Mowbray undaunted by Gunners

Mowbray: No fear

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Tony Mowbray has no fear as he prepares his West Brom side for an opening day fixture at Arsenal.

The Baggies have been handed the baptism of fire in their return to Premier League football after a two-year absence.

The Championship title-winners are given little hope of obtaining a positive result at Emirates Stadium, but Mowbray insists that his players are not heading to the capital just to make up the numbers.

He said: "You have to have a belief going to Arsenal that you can win. Otherwise, why bother turning up?

"We are ready, we have a game plan and we know what we are doing.

"We will respect Arsenal and we know it will be a tough game because we are the new boys and they are a top four side.

Challenge

"But we will be looking to go there and make life as difficult as we can for them.

"The team are ready, the players know their jobs and what we have to do and we are all looking forward to the challenge ahead.

"The game is on TV, it is the first Premier League game of the season and hopefully the fact the players have played at Wembley twice in the last two seasons will prepare them mentally for the occasion.

"It is an occasion, you can't get away from that, and we will go there and give it our best shot.

"When we get the ball we will try and impose our style on them, fully understanding that we are playing a team full of world-class players.

"We know it will be a tough day for us when we are out of possession.

"You have got to be ready for the occasion when that whistle blows."

Intelligence

Mowbray admits he is a long time admirer of Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, but is hoping to out-smart the master tactician this weekend.

He added: "Out of possession we will have a game plan. Because if we are not defensively well structured you are going to get beaten by good, good players.

"They can pick space, they can use the ball one on one, they are very talented.

"I like to think that I have enough football intelligence to know how the team has got to play to make life difficult for the opposition.

"We will go into the game knowing that Arsenal will probably have a lot of the ball, knowing they will create chances and knowing they will commit plenty of men forward.

"But, if you get it right on the day you could beat a team that you have no right to and the players have to believe that."