Arsenal vs Blackburn

Arsenal Vs Blackburn
Emirates Stadium
Saturday 1:00 PM BST
Referee: Andre Marriner


One Last Chance ?

What can be said of our season ? A complete failure ? Maybe. Maybe not. Most have accepted defeat, but is there hope ? perhaps. Is it in our hands ? Not at all.
Many questions, little answers. Story of our season, and most knew as the time passed on in the Bolton game, that our chances of reaching the top 4 is passing away as well. But I would take a swing in the dark, saying all is not lost. I was pessimistic after the bolton game, like everyone else i raised questions, We all showed frustration and anger but I would come out and say there is still hope.

Why should we give up now ? The performance in the 1st half of the Bolton game was fantastic, We kept a clean sheet after a LONG time. With Sagna we were extremely solid at the back, With Gibbs coming back our problem at the back is nearly gone. Upfront AOC is showing signs of promise, RVP may be feeling a bit tired atm but the class he demonstrated against Bolton with his amazing 20 yard Chip, It's not all lost.

Once again, Why should we lose hope when there IS STILL a chance, even if minimum, but there IS STILL hope of us finishing in top 4. However, it might be our very last chance. I would say, we can only afford to drop 7-8 points, and hope others slip up more than us. The season isn't finished. Yet.

We Host Blackburn, who have been a VERY strange team. They somehow managed to beat us back at the Ewood Park, That game remains a mystery but Doesn't change the fact that blackburn are a strange strange team. They would roll on the floor against teams, but they have a nasty habbit of raising the game against Top teams. See man utd at O.T or Liverpool at Anfield. on Paper we should comfortably win this but our Confidence must be really low, so, we should expect cautious approach, however, Wenger stressed on the fact that we should be taking our chances early so that can invite the opposition to attack more, and create space for us to exploit via theo n Oxlade/Arshavin/gervinho.


Team News

For Arsenal, AOC has a slight knock, but he should be able to shrug it off. Wenger hinted on rotation so Expect a different team. Gibbs is back in full training but need games so we might see him on the bench, might. Jenkinson has returned to light training but no news of yet when he can play again.

BBC reports, "Blackburn forward David Goodwillie should recover from illness but Yakubu completes a three-match ban. Transfer-listed Christopher Samba will not be recalled, while Bradley Orr is in contention for his debut following a deadline-day move from QPR"

Arsenal Team i would play


-----------------------------------Szczesny-------------------------------------

Sagna--------------Mertesacker---------------Koscielny------------------vermaelen

--------------------------------Coquelin------------------------------------------

------------------Rosicky--------------------Arteta-------------------------------

Walcott-----------------------Park-------------------------------AOC/Arshavin

* Why park ? because RVP shouldnt really play this game as he looked exhausted against Bolton and Park cant do that bad against Blackburn?
* Might see Benayoun instead of walcott but not sure about that.


Blackburn Probable

---------------------------Robinson------------------------------

Martin Olsson--------- Orr---------Dann------------------- Givet

Marcus Olsson---------N'Zonzi------------ Pedersen---------Hoilett

------------------------------Dunn--------------------------------

------------------------------------Modeste------------------------


Match Facts [BBC]

Head-to-head

• Arsenal had won seven successive home league games against Blackburn - scoring 25 goals - prior to their goalless draw last season..
  
• Blackburn's last won at the Gunners in October 2002, a 2-1 victory at Highbury. That was the last season in which Rovers won this fixture home and away.
  

Arsenal

• Arsenal have yet to win a league match in 2012, but they avoided their first four-match losing streak during Arsene Wenger's tenure by drawing at Bolton on Wednesday night.
  
• They are nine points and five places worse off than at the same stage last season.
  
• The Gunners have lost three matches from winning positions - the joint-worst record in the division with Wolves and West Brom.
  
• Robin van Persie has scored 19 league goals this season, including 18 in his last 18 appearances. He has a career-high eight league goals against Blackburn.
  
• If selected, Tomas Rosicky will be making his 150th Arsenal appearance. Johan Djourou awaits his 150th club career appearance.
  

Blackburn

• Blackburn are unbeaten in their last three away matches, having beaten Manchester United either side of draws with Liverpool and Everton.
  
• They are the only top-flight team yet to keep a clean sheet this season. Only Wigan have conceded more goals.
  
• Steve Kean's side have lost a league-high 14 points from winning positions.
  
• Rovers and Liverpool have failed to score the most penalties in the Premier League this season (3).
  

Final Words

We have a tough run coming in with Sunderland Away, Liverpool, Tottenham and CL Games with Milan. We should go in with Confidence and for that, we must give a solid, convincing and a commited performance.

3-0 Arsenal

Sucks that it's an early kick-off but we're not live on either Sky Sports or ESPN. :vagi:

I'm not expecting us to smash them even though we probably should. I just want the three points because it's an excellent chance to gain ground on the others who have hard games on Sunday. We'd be guaranteed to gain ground on someone above us.

