Wenger’s Milestone Match Marred as West Brom Secures Late Draw Against Arsenal

In a keenly contested encounter at the Hawthorns, Nigerian international Alex Iwobi played a pivotal role for Arsenal as they were held to a 1-1 draw by West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Iwobi, starting in the place of Mesut Ozil, demonstrated his attacking prowess but was eventually replaced by Danny Welbeck in the 74th minute.

The match, notable for being Arsene Wenger’s 811th Premier League game in charge of Arsenal, marked a historic milestone, making the Frenchman the manager with the highest number of games in the competition, surpassing Sir Alex Ferguson’s 810 games.

Arsenal took the lead through James McClean’s inadvertent deflection of Alexis Sanchez’s shot, but West Brom fought back with determination, securing a late equalizer from the penalty spot courtesy of Jay Rodriguez. The match proved to be a challenging test for the Gunners, emphasizing the resilience of their opponents.

The first half showcased moments of promise for both teams, with West Brom’s Matt Philips and Jay Rodriguez testing Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech. Iwobi also had an opportunity to put Arsenal in the lead, but his shot was skillfully denied by Ben Foster, resulting in a corner.

Despite the setback, Arsenal continued to press forward, with Alexandre Lacazette’s goal-bound effort saved by Foster on the hour mark. The breakthrough for Arsenal finally came in the 83rd minute when Alexis Sanchez’s free-kick found its way into the net through McClean.

However, the joy for Arsenal was short-lived as West Brom’s Rodriguez converted a late penalty in the 89th minute, securing a hard-fought draw for the home side and denying Wenger a celebratory victory in his historic milestone match.