a heavy cold and is doubtful for the trip to The Hawthorns, as is Ray Parlour due to a calf injury.
The Premiership champions are already likely to be without captain Patrick Vieira, who has missed the last two games with a groin injury, but boss Arsene Wenger has not ruled him out.
Dennis Bergkamp is hoping to shake off a knee problem but Edu (groin) remains a doubt.
West Brom will be without central defender Phil Gilchrist for a sixth successive match.
Gilchrist is not recovering as quickly as anticipated from an ankle problem although a visit to the specialist has confirmed no serious damage and he could soon return to training after having a second injection.
Adam Chambers could be pushing to take over from Igor Balis at wing-back after replacing him immediately after Sunderland's second goal in Saturday's 2-2 draw at The Hawthorns.
HEAD TO HEAD NOTES
Seven goals were scored in the reverse fixture in August. The Gunners got off to a brilliant start in the first hour with Ashley Cole, Lauren and Sylvain Wiltord all scoring. Arsenal then gifted Scott Dobie a goal. Martin Keown escaped a red card. Wiltord scored his second, Jason Roberts got another back with three minutes remaining and sub Jeremie Aliadiere established the three goal victory for the Highbury club with a fifth in stoppage time.
This is the first meeting of these two at the Hawthorns for 17 years.
The last two First Division games there and three of the last four were drawn.
Arsenal have won five of their last ten visits to the Birmingham concern - drawing the other five.
The Baggies' only victory in 14 home League meetings with the Gunners over 33 years was 1-0 in the top flight on 28 February, 1973.
West Brom's biggest win in this corresponding fixture was 7-0 on 14 October, 1922. Arsenal's biggest win in a League match at West Brom was 0-3 on 30 January, 1935. Both matches were in the old League - Division One.
No player has ever been sent off in this corresponding fixture.
The last player to bag a hat trick in League fixtures between these clubs was Malcolm MacDonald. The Gunners' favourite scored three of their goals in the 4-0 top flight win at Highbury at 25 March, 1978.
Arsenal could complete their first 'double' over West Brom in 24 seasons and 12th over the Baggies since League conflict commenced in 1902.
Teams:
West Brom (from) : Hoult, Sigurdsson, Moore, Gregan, Balis, Koumas, McInnes, Johnson, Clement, Roberts, Dichio, Murphy, Wallwork, Dobie, Hughes, A Chambers, J Chambers.
Arsenal (from) : Seaman, Lauren, Campbell, Keown, Cole, Wiltord, Parlour, van Bronckhorst, Gilberto, Ljungberg, Pires, Henry, Kanu, Jeffers, Luzhny, Upson, Toure, Shaaban, Bergkamp.
Referee: Graham Poll
Graham Poll was a mere whipper-snapper when he joined the Premier League list back in 1993, but even now, at 39, the vastly experienced Poll isn't one of the League's oldest officials.
The self-employed sales consultant began refereeing in 1980, joining the football league list in 1991 and gaining FIFA approval in 1996. His career highlights include the 1998 Charity Shield and 2000/01's FA Cup final.
Having been made an official FIFA referee, Poll was also in charge of a handful of Euro 2000 matches and officiated between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the Champions League final of the same year.
Poll was the most used official in the 2001/02 Premiership season with 24 games, but only brandished an average of 2.7 yellow cards. He did, however, brandish 5 reds.
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