WEST BROM have been relegated from the Premier League after losing 3-1 at Arsenal.
Sam Allardyce has now been relegated from the top flight for the first time as a manager.
Emile Smith Rowe, Nicolas Pepe and Willian – opening his Gunners account – scored for Arsenal.
Follow all of the latest updates below…
GOODNIGHT
West Bromwich Albion are down. Arsenal are out (of the Europa League).
But both sides can at least hold their heads up, if not high, after an entertaining encounter at the Emirates.
The Baggies threatened and fought hard, but – not for the first time – were let down by their finishing.
The Gunners, on the other hand, were ruthless in attack and scored three lovely goals through Emile Smith Rowe, Nicolas Pepe and – no joke – Willian.
So it’s two down and one to go in the Premier League. Fulham will join Sheffield United and Albion in the Championship if they lose at home to Burnley tomorrow.
Until then, however, kick back with Mark Irwin’s match report from the Emirates and relive the drama that sealed West Brom’s latest relegation.
ARTETA REACTION
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta cut a relieved figure following his side’s 3-1 win over West Bromwich Albion. Speaking after the game, the Spaniard admitted that tonight’s success was the perfect way to deal with the heartache suffered by those at the club in midweek.
It’s always the best possible remedy to the pain that we have: to win a game and to score three beautiful goals.
Mikel Arteta
FLAT SAM
A clearly disappointed Sam Allardyce has been speaking following the first Premier League relegation of his career, praising his players for the endeavour they showed tonight. However, the West Brom manager failed to comment on whether he would still be at the club next season.
We took the game to Arsenal because we had to, but failed to find the right ball, cross or finish, and then in five minutes of sloppiness, they showed their quality of finishing that we couldn’t find. In the second half, we came out fighting but our major problem is finding the right opportunities in the final third.
It hasn’t sunk in yet, but I’ll probably wake up tomorrow and realise the situation. It’s bitterly disappointing we’re not still in the fight. I’m not saying we would have avoided relegation, but we should have been closer to avoiding it in the final three games.
Our time came and our time has passed. Our real problem was not beating the bottom six when we came up against them. Beating Chelsea, and drawing with Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool should have been bonus points.
[Staying on is] too early to consider or even talk about. When the time is right, we’ll talk about what’s going to happen next season. Tonight is about saying to the lads that they gave their all, and they should have a couple of days off, and then we’ll focus on Liverpool at the weekend.
Sam Allardyce
CHEEKY LIKE THE WOLVES
As West Bromwich Albion’s relegation was being confirmed, the Twitter account of their Black Country rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers was picking that exact moment to post this image of Morgan Gibbs-White, who scored his first Premier League goal against Brighton earlier today.
Must have been a coincidence.
ALBION DOWN AND OUT
Relegation from the Premier League? West Brom know all about that.
Their manager, on the other hand, is experiencing it for the first time.
FULL TIME STATS
Arsenal’s seven shots on target tonight is the second-most they’ve managed in a Premier League match this season.
The most? The 12 they registered in the 4-0 win at West Brom in January.
They’re going to miss playing them.
FT: ARSENAL 3-1 WEST BROM
West Brom are beaten in London, and their immediate return to the Championship is confirmed. Albion gave it a go in the second half, and Matheus Pereira halved the half-time deficit with a superb solo goal, but Willian’s free-kick in the final minute – his first Arsenal goal – condemned the Baggies to the drop.
PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
THE FINAL WHISTLE GOES!
WEST BROM ARE RELEGATED!ARSENAL 3-1 WBA
90+2. Into five minutes of additional time, and while West Brom haven’t given up, they know their time in the Premier League is almost over.
Pereira looks for his second as he connects with a cross from the left, but it’s blocked at close range by Holding.
ARSENAL 3-1 WBA
90. He’s done it! Willian has his first goal in an Arsenal shirt!
The Brazilian won the free-kick with that burst of pace and piece of trickery, and made it clear that he wanted to take it too. For once, he didn’t disappoint.
Central and 25 yards from goal, the forward curled a beauty over the wall and into the top left corner beyond Sam Johnstone.
GOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!!
WILLIAN SCORES!!
HIS FIRST ARSENAL GOAL!!ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
89. There’s some tired legs out there now, but remarkably two of them aren’t Willian’s.
The Brazilian shows a change of pace, and then beats an opponent to a loose ball to win a free-kick 25 yards from goal.
ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
87. Have West Brom got one last push in them?
If they have, it will have to come soon because Arsenal are beginning to recompose themselves on the ball.
ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
85. The Arsenal players are getting nervous.
The Arsenal fans are getting nervous.
Anyone would think it was them staring relegation in the face.
ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
84. A wayward Tierney cross is met by a wayward Chambers shot.
Wayward.
ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
83. Willian plays an incisive pass into the feet of Pepe on the right, and the Ivorian looks primed to attack.
However, that’s reckoning without Townsend, who executes a perfect block tackle to win back possession.
ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
81. Lacazette is stunned to concede a free-kick in his own half, but it brings another deal ball opportunity for Albion to send up the big men.
Pereira delivers into the box, and again it’s Furlong that gets his head on it. Over.
ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
80. Willian receives some treatment.
It’s probably for the shock brought on by realising he’s going to have to play the full 90 minutes.
ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
77. Arsenal make their third and final change.
Dani Ceballos had also picked up a caution so Mikel Arteta’s not going to risk him for the final stages. On comes Thomas Partey.
ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
76. Gallagher picks up a booking for a late challenge.
ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
75. Albion pack the penalty area for a long throw which causes an almighty scramble.
It’s getting messy, it’s getting physical, it’s getting nervy.
Now Sam Allardyce’s expertise is coming to the fore.
ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
73. Oooh! That could have – perhaps should have – been the equaliser.
It’s a lovely cross from Phillips on the left that’s met on the run by Furlong from full-back.
The defender gets a glancing header to the delivery, and sends it just wide of the far post with Leno rooted to his spot.
ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
72. Gallagher is starting to get himself on the ball for the visitors, and is causing Arsenal some problems.
ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
70. There might be some truth in Kyle Bartley’s assumption.
Arsenal are now looking decidedly shaky at the back since conceding.
ARSENAL 2-1 WBA
67. Against the run of play, Mattheus Pereira pulls one back for West Brom in sensational style.
The Albion forward picks the ball up inside his own half, and runs and runs and runs and runs without challenge.
When an Arsenal player finally approaches the forward, he unleashes a peach of a low, left-footed drive into the bottom corner past the outstretched arm of Bernd Leno.
Maybe West Brom are still alive in the Premier League.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
