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Premier League Preview: Arsenal - Blackburn Rovers
Morale should be high in both camps when Arsenal host Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, following midweek results that saw the Gunners reach the Champions League quarterfinals and Rovers pick up three vital points in their quest to avoid relegation.
Mar 13, 2009 4:33:47 PM
Saturday, 14 March, Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Emirates Stadium, Ashburton Grove, London N5
When In Rome...
Arsenal are in the last eight of the Champions League for the third time in four seasons, and the fourth in six, after surviving a difficult night in Rome and keeping their collective nerve in a penalty shoot-out. It wasn't their greatest European performance - Roma outplayed them in the first half - but they steadied the ship after a torrid opening, and eventually got the job done. Having dominated the first leg in London they would have been kicking themselves had they not progressed, yet it is said that teams learn more about themselves in adversity, and Wednesday night's game in the Eternal City was a stern test that this young Gunners side might have not have passed earlier in the season.
As it is, they have high-profile quarter-finals in both Europe and the FA Cup to look forward to, while Saturday's game against Blackburn Rovers offers them the chance to reclaim their place in the top four of the Premier League - for one day at least. Arsenal will overtake Aston Villa if they gain all three points against Rovers. Villa, currently in fourth spot, do not play until Sunday, when they host Tottenham, and for once most Gunners' fans will be hoping Spurs can conjure an unlikely win.
While they will be keen to make further progress in both cups - not having lifted a trophy once 2005 - Arsenal will also view it as essential to earn enough points in the League to finish in the top four for the 13th consecutive season. The return of injured stars like Theo Walcott and Eduardo in recent weeks has given Arsene Wenger's side a lift, and with such influential players as Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor and Tomas Rosicky also well on the way to recovery, Wenger still believes his team can beat Villa to that coveted fourth place.
Although they triumphed on penalties in Rome, Arsenal's 1-0 defeat after extra-time brought to an end their 17-match unbeaten run in all competitions; but they still have a 14-match unbeaten run in the Premier League to defend - and build on.
R-Over The Worst?
It didn't work out for Paul Ince during his brief tenure at Ewood Park, but in the 11 Premier League games since Sam Allardyce was appointed as his replacement on December 17, Rovers have picked up 17 points from a possible 33.
Nevertheless, their position remains precarious: after 28 games last season, Blackburn were in seventh position with 45 points; this term, despite Wednesday’s 2-1 win at Fulham, which lifted them out of the bottom three, they have 30 points and are 15th.
While they are far from safe, the trend is positive. Rovers have enjoyed three good results in March, their Craven Cottage success coming on the back of a 2-1 win at Hull City and a goalless draw with in-form Everton.
Needless to say, Allardyce is relieved if not delighted, and commented after the Fulham win, "Relegation isn't something we're out of but victory here has made life much easier to get out of it.
"We've secured a very important victory, our second away win on the trot, which shows us the team is in very good form... It's two defeats now in 11 games since I've been here and we've had two away wins on the bounce. That shows we're gathering enough points to get us out of trouble. It's important the results and the form keep coming. As long as we are carrying on in that vein, the sooner we can try and get to safety."
Arsene's Problem With Allardyce
When he was at Bolton Wanderers, Allardyce gained the reputation of being something of a jinx to Wenger. The Trotters enjoyed a spell where they ground out excellent results against the high-flying Gunners. At the same time, Blackburn Rovers under Mark Hughes also managed to make life hard for Arsenal, so that the perception grew that games against either Lancashire side represented potential minefields for the north London outfit. The key factor in both instances was a direct style and robust physical approach that seemed to throw Arsenal's slick-passing game too readily out of gear.
Allardyce's strategy revolved around accepting that the Gunners were technically superior, but shifting the contest onto his team's terms by working prodigiously hard to deny Arsenal the time and space, especially in midfield, to play their fast, fluent football. To use the vernacular, his team like to get in Arsenal's faces and make life physically uncomfortable and tactically claustrophobic for them. Now that he has taken over at Rovers, he will be hoping to be a thorn in Wenger's side once again.
In fact Wenger's team have become better at solving this kind of problem, and this week the Frenchman told journalists, "I take more into account their style of play than the fact Blackburn are physical - we can cope with the physical demands and we showed that against Roma.
"It is more down to the fact Blackburn will go more direct, and we have to take that into consideration. It is important that no matter what Blackburn do we dictate our game and dominate in the way we love to play football."
Wenger will be heartened by the fact that earlier this season, when Ince was still in charge, Arsenal claimed all three points following an impressive 4-0 victory at Ewood Park. Adebayor netted a hat-trick after Robin van Persie had opened the scoring from the penalty spot in what remains the Gunners' best away win of the season.
