There was a time when a fit Bergkamp would be straight on the team sheet but times change. "At some stage, someone has to come in for him," said Wenger. "He will be 36 this year. You forget about that when you see him play but is Robin van Persie good enough to come in for him? He has given a few answers."
An emphatic one came in the 66th minute when van Persie linked with devastating effect with Jose Reyes. He collected the ball from the Spaniard, jinked inside and from 18 yards out curled the ball past goalkeeper Russell Hoult for the opening goal.
Wenger and his opposite number Bryan Robson were of one voice to describe the strike. "A touch of class," they said.
Bergkamp and Edu came on with 16 minutes left and they combined to produce Arsenal's second strike in added time.
As Albion poured forward in search of an equaliser, Bergkamp fed the ball through with deadly precision and Edu scored. Inspiration had triumphed over industry, skill over sweat.
"We deserved something from the game," said Robson, although the statistics suggested otherwise. For all their endeavour, Albion tested Jens Lehmann only once, when the German keeper fisted away Kieran Richardson's fierce 20-yard shot.
Defeat leaves West Brom second bottom, one point and one place behind Crystal Palace before their make-or-break clash with fourthbottom Southampton on Saturday.
Palace received a boost ahead of the game when talented young midfielder Tom Soares agreed a new four-year contract.
