Arsenal Vs Blackburn | Premiership 11/02/08

[SE13]

Barclays Premiership

ARSENAL Vs Blackburn Rovers



Monday 11th February 2008

8pm

Live on Setanta Sports

Ashburton Grove

[absolutely_fabregas]

blackburn are one of these gay teams that have the ability to be annoying and sneak a goal and then hold out


but every match now ,im gettin ridiculously nervous/pessimistic beforehand

i dont know how im gonna cope towards the last few games of the season


what i want is 2 early goals to calm the nerves, then i can enjoy it

[niko197]

what i want is 2 early goals to calm the nerves, then i can enjoy it

do you remember carling cup?! we got two early goals but that wasn`t enough.....

[absolutely_fabregas]

what i want is 2 early goals to calm the nerves, then i can enjoy it

do you remember carling cup?! we got two early goals but that wasn`t enough.....

yeah but that was with kidz

our senior players could see that out no probs

[niko197]

what i want is 2 early goals to calm the nerves, then i can enjoy it

do you remember carling cup?! we got two early goals but that wasn`t enough.....

yeah but that was with kidz

our senior players could see that out no probs

maybe we should play with kids first half, and when they score twice, they`re going out and big guns coming in!!!
wenger, do you need help? i`m here for you!

[Emirates_Lad]

Due to what you could call our lack of players for this match, Im not entirely confident about this game. Need the early goal in the match like ab_fab sed but at home we should be fine. 2-0 gooners

[Cheese]

Wenger may call on Toure for Blackburn

Arsène Wenger may try to draft in Kolo Toure straight from the African Nations Cup for Monday's night game against Blackburn at Emirates Stadium.

The Arsenal manager admits his side is "down to the bare bones" with 11 players out or doubtful. The roll call is as follows: Emmanuel Eboue, Alex Song (both international duty), Johan Djourou (groin), Philippe Senderos (knee) Robin van Persie (thigh), Abou Diaby (calf), Mathieu Flamini (hamstring), Manuel Almunia (sick), Denilson (hamstring) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring). If Toure does figure he is likely to be fatigued from a tough tournament in Ghana. But, with Senderos considered a "major doubt", the manager thinks it will be worth making some calls.

"I don't know," said Wenger at his pre-match press conference on Friday. "Ivory Coast play on Saturday afternoon. I have not called him yet but I will try to see if he can take a flight from Accra to London. Otherwise it will be Gilberto, who is back, or Justin Hoyte at centre half.

"Rosicky, van Persie and Djourou are out. Almunia is a doubt. His thumb is OK but he is sick. We'll see tomorrow and Sunday about him.

"On top of that we don’t have Eboue and Song. Also we lost Diaby with a calf problem and we might have lost Flamini with a hamstring. He had to move out from the French national team.

"Philippe Senderos came off injured in midweek with a medial knee ligament and is a major doubt. He has played with it before and we'll see on Monday. I don’t rule him out completely and he is positive about it. Our medical team are a bit less. He wants to test it out over the weekend.

"Diaby, in fairness, picked the injury up at Man City. We sent him on international duty with information explaining that he was injured and they did not play him.

"But overall we are very, very short and it is down to the bare bones."

© Arsenal.com

[rodney]

Wenger has got to stop cutting us the crap with injuries. We've had it with Robin all season and with Cesc, Rosicky, Gallas all in recent times and he is doing it again. Eboue, Song and Toure are all at the African Cup of Nations still so won't be back for Blackburn. Robin, Denilson and Djourou are all definitely out and still two weeks away from a return to the first team, but you never know with what Wenger says. Flamini, Rosicky, Diaby and Senderos are all doubtful and I'm sure one of the three midfielders will play. Also Almunia has recovered from his thumb injury, but is no ill. So I'll go with a line up like this:

Lehmann

Sagna Hoyte Gallas Clichy

Theo Gilberto Cesc Hleb

Eduardo Ade

Bendtner, Traore, Fabianski and I'd expect two of the three doubtful midfielders to take a place on the bench or possibly even start. Despite that it's not a bad team and I still expect us to have enough to win the game. We've got the league's most in form striker and Eddy has been deadly when given a chance. Will need Hleb and Cesc to be at their best, as Blackburn are a good side. The defence has been so solid and even Senderock doesn't make it then Hoyte is capable of doing a job for one game and with Captain Fantastic by his side I'm sure he will be fine.

