West Brom too short on motivation to withhold 10/11 visitors Arsenal

West Brom and Arsenal come into their Saturday clash with somewhat differing levels of motivation. The Baggies recent flurry of three wins in four matches ended last month with survival ensured, yet with European competition out of reach it seems that may lack fire in the collective belly for the water-treading exercise which the rest of the season constitutes.

Their guests on the other hand, have a Champions League spot and North London bragging rights to play for. Arsenal are 11/10 to continue a run of four wins in their last five league games, with West Brom 3/1 outsiders on home turf and the draw 12/5.

The Gunners have visited The Hawthorns in March or later in four of the last five seasons and on each occasion fans have served up a banquet of goals with over 3.5 goals scored on each occasion. Coral bet a healthy 7/4 about that barrier being breached once more.

It was the visitors who came out on top on three of those four occasions and each time they had to notch three times to do so. Over 2.5 Arsenal goals is 11/4 with Coral.

The Gunners recent renaissance has been mirrored in the goalscoring from of Ivorian striker Yao Gervinho who has struck in their last two outings. The mercurial forward has a knack for scoring goals at important times, notching first or last in six of the eight games in which he’s found the net this term.  Coral go 6/1 about either eventuality in Saturday’s game.

Underpinning the exploits of the Gunners’ occasionally misfiring front line is a defence that continues to be more cohesive than their supporters frustrations give it credit for. Five clean sheets in their last nine games illustrates their miserliness and during that spell the only team to muster more than one against them was Bayern Munich. That they allow their hosts less than 1.5 goals can be backed at 7/20 with Coral.