Apart from that 4-0 success, Arsenal are seeking a sixth successive home Premier League victory over Rovers, having scored 14 goals in the last four meetings in London. Moreover, Rovers have lost all five of their matches against the 'Big Four' so far this season.
FORM GUIDE
Arsenal
11 Mar (Champions League) v Roma (A) LOST 0-1 aet (1-1 agg; WON 7-6 on pens)
08 Mar (FA Cup) v Burnley (H) WON 3-0
03 Mar (Premier League) v West Brom (A) WON 3-1
28 Feb (Premier League) v Fulham (H) DREW 0-0
24 Feb (Champions League) v Roma (H) WON 1-0
Blackburn Rovers
11 Mar (Premier League) v Fulham (A) WON 2-1
04 Mar (Premier League) v Everton (H) DREW 0-0
01 Mar (Premier League) v Hull (A) WON 2-1
24 Feb (FA Cup) v Coventry (A) LOST 0-1
21 Feb (Premier League) v Man Utd (A) LOST 1-2
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal
Striker Eduardo is sidelined again after suffering a groin strain, but Andrey Arshavin is available to play after being cup-tied in midweek.
Mikael Silvestre (calf), Emmanuel Adebayor (hamstring), Cesc Fabregas (knee) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) are not yet fit for selection.
Squad: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Nasri, Denilson, Song, Walcott, Arshavin, Van Persie, Fabianski, Djourou, Gibbs, Vela, Bendtner, Eboue, Diaby.
Last Starting XI (v Roma): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Diaby, Denilson, Eboue (Walcott 74), Nasri, Bendtner (Eduardo 85), Van Persie. Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Djourou, Gibbs, Vela, Song Billong.
Probable Starting XI: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Arshavin, Diaby, Denilson, Nasri, Bendtner, Van Persie.
Blackburn Rovers
Allardyce will again be without Roque Santa Cruz (knee) and Vince Grella (groin). He also has concerns about the fitness of defender Gael Givet (knee) and Morten Gamst Pedersen (rib).
"Morten has a rib problem and was struggling to breathe a little bit," said Allardyce. "We've a couple of players carrying knocks in Gaël Givet and Tugay, but we don't think they are too serious."
Paul Robinson confirmed his fitness at Fulham after missing the Everton game with a shoulder injury, but Brett Emerton (cruciate knee ligaments) and Steven Reid (knee) are out for the rest of the season.
Squad: Robinson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Andrews, Tugay, Warnock, Diouf, Roberts, Pedersen, Bunn, Dunn, McCarthy, Khizanishvili, Mokoena, Villanueva, Simpson, Treacy, Olsson, Doran, Brown, Haworth.
Last Starting XI (v Fulham): Robinson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Andrews (McCarthy 56), Tugay (Mokoena 82), Warnock, Diouf, Roberts, Pedersen (Dunn
86). Subs Not Used: Bunn, Khizanishvili, Villanueva, Simpson.
Probable Starting XI: Robinson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Andrews, Tugay, Warnock, Diouf, Roberts, Dunn.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arsenal
Robin van Persie is Arsenal's top scorer with nine goals in the Premier League and 15 in all competitions. The Dutchman, who was the first to convert his penalty in Tuesday's shoot-out (having also scored from the spot in the first leg against Roma), has scored six goals in six top-flight appearances against Rovers, and eight in seven league and cup appearances against them.
Blackburn Rovers
Senegalese forward El Hadji Diouf is something of a pantomime villain in the Premier League after controversial spells with Liverpool, Bolton and Sunderland, is now at Rovers, reunited with Allardyce, his boss at Bolton. Never a prolific scorer, Diouf is less a striker than a playmaker who operates on the wing or as a deep-lying forward, and in that role Allardyce will be hoping he can inflict damage on the Arsenal rearguard.
PREDICTION
Unbeaten in the Premier League since a 3-0 loss at Manchester City on November 22, Arsenal have scored just eight goals in eight League matches in 2009, and fired blanks in their last three league matches at the Emirates, which all ended in goalless draws. But they scored six in two games before heading to Rome, and will be hoping the goal touch has returned, especially with playmaker Andrey Arshavin scheming in the final third.
As for Blackburn, they have won only one of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Arsenal and lost 4-0 to the Gunners at home earlier this season. But their recent results have shown an improvement, and Sam Allardyce's side can be relied upon to make life hard for the Gunners.
It could be a tight contest, but the latter stages could prove decisive: one of the Premier League's most prolific injury time scorers are up against one of the most vulnerable in stoppage time. Arsenal have scored six goals in the 90th minute or later; Blackburn have conceded six. Another late win for Arsenal?
