Arsenal v West Brom: Pulis’ north London nightmare to continue
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There haven’t been many Premier League nuts Tony Pulis has been unable to crack during his managerial career.
The Welshman has built a reputation as a man for mid-table, turning Stoke into top-flight mainstays before rescuing both Crystal Palace and West Brom from relegation scraps in consecutive seasons.
However unflinching the 58-year-old remains during those frantic scraps for survival though, there is one place in the division that must make Pulis wince every time he approaches it.
That venue can be found in north London and is home to West Brom’s next opponents, Arsenal. No matter whether it was Highbury or the Emirates, Pulis has lost every time he has visited Arsene Wenger’s Gunners during his career, a run of woe that can stretch to nine games with defeat on Thursday night.
Across the eight previous games the aggregate score sits at 19-4 to the hosts and on two separate trips Arsenal blew Pulis’ famous defensive stubbornness apart with four goals.
The most recent of those hammerings came when the Baggies turned up at the Emirates for the first time with Pulis as manager last season.
The dominance Wenger enjoys over Pulis at home contributes heavily to Arsenal’s lopsided price of 1/4 to win the upcoming midweek meeting between the two.
That price may not line too many pockets with quick riches, but odds of 11/4 that the Gunners win by a two-goal margin just might.
Three of the eight wins Arsenal have gained at home to Pulis-managed teams have come by two goals, while the Gunners have secured more wins by that margin than any other Premier League team this season with six.
Other options in the winning-margin market are 11/4 about a one-goal Arsenal triumph, 4/1 that it’s a three-strike cushion or 9/2 that they prevail by four or more.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
