Premier League, The Hawthorns - West Bromwich Albion 1 (Morrison 71 pen), Arsenal 2 (Rosicky 20, 50, Mertesacker s/o 70)
Ten-man Arsenal withstood a West Bromwich Albion battering to claim a 2-1 Premier League win despite Per Mertesacker's red card.
Tomas Rosicky was Arsenal's hero - his two goals were more than he
had scored in his previous 65 league games, while he also produced a
goalline clearance.But what looked like a comfortable win was thrown into jeopardy when Mertesacker clumsily brought Shane Long down on 70 minutes.
Howard Webb sent the German off and James Morrison converted the resultant penalty.
West Bromwich squandered several good chances to take at least a point in the frantic final stages, with Romelu Lukaku and Shane Long both guilty of bad misses.
The win moves Arsenal into fourth place ahead of Chelsea, who play their game in hand against Sunderland on Sunday.
West Brom had the better of first-half territory, and a succession of Arsenal fouls allowed Chris Brunt and Graham Dorrans to deliver free-kicks into the danger area.
However, the home side found themselves outmuscled in the box, bringing into question Steve Clarke's decision to leave Lukaku on the bench.
Rosicky first saved a certain goal before converting at the other end - making a headed goalline clearance from Claudio Yacob's glancing header at a corner.
Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, again preferred to Wojciech Szczesny, started shakily as he fumbled two eminently catchable balls.
However, he found his feet and made a sharp save at his near post when Brunt fired a free-kick under the leaping Arsenal wall.
But the visitors held out and showed increasing menace through the much-maligned Gervinho, who is arguably enjoying his best form for Arsenal.
The Ivorian chased a diagonal ball from Mikel Arteta, jinked inside and saw Rosicky divert his cross-shot in at the near post.
Then followed a wonderful piece of Arsenal play - Santi Cazorla threaded a perfect pass to Olivier Giroud, who backheeled into the path of Aaron Ramsey.
The Welshman had the easiest job of the three, but failed to hit the target, firing his shot wide of the far post.
If Arsenal were slightly lucky to lead at half-time, there was no doubt they deserved their second after dominating the early stages after the break.
Ramsey found Rosicky with a ball inside from the right - Foster parried the initial, powerful shot, but the rebound came straight to the Czech who cracked it gleefully into the corner.
Arsenal were cruising now, in complete control. Only a total meltdown could deny them, and that's what they nearly got.
Long caught Mertesacker napping as he darted into the box, and the German's crass, lunging challenge could only result in a penalty and a red card.
Morrison's spot kick was not the best, but his low shot just missed Fabianski's feet and found the net.
As Arsenal retreated, West Brom went for the jugular but their finishing deserted them.
Morrison set the tone by smacking a shot into his team-mate Markus Rosenberg before Gareth McAuley sent a towering header wide.
Lukaku then missed a golden chance, thrashing the ball wide from 10 yards with the goal at his mercy.
Next Long missed the target from close range, spooning his shot over with the goal at his mercy.
Clarke's men laid siege to the Arsenal box but there was no way through, and the Gunners clung on gratefully.
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