Arsenal 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
Graham Lister, Goal.com
Emirates Stadium, Ashburton Grove, London N5
When In Rome...
Arsenal are in the last eight of the Champions League for the third time in four seasons, and the fourth in six, after surviving a difficult night in Rome and keeping their collective nerve in a penalty shoot-out. It wasn't their greatest European performance - Roma outplayed them in the first half - but they steadied the ship after a torrid opening, and eventually got the job done. Having dominated the first leg in London they would have been kicking themselves had they not progressed, yet it is said that teams learn more about themselves in adversity, and Wednesday night's game in the Eternal City was a stern test that this young Gunners side might have not have passed earlier in the season.
As it is, they have high-profile quarter-finals in both Europe and the FA Cup to look forward to, while Saturday's game against Blackburn Rovers offers them the chance to reclaim their place in the top four of the Premier League - for one day at least. Arsenal will overtake Aston Villa if they gain all three points against Rovers. Villa, currently in fourth spot, do not play until Sunday, when they host Tottenham, and for once most Gunners' fans will be hoping Spurs can conjure an unlikely win.
While they will be keen to make further progress in both cups - not having lifted a trophy once 2005 - Arsenal will also view it as essential to earn enough points in the League to finish in the top four for the 13th consecutive season. The return of injured stars like Theo Walcott and Eduardo in recent weeks has given Arsene Wenger's side a lift, and with such influential players as Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor and Tomas Rosicky also well on the way to recovery, Wenger still believes his team can beat Villa to that coveted fourth place.
Although they triumphed on penalties in Rome, Arsenal's 1-0 defeat after extra-time brought to an end their 17-match unbeaten run in all competitions; but they still have a 14-match unbeaten run in the Premier League to defend - and build on.
R-Over The Worst?
It didn't work out for Paul Ince during his brief tenure at Ewood Park, but in the 11 Premier League games since Sam Allardyce was appointed as his replacement on December 17, Rovers have picked up 17 points from a possible 33.
Nevertheless, their position remains precarious: after 28 games last season, Blackburn were in seventh position with 45 points; this term, despite Wednesday’s 2-1 win at Fulham, which lifted them out of the bottom three, they have 30 points and are 15th.
While they are far from safe, the trend is positive. Rovers have enjoyed three good results in March, their Craven Cottage success coming on the back of a 2-1 win at Hull City and a goalless draw with in-form Everton.
Needless to say, Allardyce is relieved if not delighted, and commented after the Fulham win, "Relegation isn't something we're out of but victory here has made life much easier to get out of it.
"We've secured a very important victory, our second away win on the trot, which shows us the team is in very good form... It's two defeats now in 11 games since I've been here and we've had two away wins on the bounce. That shows we're gathering enough points to get us out of trouble. It's important the results and the form keep coming. As long as we are carrying on in that vein, the sooner we can try and get to safety."
Arsene's Problem With Allardyce
When he was at Bolton Wanderers, Allardyce gained the reputation of being something of a jinx to Wenger. The Trotters enjoyed a spell where they ground out excellent results against the high-flying Gunners. At the same time, Blackburn Rovers under Mark Hughes also managed to make life hard for Arsenal, so that the perception grew that games against either Lancashire side represented potential minefields for the north London outfit. The key factor in both instances was a direct style and robust physical approach that seemed to throw Arsenal's slick-passing game too readily out of gear.
Allardyce's strategy revolved around accepting that the Gunners were technically superior, but shifting the contest onto his team's terms by working prodigiously hard to deny Arsenal the time and space, especially in midfield, to play their fast, fluent football. To use the vernacular, his team like to get in Arsenal's faces and make life physically uncomfortable and tactically claustrophobic for them. Now that he has taken over at Rovers, he will be hoping to be a thorn in Wenger's side once again.
In fact Wenger's team have become better at solving this kind of problem, and this week the Frenchman told journalists, "I take more into account their style of play than the fact Blackburn are physical - we can cope with the physical demands and we showed that against Roma.
"It is more down to the fact Blackburn will go more direct, and we have to take that into consideration. It is important that no matter what Blackburn do we dictate our game and dominate in the way we love to play football."
Wenger will be heartened by the fact that earlier this season, when Ince was still in charge, Arsenal claimed all three points following an impressive 4-0 victory at Ewood Park. Adebayor netted a hat-trick after Robin van Persie had opened the scoring from the penalty spot in what remains the Gunners' best away win of the season.
