Kaoru Mitoma and Evan Ferguson scored second-half goals but Albion ended what has been a terrific 2022 with defeat to the Premier League pacesetters on a hugely entertaining night at the Amex.
We made the worst possible start, conceding the first goal after 71 seconds to Bukayo Saka. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard doubled their lead with a deflected shot seven minutes before the break and when Eddie Nketiah made it 3-0 two minutes into the second half it looked like being a very long night.
But Mitoma pulled one back with his first goal at the Amex – a tidy finish midway through the second half - and although Martinelli got a second on the break substitute Evan Ferguson made it 4-2 with his first Premier League goal and Mitoma thought he’d scored a second in the final minute only to be denied by VAR.
Albion had kept going but with a core of experienced players – Adam Webster, Danny Welbeck, Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister – all absent a hard task had been made even tougher against an Arsenal side who, apart from a sloppy last 20 minutes, looked pretty good. They go into the new year with an ominous seven-point lead at the top.
It has still been a brilliant 12 months for Albion and there’s a quick opportunity to start 2023 in a positive way when we travel to Everton on Tuesday when Caicedo will be available after suspension.
Roberto De Zerbi made two changes to the side which beat Southampton 3-1 on Boxing Day. Billy Gilmour made his first Premier League start and Tariq Lamptey replaced Joel Veltman.
The leaders were in front after just 71 seconds, after Saka exploited some poor defending. Lamptey brought the ball out of defence but was dispossessed by Thomas Partey. Odegaard switched play to the left where Martinelli’s attempt to find the far corner took a deflection off Lewis Dunk and Levi Colwill and Saka swept the loose ball past Rob Sanchez.
Albion were cut open again in the fourth minute when Martinelli’s pass picked out Oleksandr Zinchenko eight yards out but Sanchez stood tall to block his right-foot shot.
Manchester City’s concession of two points at home to Everton earlier in the day had clearly galvanised their title rivals as they put Albion under sustained early pressure. Nketiah was next to threaten with a shot on the turn that drifted wide.
Albion gradually settled and forced Aaron Ramsdale into a good save on 16 minutes. Lamptey pulled the ball back from the right to Adam Lallana and his cushioned pass found Solly March whose curling effort was pushed past the post by the Arsenal keeper. From the corner taken by Pascal Gross, William Saliba had to head the ball off the line.
Albion fans were on their feet again when Mitoma ran from just outside his own box deep into Arsenal territory but his pass to Leandro Trossard was overhit. At the other end some quick passing created an opening for Odegaard who slipped the ball past Sanchez, but Colwill managed to clear the ball.
The Gunners were a threat every time they crossed the halfway line. Partey tried to find the top corner after Sanchez punched a corner away but a deflection took it wide before Albion responded through Trossard, who forced Ramsdale to turn his shot over the bar.
It had been a breathless first half hour with some excellent individual duels adding to the excitement. Lamptey v Martinelli on Albion’s right was turning into a terrific battle with Lamptey warming to his task. One challenge which blocked the Brazilian’s drive from the D was lapped up by the North Standers.
But their mood changed on 39 minutes when Arsenal somewhat fortuitously doubled their lead. Albion cleared a corner to Odegaard whose shot from 15 yards took a big deflection off Lallana and looped beyond Sanchez into the top right-hand corner. Albion had a mountain to climb and their task was made even harder with the concession of a third two minutes after the break.
Martinelli made ground down the left and cut inside before firing a low shot which was too powerful for Sanchez to hold onto and Nketiah reacted quickest to slide the loose ball into the empty net.
De Zerbi brought on Jeremy Sarmiento and Evan Ferguson for Lallana and Trossard and they pulled a goal back in the 64th minute. Gilmour broke the lines with a lovely pass to Gross who helped it onto Mitoma. The Japanese international timed his run perfectly and slid a right-foot shot past Ramsdale to make it 3-1.
The Amex crowd found their voice but they were silenced by a fourth Arsenal goal in the 71st minute. Odegaard’s brilliant long-range pass set up a foot race between Martinelli and Lamptey, which the Brazilian won – just – before poking the ball through Sanchez’s legs.
Back came Albion to make it 4-2 seven minutes later. Lewis Dunk’s long pass down the centre picked out Ferguson’s run and he outmuscled William Saliba before poking the ball through Ramsdale’s legs.
Albion kept going and with three minutes left they thought they had a third when Gross’ pass found Mitoma who threaded a low shot into the bottom corner, but VAR ruled Mitoma had strayed a few inches offside in the build-up.
Dunk headed Gross’s corner in stoppage time and both sides got a standing ovation at the end of a thoroughly entertaining game.
Albion: Sanchez, Lamptey, Dunk, Colwill, Estupinan, Gilmour, Lallana (Sarmiento 59), March (Enciso 76), Gross, Mitoma, Trossard (Ferguson 59). Subs not used: Steele, van Hecke, Veltman, Turns, Moran, Hinshelwood.
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Attendance: 31,647