STAT PACK: Can Baggies stop repeat?

All-time results record (League, FA Cup and League Cup) 

Interesting facts

Albion have met Arsenal three times in this competition with all three clashes taking place in the past decade – and the Gunners have recorded a 2-0 triumph on all three occasions.

The Baggies won the League Cup at the first attempt in 1966 – having opted out of the competition from 1961 to 1965.

Head coach Steve Clarke won the League Cup in 1998 while still a player at Chelsea. Clarke featured as a 75^th-minute substitute as the Blues beat Middlesbrough 2-0 after extra-time at Wembley.

Clarke picked up three League Cup winners' medals during coaching spells at Chelsea and Liverpool. In 2007 he was Jose Mourinho’s right-hand man as the Stamford Bridge outfit overcame Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal 2-1 in Cardiff.

Arsene Wenger brought Nicolas Anelka to England in February 1997. During his two and a half years with the Gunners the striker won the league and cup double.

Last time out

HOME: Barclays Premier League, Saturday, April 6, 2013, Albion 1 (Morrison pen 70) Arsenal 2 (Rosicky 20,50)

AWAY: Barclays Premier League, Saturday, December 8, 2012, Arsenal 2 (Arteta pen 26, pen 64) Albion 0

Form guide (last six matches in all competitions)

ALBION: LDWLDW 

ARSENAL: WWWWWW 

Last match line-ups

ALBION (v Sunderland in BPL – home W 3-0): Myhill; Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Amalfitano, Mulumbu, Morrison, Sinclair (Yacob 68); Sessegnon (Berahino 89); Anelka (Anichebe 68). Subs not used: Camp (gk), Rosenberg, Lugano, Popov.  

ARSENAL (v Stoke in BPL - home W 3-1): Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Flamini, Ramsey; Wilshere (Miyaichi 73), Ozil (Arteta 80), Gnabry (Monreal 73), Giroud. Subs not used: Viviano (gk); Vermaelen, Jenkinson, Bendtner.

Arsenal team news

Santi Cazorla (ankle), Lukas Podolski (hamstring), and Abou Diaby (knee) will not return for the Gunners. While Yaya Sanogo (back), Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee) are ruled out. Theo Walcott underwent a minor procedure on his abdomen earlier today in Germany and is expected to be out until after the international break. 

Ref watch

Robert Madley will referee tonight’s game. The West Yorkshire official oversaw Albion’s 3-0 victory at Southampton in April. Madley has dished out one red and 12 yellow cards in four games this term.

Betting

Selected odds from Sky Bet: 

Albion to win: 11/4

Arsenal to win: Evens

Draw: 12/5

Nicolas Anelka to score first: 7/1 

Olivier Giroud to score first: 9/2