Gervinho’s recent resurgence, I am intrigued to know how he starts the game. An in form Gerv is a very useful player, not just for himself but for the team. He drags defenders around and will make space for the best player in our team, Santi Cazorla who is likely to be drifting in from the left to add extra creativity. I have read plenty of people wanting Oxlade-Chamberlain to start ahead of Gervinho and after his good display at Swansea I can understand that but the reason for Gervinho’s inclusion is because Arsene wants one of his wide forwards to play as a part time striker. Look at the moves that both Theo Walcott and then Gervinho made last week. Oxlade-Chamberlain

I have been feeling good about this game all week but typically as the game comes into view, the nerves and doubts start swelling my head.

It is squeaky booty time and bad results are simply not an option if you want to finish in the places that count. That said it seems highly unlikely that any of the four clubs realistically chasing a top four position will complete this season without dropping points along the way. Even more so when you consider that all the other clubs have to play each other.

I don’t think I have been as nervous during a game than I was at the end of last season, the game today won’t feel like that but I’d gladly take the end result, in both match day result and league table finish.

Our injury situation as it has been all season is pretty normal and by normal I mean for a normal club. I am not used to Arsenal having pretty much the same pool of players to select from every week. Shame this didn’t happen when we were more competitive but hey ho, such is life.

Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott are pretty much fit but the boss wants to hold them back a little further. I think that is a good move considering how the team gelled last weekend. Bringing someone like Jack back even though a better player than certain players in the side may disrupt that team dynamic. Monreal is back from his goal post hitting frolics against Reading, so I imagine that the same team will be played for the second consecutive match.

After Gervinho’s recent resurgence, I am intrigued to know how he starts the game. An in form Gerv is a very useful player, not just for himself but for the team. He drags defenders around and will make space for the best player in our team, Santi Cazorla who is likely to be drifting in from the left to add extra creativity, to a midfield trio who looked lovely last match.

I have read plenty of people wanting Oxlade-Chamberlain to start ahead of Gervinho and after his good display at Swansea I can understand that but the reason for Gervinho’s inclusion is because Arsene wants one of his wide forwards to play as a part time striker. Look at the moves that both Theo Walcott and then Gervinho made last week. Oxlade-Chamberlain would be more of a Santi replacement. A player who can tuck inside and assist the three central midfielder’s we have. So while it seems as if Gervinho replaced the Ox, it was in fact Rosicky who pushed Santi Cazorla back into Chamberlain’s position on the left.

Mean Lean’s Predicted Line Up:

Hopefully we can show the same confidence in our passing as we displayed against the Royals last weekend, there is no doubt that this opposition will be more difficult to break down but if we can move the ball around quickly then we can.

Steve Clarke being a defensive minded kinda guy, I would expect West Brom to maintain a solid defensive shape and attempt to nullify our passing game. They will be looking to catch us on the break and make full use of set pieces. Romelu Lukaku will be a handful as ever and it will be interesting to know how we deal with his power. A number of teams have not managed to do so as yet. But a number of teams do not have Koscielny. Oh yeah!

This is very much the type of fixture that an out of sorts Arsenal could drop points at but luckily we are not an out of sorts team. We are playing with confidence and more importantly perhaps, fight. I suspect that this will be a game of many duels and we will need to put in the yards to put the baggies under pressure.

I just hope we start the game quickly and lock them in their half of the pitch whilst dealing with what is likely to be their out ball, Lukaku who seems a little too classy in person to be associated with Chelsea, ah well, maybe he will see sense one day.

With Chelsea and Tottenham not playing today it is a good opportunity to assert some psychological pressure and jump into the top four at Chelsea’s expense whilst tapping the Spuds on the shoulder with the gap slashed to a point difference.

Make it happen you beautiful Gunners.