Apart from that 4-0 success, Arsenal are seeking a sixth successive home Premier League victory over Rovers, having scored 14 goals in the last four meetings in London. Moreover, Rovers have lost all five of their matches against the 'Big Four' so far this season.
FORM GUIDE
Arsenal
11 Mar (Champions League) v Roma (A) LOST 0-1 aet (1-1 agg; WON 7-6 on pens)
08 Mar (FA Cup) v Burnley (H) WON 3-0
03 Mar (Premier League) v West Brom (A) WON 3-1
28 Feb (Premier League) v Fulham (H) DREW 0-0
24 Feb (Champions League) v Roma (H) WON 1-0
Blackburn Rovers
11 Mar (Premier League) v Fulham (A) WON 2-1
04 Mar (Premier League) v Everton (H) DREW 0-0
01 Mar (Premier League) v Hull (A) WON 2-1
24 Feb (FA Cup) v Coventry (A) LOST 0-1
21 Feb (Premier League) v Man Utd (A) LOST 1-2
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal
Striker Eduardo is sidelined again after suffering a groin strain, but Andrey Arshavin is available to play after being cup-tied in midweek.
Mikael Silvestre (calf), Emmanuel Adebayor (hamstring), Cesc Fabregas (knee) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) are not yet fit for selection.
Squad: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Nasri, Denilson, Song, Walcott, Arshavin, Van Persie, Fabianski, Djourou, Gibbs, Vela, Bendtner, Eboue, Diaby.
Last Starting XI (v Roma): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Diaby, Denilson, Eboue (Walcott 74), Nasri, Bendtner (Eduardo 85), Van Persie. Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Djourou, Gibbs, Vela, Song Billong.
Probable Starting XI: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Arshavin, Diaby, Denilson, Nasri, Bendtner, Van Persie.
Blackburn Rovers
Allardyce will again be without Roque Santa Cruz (knee) and Vince Grella (groin). He also has concerns about the fitness of defender Gael Givet (knee) and Morten Gamst Pedersen (rib).
"Morten has a rib problem and was struggling to breathe a little bit," said Allardyce. "We've a couple of players carrying knocks in Gaël Givet and Tugay, but we don't think they are too serious."
Paul Robinson confirmed his fitness at Fulham after missing the Everton game with a shoulder injury, but Brett Emerton (cruciate knee ligaments) and Steven Reid (knee) are out for the rest of the season.
Squad: Robinson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Andrews, Tugay, Warnock, Diouf, Roberts, Pedersen, Bunn, Dunn, McCarthy, Khizanishvili, Mokoena, Villanueva, Simpson, Treacy, Olsson, Doran, Brown, Haworth.
Last Starting XI (v Fulham): Robinson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Andrews (McCarthy 56), Tugay (Mokoena 82), Warnock, Diouf, Roberts, Pedersen (Dunn
86). Subs Not Used: Bunn, Khizanishvili, Villanueva, Simpson.
Probable Starting XI: Robinson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Andrews, Tugay, Warnock, Diouf, Roberts, Dunn.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arsenal
Robin van Persie is Arsenal's top scorer with nine goals in the Premier League and 15 in all competitions. The Dutchman, who was the first to convert his penalty in Tuesday's shoot-out (having also scored from the spot in the first leg against Roma), has scored six goals in six top-flight appearances against Rovers, and eight in seven league and cup appearances against them.
Blackburn Rovers
Senegalese forward El Hadji Diouf is something of a pantomime villain in the Premier League after controversial spells with Liverpool, Bolton and Sunderland, is now at Rovers, reunited with Allardyce, his boss at Bolton. Never a prolific scorer, Diouf is less a striker than a playmaker who operates on the wing or as a deep-lying forward, and in that role Allardyce will be hoping he can inflict damage on the Arsenal rearguard.
PREDICTION
Unbeaten in the Premier League since a 3-0 loss at Manchester City on November 22, Arsenal have scored just eight goals in eight League matches in 2009, and fired blanks in their last three league matches at the Emirates, which all ended in goalless draws. But they scored six in two games before heading to Rome, and will be hoping the goal touch has returned, especially with playmaker Andrey Arshavin scheming in the final third.
As for Blackburn, they have won only one of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Arsenal and lost 4-0 to the Gunners at home earlier this season. But their recent results have shown an improvement, and Sam Allardyce's side can be relied upon to make life hard for the Gunners.
It could be a tight contest, but the latter stages could prove decisive: one of the Premier League's most prolific injury time scorers are up against one of the most vulnerable in stoppage time. Arsenal have scored six goals in the 90th minute or later; Blackburn have conceded six. Another late win for Arsenal?
Arsenal 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
Graham Lister, Goal.com
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