West Brom holds off fightback to stun Arsenal 3-2

Posted Sunday, September 26, 2010 by YAHOO Sport

LONDON (AP)—West Bromwich produced a superb second-half performance and held off a late fightback to shock Arsenal 3-2 in the Premier League on Saturday.

Nigerian forward Peter Odemwingie, Chilean defender Gonzalo Jara and former Arsenal man Jerome Thomas scored after the break at the Emirates stadium to give West Brom a 3-0 lead.

Samir Nasri almost single-handedly hauled Arsenal back into the game, as the Frenchman scored in the 75th minute and the first minute of stoppage time.

It set up a dramatic finish in north London, with Arsene Wenger’s team pinning their opponents back, but the visitors held on to inflict Arsenal’s first league defeat of the season.

West Brom even had the luxury of missing a first-half penalty. Manuel Almunia saved Chris Brunt’s spot-kick after he brought down Odemwingie, but that was as good as it got for the Spanish ‘keeper.

Almunia was at fault for West Brom’s second strike, palming Jara’s straightforward shot into the net.

It was Arsenal’s first home defeat since it lost to Manchester United in January, and it keeps the club four points adrift of league leader Chelsea. Albion moved into fifth place.

“We finished strongly, but it was too late,” Arsenal manager Wenger said. “Defensively we made mistake after mistake.”

He refused to criticize Almunia, saying: “It is not the place now to discuss the individual mistakes of players.”

Andriy Arshavin should have given Arsenal the lead in the 14th minute but the Russian contrived to hit the post twice when he got on the end of a cross from Emmanuel Eboue.

Odemwingie, a constant threat for Roberto Di Matteo’s team, almost put West Brom one up against the run of play in the 27th minute but Almunia pushed his angled drive on to the post.

Almunia brought down Odemwingie in the 37th minute, and the referee, Michael Oliver, awarded a penalty and booked the ‘keeper. Brunt’s left-footed effort was easily saved by Almunia, who dived to his right to keep out the poor spot-kick.

It did not deter West Brom, which took the lead in the 50th minute when Thomas escaped down the left and crossed into the six-yard box for the unmarked Odemwingie to score.

Two minutes later, Brunt set Jara free on the right and his low, angled drive from the right edge of the penalty area went through Almunia’s hands and into the net. The Albion scorer was booked for taking his shirt off in celebration.

Wenger, hoping to spark his below-par side, used his three substitutions, but it got worse for the Frenchman.

West Brom remarkably made it 3-0 when Brunt crossed for the lively Thomas to fire home in the 73rd minute.