Barry’s landmark is marred by Lacazette
ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE’S first double in English football continued Arsenal’s excellent home form as they beat West Brom at the Emirates Stadium.
On an evening when Alexis Sanchez, widely expected to leave at the season’s end when his contract expires, made his first league start since his attempt to join rivals Manchester City, Lacazette continued to justify his club-record transfer fee.
Spoiling the occasion of Gareth Barry’s record 633rd Premier League appearance, his two goals also ensured a continuation of Arsenal’s 100 per cent record at the Emirates so far this season and wider run of eight consecutive home league wins.
In only the fifth minute, having been brought down by Craig Dawson on the edge of the area, Sanchez bent a free-kick just wide of the right post.
The visitors swiftly responded when a classy through-ball from Barry sent Jay Rodriguez into space on the left. The forward was unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty when brought down by Shkodran Mustafi’s cumbersome challenge.
Jonny Evans, among Wenger’s summer transfer targets, conceded a 20th-minute free-kick that produced their opening goal.
Ben Foster tipped Sanchez’s curling effort away, but with the goalkeeper on the floor, Lacazette was the quickest to respond and instinctively headed low into the near open goal.
In the 67th minute, Allan Nyom clumsily brought down Aaron Ramsey inside the area and, Lacazette stepped up to finish into the bottom-right corner beyond the diving Foster. REUNIONS will be plentiful at the Riverside Stadium this evening.
The game sees Norwich duo Yanic Wildschut and James Husband make their return to their former club, while Middlesbrough midfielder Jonny Howson lines up against his former employers for the first time since his £5m summer move.
Fondly remembered by Canaries fans following a distinguished spell in Norfolk, Howson – who produced his best performance of the season so far for Boro in their 1-1 weekend draw at Fulham – is focusing on business and not sentiment this evening as he aims to back up Saturday’s positive display for Garry Monk’s side.
Howson said: “It was a good point and, with two home games coming, we have to follow it up.
“We played well in patches and in others it could have been better. But, on the other hand, we showed great character to respond in the way we did.
“With that character and the quality we have in the squad, there is a positive outlook ahead.”
Boro, who welcome Adam Traore back into the fold after a three-match ban, have not quite been firing on all cylinders on their second-tier return.
But Monk is confident that there is plenty more to come and after a coming-of-age moment in his tenure at former club Leeds United last autumn against the Canaries, he will be eyeing another catalyst this evening. DONCASTER Rovers’ manager Darren Ferguson believes that his decision to drop John Marquis to the bench for last week’s glamour cup tie at Arsenal yielded a timely response.
After a stellar 2016-17 that saw him become the first Rovers player to score 20 league goals in a campaign in 40 years, Marquis’s start to this season has been rather inhibited, prompting Ferguson’s decision to start him from the bench at the Emirates.
It triggered the right response with Marquis netting in Saturday’s 3-0 win at Plymouth in a far more assertive display.
Ferguson said: “I think he needed the whole week really in being left out of the game for Arsenal and it was just a little reminder.