Match Report : 18/03/2017

CRAIG Dawson bagged a headed brace to hand superb Albion a 3-1 victory over Arsenal in a pulsating Premier League encounter at The Hawthorns.

The right-back, whose only previous goal this season came at home to AFC Bournemouth, leapt highest from corners to first open the scoring early on and then power home Albion's third goal in the 75th minute.

Alexis Sanchez quickly cancelled out Dawson's opener to ensure the game was level at the break before substitute Hal Robson-Kanu, having only been on the pitch for a minute, scored with just his second touch when he poked home from 12 yards in the 55th minute.

It secured the Baggies their first win against a side in the current top seven this season and ensured they got back to winning ways after successive defeats.

Albion, eighth in the table, now move on to 43 points from 29 games with what was their eighth win in their last 10 home league matches.

Pulis made two changes from the side who were undone at Everton - Salomon Rondon and Chris Brunt recalled in favour of Robson-Kanu and Claudio Yacob.

Allan Nyom lit up the early exchanges with a bursting run into the area although his teasing ball across the six-yard box could not be met by an Albion shirt.

James McClean stung the palms of Petr Cech and from the resulting corner it was the hosts who opened the scoring - Dawson heading home Nacer Chadli's set-piece.

Yet the lead lasted just three minutes as Sanchez brought down a cross-field ball from Granit Xhaka, cut inside and lashed home high into the net from eight yards.

Rondon raced on to a Chadli throughball but dragged his shot wide before Nyom scrambled clear in the Albion area after Ben Foster's superb stop to deny Aaron Ramsey.

Cech matched his impressive save just minutes later at the other end to deny Baggies skipper Darren Fletcher, although that was his last action before being forced off in the 35th minute due to injury.

Brunt's inch-perfect cross presented Rondon with an opportunity shortly into the second half but he could not keep his header on target. 

Pulis introduced Robson-Kanu off the bench in the 54th minute and he made an immediate impact, poking home from 12 yards after Gunners substitute keeper David Ospina failed to collect Chadli's lofted ball.

Danny Welbeck headed against the crossbar before Albion came close to grabbing a third, Robson-Kanu denied by Ospina before Chadli was kept out on the rebound.

Yet it was left for Dawson to do just that when he headed home from McClean's corner 15 minutes from time - clinching back-to-back home league wins over Arsenal.