If we fail to win then it would not bode well for our chances of a top four finish at all.

GoonerJay29 wrote:Sucks that it's an early kick-off but we're not live on either Sky Sports or ESPN. :vagi:

I'm not expecting us to smash them even though we probably should. I just want the three points because it's an excellent chance to gain ground on the others who have hard games on Sunday. We'd be guaranteed to gain ground on someone above us.

If we fail to win then it would not bode well for our chances of a top four finish at all.

Not us :lucas:

Anyway's you will win and win well iam certain of it, if we can beat them without a midfield and a strikeforce iam pretty sure you can lol.....

BTW is it true RG is the Vibe of the Arsenal section ? :vagi:

i have a hunch want to see if it works tomorrow

Well hopefully we play better than we have done recently and actually look a decent team for once.

And Villa's defence will have no problem against Ba and Cisse.

:lucas:

Do u agree park should start jay ?

Nice work RG.

Expecting to see:



Arsenal subs - Fabianski Djourou Coquelin Ramsey Benayoun Oxlade-Chamberlain Van Persie

What you think?

I would start Henry as well if not park. But he will probably last for 60 minutes lol

RVP needs to be rested and thats the important thing

Think Song Needs a rest, He has been poor last few matches, but wenger will probably stick to him.

I think he'll go with van Persie again despite the risks. We do have a week off between this game and Sunderland away next weekend and an F.A. Cup game after that.

I would like to see Park given a go on the left hand side if Chamberlain isn't fit to play.

Song should be given a break but I doubt he'll be given one.

Can't we juz win a game comfortably, juz for once?!!

Juz for fecking once.

If Ramsey and Walcott have great games (which I really doubt) then we'll win hands down and then RvP doesn't even have to play a second of this match.

PS: And by Ramsey playing great I mean, he should score goals and provide them. (which is even more impossible)

The next two games after this one (Sunderland, Milan) will come at times when I have midterms. Apparently none of my profs are footy fans

I would like to see the boys win comfortably before the two week absence of football in my life. Thankfully, there is simply no way we should lose this game. The last game we played against them had enough bad luck to last seasons worth of games vs. Blackburn, so we should be fine if all is balanced in the universe!

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

GoonerJay29 wrote:Sucks that it's an early kick-off but we're not live on either Sky Sports or ESPN. :vagi:

I'm not expecting us to smash them even though we probably should. I just want the three points because it's an excellent chance to gain ground on the others who have hard games on Sunday. We'd be guaranteed to gain ground on someone above us.

If we fail to win then it would not bode well for our chances of a top four finish at all.

Not us :lucas:

Anyway's you will win and win well iam certain of it, if we can beat them without a midfield and a strikeforce iam pretty sure you can lol.....

BTW is it true RG is the Vibe of the Arsenal section ? :vagi:

Mole, Y U Change Your Name?

Why did'nt you change yours ? :lucas:

GoonerJay29 wrote:I think he'll go with van Persie again despite the risks. We do have a week off between this game and Sunderland away next weekend and an F.A. Cup game after that.

I would like to see Park given a go on the left hand side if Chamberlain isn't fit to play.

Song should be given a break but I doubt he'll be given one.

Agree with all of this ^

Though I put rvp on bench, i still think he'll play.

-----------------------------------Szczesny--------------------------------------

Sagna--------------Mertesacker---------------Koscielny------------------vermaelen

------------------------------------Song----------------------------------------

------------------Rosicky--------------------Arshavin----------------------------

Benayoun----------------------------RVP--------------------------------AOC/Henry


More Offense please.
If we go up early then we can sub RVP, Arshavin and Henry

Very well done RG.

Walcott and Ramsey have been shit and no way they should start.

Wenger will start RVP and hope Park gets a start.

sczensy

Sagna - Mertasacker - Koscienly - Vermaelan


Walcott - Songs - Arteta - Chu/AOC

Arshavin/Rosiscky

RVP


If this line up and formation plays i am sure the score will finish 5-1 6-1 6-1 8-2

WOULD LOVE TO SEE


-----------------------------------Szczesny--------------------------------------

Sagna--------------Mertesacker---------------Koscielny------------------Vermaelen

------------------------------------Song----------------------------------------

------------------Rosicky--------------------Arteta----------------------------

AOC----------------------------Walcott--------------------------------Arshavin

Blackburn have actually lost only 4 of 11 away games, so you never know... But I doubt they're going to do Liverpool any favours here, 3 - 1 to Arsenal is what I predict.

I dont understand the BinBag stuff happening today ?

Arsenal fans have been advised by somebody to put bin bags on seats that are empty as a sign to the board/Wenger that attendance is going down due to the poor results and lack of transfer

Its probably because you get black bin bags for free through the post they thought of that idea

Imagine a poor result today.... Deary me