Santa Cruz has obviously had a very good season and McCarthy has hurt us in the past. Bentley can cause us damage, but up against one of the best left backs in Europe how well will he do? Not very I'd say. With no Samba at the back that should give Ade an opportunity to exploit a less than convincing central defensive partnership.

Flamini is a massive loss, as he has been so vital in recent games and Gily just can't get around and as stuck in as Flamini does. However he can't play every game so we're going to have to battle on. I can see Blackburn giving us some problems and I think this will be a tough game.

So I'll go with 2-0 Ade and Cesc

[Windass10]

Blackburn are a good side and have quality in Bentley and a few forwards and they can nick a point so we must take it serious.

[arseman]

From the Guardian

Fábregas will let his boots do the talking as Arsenal try to steal a march

Arsenal will take inspiration tonight from last season's 6-2 Premier League win over Blackburn Rovers at the Emirates Stadium as they seek to extend their lead at the top of the table to five points over Manchester United and eight over Chelsea.

Yesterday's slip-ups by their rivals gave Arsène Wenger's side a chance to strike a powerful psychological blow in the title race but at the back of their minds will be Rovers' success last February in frustrating them in a 0-0 draw in north London in the FA Cup. Cesc Fábregas criticised Mark Hughes for his side's spoiling tactics then, saying they did no credit to the Blackburn manager's time as a player at Barcelona.


Wenger has insisted there will be no repeat of such remarks. Fábregas, the Frenchman says, has matured in the past 12 months and will never again show a lack of respect to an established figure such as Hughes. "Cesc is committed and you always like your players to have a winning attitude. Sometimes it can go a little bit over the top but Cesc has behaved remarkably well this season - I cannot remember one incident," Wenger said.

Far from being problematic Fábregas has flourished this season and will again take centre stage tonight.

Standing in Arsenal's way will be David Bentley, a player Wenger knows well. He joined the Gunners as a schoolboy and made his debut for the club in 2003. But he failed to establish himself in north London and, after a loan spell at Norwich, signed for Blackburn two years ago. He has since blossomed and gave an excellent performance for England against Switzerland. Wenger claims some of the credit for the 23-year-old's rise.

"You can ask whether David would be where he is at the moment without Arsenal," the Arsenal manager said. "I let him go and I am actually quite happy because I know we contributed to his education and development."

Bentley will face an Arsenal side ravaged by injuries. Mathieu Flamini and Philippe Senderos injured a thigh and knee respectively while on international duty and are doubts. Abou Diaby is out with a calf injury picked up in last week's win at Manchester City and Robin van Persie, Tomas Rosicky and Johan Djourou are long-term absentees. Wenger will be hoping to call on Kolo Touré, who is available again after the Ivory Coast lost 4-2 to Ghana in the third-place play-off at the African Cup of Nations on Saturday.

Blackburn may also be without key players, including Ryan Nelsen and Andre Ooijer, who have yet to recover from hamstring injuries. David Dunn, Christopher Samba and Morten Gamst Pedersen are suspended. Hughes plans to play it safe. "We'll have to work extremely hard like we did when we got the draw in the FA Cup and that will be a positive result," the Blackburn manager said. "We think we can go there and get something."

[Fabrestuta]

We really have nothing to lose tomorrow, but we have everything to gain, so we need to play like we aren't afraid to lose, if we do that we'll hammer them. Every point from now on is important, but if you have a chance to go 5 points clear at this stage of the season you have to take it. Even with injuries and the like we're a better team than Blackburn, and if we are going to be champions we have to show that. 3-0

[bigben]

The Arsenal manager admits his side is "down to the bare bones" with 11 players out or doubtful. The roll call is as follows: Emmanuel Eboue, Alex Song (both international duty), Johan Djourou (groin), Philippe Senderos (knee) Robin van Persie (thigh), Abou Diaby (calf), Mathieu Flamini (hamstring), Manuel Almunia (sick), Denilson (hamstring) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring).

