Barclays Premier League: Blues to spoil Arsenal’s title bid - Birmingham City vs http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Arsenal-c38429 - Match Preview
Birmingham City has lost only once at home this season but still they are submersed in the relegation battle. Birmingham’s record against the top four clubs of Barclays Premier League has been very impressive.
Recently, Birmingham City managed to draw against Manchester United and prior to that, they defeated the Barclays Premier League champions, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786, by one goal at St Andrews Stadium.
Moreover, Tottenham Hotspur also had to settle for a draw against Birmingham at St Andrews and along with that, Birmingham managed an away draw against Manchester City at East Lands.
Although the Gunners sit third in the table, Arsenal has lost as many games (five) as Birmingham City. The reason for the Blues' precarious position in the table is too few goals.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alex-c4752 McLeish men have only scored 18 goals in 18 games, but have proved difficult to beat reflective of their 10 draws.
These draws have proved costly to the Gunners’ title ambitions on their last two visits to St. Andrews.
In Arsenal’s latest visit to St Andrew’s, back in March 2010, the Gunners were denied all three points by a late goal scored by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Kevin-Phillips-c20763.
Hence, despite the Gunners are unbeaten in their last seven matches against the Blues, Alex McLeish will be biding to thwart Arsenal’s plans once again this season.
Alex McLeish, while acknowledging Birmingham’s lack of potency in attack, is upbeat about the prospect of making life difficult for Arsene Wenger’s team.
The Blues’ boss commented on Birmingham’s official website: "We've already gone toe-to-toe with Arsenal at the Emirates this season. We played a good game and particularly a good first half. We should have been going in at half time with a lead but the [penalty]
decision went against us and we lost a sloppy goal just after half time.
Arsenal had a good spell after that, but we were always in the game at 2-1. At St. Andrew's we obviously have a spring in our step and feel a bit more confident. Although we're playing another potential Barclays Premier League champion it won't stop our players
having a go”.
Time for Arsenal to demonstrate defensive solidarity in quest for consistency
After wining against Chelsea earlier this week, the Gunners blew the chance to go on level points with league leaders, Manchester United, being held to a draw against Wigan Athletic at DW Stadium.
Arsene Wenger made eight changes to his starting eleven against Wigan Athletic in an attempt to freshen things up, but it backfired on him. The unfamiliar Arsenal team failed to perform well and had to settle for a draw.
Many Gunners’ faithful will wonder if their Gaffe grasped the irony of calling for consistency to build on the win than making wholesale changes in his own team selection and paying the price.
Arsenal’s manager defended his decision, insisting his squad had to be rotated with the games coming thick and fast.
Arsene Wenger will certainly be looking for a win over Birmingham City on the New Year’s Day at St Andrew’s, lately something of a bogey ground for the Gunners.
Worryingly for Wenger, the fixture against the Latics highlight the ongoing issues that could yet conspire to rob his team of the title once again.
Arsenal has too often seemed susceptible to throwing away leads, usually due to sloppy goals conceded which raise questions about leadership, or the lack of it, in their defence.
Arsenal’s two summer signings, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Laurent-Koscielny-c21742 and Sebastien Squillaci, have both failed to convince the heart of Arsenal’s defence.
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