Gunners thrash West Brom 4-0

BIRMINGHAM, Jan 3: A rare Kieran Tierney goal, a superb team effort finished by Bukayo Saka and a brace from Alexandre Lacazette gave Arsenal their third Premier League win in a row as they beat West Bromwich Albion 4-0 in snowy conditions on Saturday.
Fullback Tierney cut in from the left and curled home his second goal for Arsenal in the 23rd minute, then Saka combined brilliantly with Lacazette and Emile Smith-Rowe before tapping home a simple second for the visitors five minutes later.
West Brom had an early second-half strike ruled out for offside before Lacazette blasted two goals in five second-half minutes as the Baggies’ woeful defence, which with 39 goals conceded is the leakiest in the league, fell apart once again.
Sam Allardyce has relished jabbing at the fragilities of Arsenal teams down the years and must have been rubbing his hands before kick-off, and not just to keep warm.
Heavy snow around the Hawthorns put a bracing new twist on the wet-and-windy-night-in-Stoke maxim, and although the pitch was cleared by the time the match began, Allardyce no doubt urged his side to test how much Arsenal fancied going into battle on a freezing night when even the air felt like it had fangs.
The visitors took it all in their stride, outclassing West Brom, who have conceded 17 goals in their last four home matches.
Allardyce was brought in last month to guide this team to survival but has yet to find a way to stop them bleeding goals.
The win lifts Arsenal to 11th place in the table on 23 points, six points off the European places.
West Brom remain second from bottom with eight points after 17 games. (Agencies)