Championship Leaders Head to the Emirates

By Zain Alvi | 22nd September 2009

Championship Leaders Head to the Emirates | read this item

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When the Carling Cup Round 3 draw was first made, it was very difficult to imagine West Bromwich Albion providing much of a competition to Arsenal at The Emirates. Granted, Arsene Wenger uses the competition to provide some first-team action to his reserves, but even those teenagers usually prove to be a handful for the opponents.

Therefore, it was initially predicted that The Baggies would only be fulfilling a formality when they make the trip to North London tonight. However, in recent weeks, the Championship outfit has turned a leaf by remaining unbeaten in its first eight league fixtures. More specifically, six wins and two draws have propelled Roberto Di Matteo’s men to the top of the table as they seek to regain an immediate promotion to the Barclays Premier League.

Tonight, the focus will turn away from the league, though, as The Baggies will attempt to carry the momentum from this weekend’s triumph all the way to the midweek. At Riverside this past Saturday, they dismantled Middlesbrough 5-0 to send a message to the Gunners in regards to what exactly they can expect from their visitors.

Surely, the stage is now set for quite an interesting clash between the run-away Championship leaders and the nearly men of the Barclays Premier League. The in-form Chris Brunt is expected to set the pace for the rest of his teammates as they push for a huge upset, which will help them retain their strong momentum. And although a youthful Arsenal side still remains the firm favorite at home (where it remains unbeaten so far this season), only time will reveal the eventual outcome.