Alex song is actually injured... they played him in the final with an injury and had to be sustibuted during the game... there you have it folks...

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 79,00.html

[Trina]

I can't believe all the injuries we have!

IMO this is a must win game. I know if we loose we will still be 2 points ahead, but with how close it is this season I don't think that's good enough. Plus with the upcoming fixtures....Chelsea, Liverpool and Man U.

We have this opportunity to make it 5 points clear.

Please, please, please win tonight Arsenal!!!!!!

[She_Gunner_Wales]

Im praying the injury table is wrong on the official site.....

Blackburn are a good side, and a physical one as we know all too well.
But im confident even with the injuries we can & will take the 3pts!

COME ON YOU GUNNERS!

[Cheese]

Key Battles: The players to watch on Monday

Blackburn's history at Emirates Stadium is brief but nonetheless spectacular. The last, and only, time the Lancashire outfit have visited the Gunners' home, a record eight goals were scored - six of which were for the hosts. In the two meetings this season Arsenal are yet be defeated. A well earned draw at Ewood Park in the Premier League was followed by a fantastic extra-time Carling Cup win in mid-December. This season Arsenal.com will be identifying the key battles for each Premier League game and bringing you all the statistics and information a fan could need. Swot up now and come Sunday you'll be impressing anyone who'll listen with your new-found knowledge.

Philippe Senderos v Roque Santa Cruz
Arsenal's Swiss defender has stepped effortlessly into the void left by Kolo Toure since the start of the Africa Cup Nations. The 22-year-old has enjoyed a fine run in the side in which just two goals have been shipped, with some assured and commanding performances to boot. Senderos, who recently captained his country at Wembley, has lost just two tackles all season and even chipped in with a goal against Sunderland. He is also a good reader of the game making 18 clearances and can also be relied on under pressure - just 16 passes misplaced all campaign. Quick and powerful, Peruvian Roque Santa Cruz has been a revelation since his arrival at Ewood Park in the summer. Scoring 11 goals and weighing in with five assists, his all-round forward play is reminiscent of one Emmanuel Adebayor. Santa Cruz offers a threat both in the air and on the floor, and having been caught offside only six times he seemingly possesses a shrewd footballing brain.

Alex Hleb v Stephen Warnock
With a penchant for attempting the impossible pass, Alex Hleb provides an unpredictable and ultimately dynamic edge to the Gunners midfield. Showing fruit from the promise that has simmered on the surface in the last two years, the Belarusian has earned plaudits for his performances this season. Hleb has notched twice and picked up five assists this term and has had little problem slipping between support striker and wide man. Misplacing just 49 passes - an impressive record considering the complexity of those he attempts - the 26-year-old has also worked the goalkeeper a further seven times and made 15 tackles. He has embarked on 30 dribbles and can strike fear into the most adventurous of full backs thus forcing them into retreat. Stephen Warnock, however, is not one to be pinned back by anyone. The former Liverpool player has been a mainstay in the Blackburn ranks this term, bringing a consistency perhaps missing elsewhere. Three assists and one goal are testament to his threat on the front foot while 44 tackles made and 33 clearances prove an equal prowess in defence.

Cesc Fabregas v Tugay Kerimoglu
Old meets new on Monday night. David Dunn's suspension means former Turkish international Tugay will likely be handed a starting berth in the heart of the Blackburn midfield. Used much in the way Arsenal's Gilberto has this term, the 37-year-old's vast experience has proved invaluable for Rovers. Two goals, one of which a spectacular effort against Tottenham, as well as 15 further efforts on goal demonstrate the willingness to get forward remains as strong as ever. With pace perhaps deserting him, Tugay opts to pass rather than run with ball. He has made 103 passes and attempted just eight dribbles. Cesc Fabregas, on the other hand, has pace, vision and an instinct for goal that out-strips that of any player of a same age. A staggering 13 assists this season has been complemented with seven goals. And, with over half of his 50 goal-bound efforts hitting the target, the Spaniard should not be given licence around the box. Fabregas has also added a rough and rugged approach to his midfield role - 24 winning tackles and 16 clearances are testament to that.

Please note: These statistics are from the 2007/08 Premier League season.

© Arsenal.com