BIG SAM’S TIME IS UP
Allardyce finally relegated as Arteta is given a boost
FOR Mikel Arteta it was a game that proved that Arsenal could just about beat the also-rans. For Sam Allardyce, it was a game too far.
Ironically, it is Arteta who is the bookies’ favourite to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job and not Allardyce, whose team were relegated thanks toWest Brom’s 19th defeat of a dismal season.
Arteta’s team kept their slim hopes of playing European football next season alive with a result which left them five points off the Europa League places with three games left and four points off a Europa Conference League place.
Allardyce, never before relegated from the Premier League as a manager, finally succumbed to the drop with his eighth top-flight club.
He had said he would think about his position if the worst happened and is due to meet the board for talks this week.
Arteta, meanwhile, is the man apparently set to stay until next season despite this deeply unimpressive campaign. The Gunners had their youngsters to thank, as Emile Smith Rowe, 20, gave them the lead after superb work from Bukayo Saka, 19, and Nicolas Pepe added a second, before a brilliant strike from Matheus Pereira caused nerves to flutter. Willian’s late free-kick gave a mediocre performance an undeserved touch of gloss.
West Brom fought all the way. Pereira almost gave them the lead when he curled a lovely drive an inch over, then Callum Robinson hit the bar but was ruled offside.
For the first 25 minutes, Arteta’s side barely laid a glove on Allardyce’s team. But then Saka, with his lightning pace, started to get going.
He burst forward, pulled the ball back and there was Smith Rowe running in to volley home his first Premier League goal.
Six minutes later Pepe, left, picked up the ball from Callum Chambers, stepped inside and curled a glorious shot into the far corner.
But this is Arsenal – and Pereira stunned them when the Brazilian picked the ball up inside his own half, raced through the middle as the home defence retreated and stroked home a quite brilliant goal. Suddenly, hopes were raised.
From Matt Phillips’ cross West Brom thought they had saved themselves – temporarily – but Darnell Furlong’s header was an inch wide.
In the 90th minute, Willian stepped up to curl his free-kick past Sam Johnstone for his first Gunners goal.
ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Leno 7; Chambers 7, Holding 7, Gabriel 7, Saka 8; Elneny 7, Ceballos 7 (Partey 76, 6); Pepe 7, Smith Rowe 7 (Tierney 63, 6), Willian 7; Martinelli 6 (Lacazette 60, 6). Goals: Smith Rowe 29, Pepe 35, Willian 90.
WEST BROM (4-4-1-1): Johnstone 7; Furlong 6, Ajayi 6, Bartley 6, Townsend 6; Phillips 6, Yokuslu 6, Gallagher 7, Robinson 6 (Diangana 67, 6); Pereira 7; Diagne 6 (Robson-Kanu 56, 6). Goal: Pereira 67.