Albion keeper Maty Ryan has praised the individual quality of today’s visitors Arsenal, but believes there is an argument to say that playing earlier on in the week might count against Mikel Arteta’s side.
The Gunners restarted their Premier League campaign on Wednesday night with a 3-0 defeat at Manchester City, with defenders Pablo Mari injured and David Luiz picking up a red card.
“You could argue it benefits Arsenal to have already played a game, but you could also argue that they got an injury and a suspension on Wednesday night, so some people may think it wasn't an advantage to play that match,” Ryan said.
“We have already proven that we can get a result against them this season. In the past we have also had a win against them at home in a previous season, so we will take confidence from that.
“I think the break has done us a world of good in terms of trying to reset and refresh mentally. We were in a little bit of a slump form and results wise, but that has come to an end now.
“We have hit the restart button and I have noticed a difference around the group, around training and then around matches we have played up until now in practice and training matches. We’re working hard to make sure that helps us get some positive results in the matches going forward, doing what needs to be done to maintain our Premier League status for next season.”
The Emirates based outfit boast a number of high profile players in their squad, including the likes of Gabon international Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and former Real Madrid man Mesut Özil.
Ryan says that his teammates have got to be ready to face Arteta's men this weekend, and make sure they play to their strengths when in possession.
“They have got a number of quality individuals in the team and a lot of flair that we have to be on our toes for," he added. "You don’t want to play an open style game against them because those sorts of players have raw skill and pace to really hurt you, so we want to make sure we stick to our game plan and put them under pressure.
"But it's all been going well in preparation and on Saturday now we'll look to showcase it to everyone.”