West Brom v Arsenal predictions: free betting tips and where to watch

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for West Brom v Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 8pm Saturday

Best bet

Draw
1pt 16-5 Betfair, Betway

Team news

West Brom
Jake Livermore is banned. Kyle Bartley is fit but Conor Townsend, Kieran Gibbs and Hal Robson-Kanu are doubts.

Arsenal
Bakayo Saka is fit after a knock. Willian and David Luiz are also available. Thomas Partey and Gabriel are out.

Match preview

Sam Allardyce claimed Arsenal were one of West Brom's relegation rivals when he was installed at The Hawthorns and his side may be able to match the Gunners to collect a valuable point.

West Brom have lost seven of their last ten matches yet, remarkably, two of those they didn't lose were at Manchester City and Liverpool. Battered as they were, they managed 1-1 draws on each occasion.

The Baggies – under Slaven Bilic at City and Big Sam at Anfield - raised their game, producing efforts which contrasted enormously to the home displays against Palace, Villa and Leeds which yielded 5-1, 3-0 and 5-0 defeats respectively.

Clearly able to roll up their sleeves against the last two Premier League champions, maybe Allardyce's much-maligned men will feel equally inspired against Arsenal, a team with a big-six reputation currently floundering with a bottom-eight position.

Bearing in mind that West Brom have also managed to draw against Chelsea this season they aren't completely out of their depth even if their prospects look fairly bleak. Another draw against a so-called big boy might just be possible.

There's a view that Arsenal are back on the up but that looks a premature conclusion to draw from a well-deserved 3-1 win against Chelsea and a 1-0 success at Brighton.

They are perhaps heading in the right direction, but there's still little about them as a side and nothing about this season's Premier League to suggest they merit a punt at such short odds.

West Brom boast the worst defence in the top division with 35 goals conceded and, unsurprisingly, the worst home defensive record with 20 goals leaked in eight matches. Their capitulation against Leeds on Tuesday was simply appalling.

But since winning 3-0 at Fulham, Arteta's Gunners have played seven more road games in the league, failed to score in three of those and have not scored more than once in the other four.

With 16 goals scored in 16 matches and up against a defence which will have been reorganised and well-drilled by Allardyce, Arsenal may not find it that easy.

Alexandre Lacazette has scored in each of his last three games, one a penalty, but he doesn't look supremely sharp and youngsters Bakayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe are full of promise but don't come with guarantees.

Key stat

Arsenal have averaged exactly one goal per league game.

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