Match Reports

Albion come from behind to stun Arsenal

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Welbeck, Mitoma and Lamptey goals seal superb 3-1 Carabao Cup win at the Emirates.

By Bruce Talbot • 09 November 2022

By Paul Hazlewood
High riser: Danny Welbeck gives Tariq Lamptey a lift as Albion celebrate their third goal.

Albion pulled off another statement win under Roberto De Zerbi after coming from behind to knock Premier League leaders Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup.

The Gunners had led through Eddie Nketiah midway through the first half but Danny Welbeck equalised from the penalty spot against his former club to open his account for the season.

Jason Steele made two crucial saves just after the break before Albion twice cut through the Arsenal defence to score through half-time substitute Kaoru Mitoma and Tariq Lamptey, whose previous Albion goal was just down the road at Tottenham in 2020.

The fourth round draw takes place on Thursday night with the ties to be played week beginning December 19.

By Paul Hazlewood
Team spirit: Albion players celebrate in front of 6500 Albion fans after Lamptey made it 3-1.

De Zerbi made eight changes to the side that won at Wolves on Saturday. Only Lewis Dunk, Solly March and Moises Caicedo kept their places with Jeremy Sarmiento and Billy Gilmour both making their first starts of the season.

Albion, backed by more than 6500 fans inside the Emirates made a confident start and could have gone ahead in the third minute.

By Paul Hazlewood
Tariq Lamptey roars with delight after making it 3-1 to Albion.

Welbeck’s close-range shot, after good work on the right by Jeremy Sarmiento, was deflected for a corner. Joel Veltman headed the set-piece back into the six-yard box but Enciso headed across the face of goal and wide. 

Sarmiento and Enciso both tried their luck from outside the box as Albion continued to dominate but Arsenal took a 20th-minute lead against the run of play. Reiss Nelson created it with a re fabulous run from the centre circle as Enciso’s appeals for a foul moments earlier were ignored. Nelson laid the ball off to Nketiah cutting in from the right and he opened up his body before curling a right-foot shot beyond Steele.

But Albion were level within six minutes. Solly March’s perfect pass sent Welbeck clear and as he rounded Hein the Arsenal keeper brought him down. Hein escaped with a yellow card, having slipped as he came out to challenge the striker. Welbeck stuck the penalty into the bottom corner, sending Hein the other way.

By Paul Hazlewood
Danny Welbeck takes the congratulations after scoring from the penalty spot.

Albion looked like the side who would score next during the following ten minutes before Arsenal rallied just before the break. Veltman and Colwill made important interceptions then Dunk got a vital block to send Mohamed Elneny’s effort over the bar.

Pascal Gross and Mitoma came on for March and Caicedo at the break and it was all hands to the pump in the opening stages of the second half.  

Steele made a superb save to preserve parity on 49 minutes, diving to his right to turn Nketiah’s powerful right-foot drive from the edge of the penalty area onto the inside of the post. Fortunately for Albion it bounced to safety.

The Albion keeper denied Arsenal again four minutes later, keeping a close-range header by Neilson out with a strong right hand before Sambi Lokonga fired inches wide as Arsenal dominated at the start of the second half.

By Paul Hazlewood
Jason Steele watches the ball go safely wide of the post.

How crucial those two saves were became evident when Mitoma put Albion in front on 58 minutes. A lot of credit should go to Sarmiento who drove forward from the inside-right channel and, as the defenders back off, he slipped a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Mitoma who curled a low, right-foot shot beyond Hein and into the far corner.

It got better. In the 70th minute Lamptey got away down the left and as Hein came out to block the defender slipped an angled shot under his dive to make it 3-1 before celebrating in front of the massed ranks of Albion fans, as Welbeck lifted him skywards.

The Emirates was stunned and although Arsenal had plenty of the ball in the remaining minutes Albion saw the game out relatively comfortably. All that was left was for De Zerbi, his staff and the players to enjoy another lengthy celebration moments after the final whistle in front of the Albion fans, something that has become a very pleasing habit in the last couple of weeks.

Albion: Steele, Lamptey, Veltman, Dunk (Webster 60), Colwill, March (Mitoma 45), Caicedo (Gross 45), Gilmour, Sarmiento (Undav 80), Enciso (Estupinan 76), Welbeck.

Subs: Sanchez, Ferguson, Turns, Moran.

Booked: Caicedo, Sarmiento.