English Premier League – Match Preview: Arsenal versus Birmingham City
Arsenal take on Birmingham City on 16th of October, 2010 in an attempt to wrestle back their place in the top three of the English Premier League yet again this season. Arsenal have had a relatively good start to their season but as always, the
Gunners are suffering due to chronic fitness problems that some of their big name players are suffering from. Birmingham City on the other hand is on a regressive path this season, after gaining promotion to the English Premier League last season. Alex McLeish’s
men did very well to stay retain their place in the top tier of English football for another season.
In the 2010/2011 season, Birmingham has tried different formations and with the influx of new players, Alex McLeish has been tinkering around with his side a bit too much. As a result, they have seen a sudden dip in their form. Birmingham began their league
season with a 2-2 draw away at the Stadium of Light against Sunderland F.C.
That result back then was a good one for Birmingham as Sunderland have given the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United as well as Manchester City a tough time at their home stadiums. Following the draw with Sunderland, Birmingham hosted Blackburn Rovers
at the Saint Andrew’s Stadium. Alex McLeish’s team gave a good account of themselves against the Rovers and won the match by 2-1. After the win against Blackburn, Birmingham played out a boring goalless draw against Bolton Wanderer’s in their next league match
at the Reebok Stadium. In their fourth match of the league season, Birmingham held the mighty Liverpool to a goalless draw at the Saint Andrew’s Stadium.
In reality, it was a match that the men in blue and white should have won but they were denied all three points thanks to Pepe Reina’s goalkeeping heroics for the Reds. However, Birmingham’s biggest loss of the season came in their match at the Hawthorns
Stadium against West Bromwich Albion. In a match that was supposed to be an evenly balanced encounter, West Brom ripped apart the fragile Birmingham defence and inflicted a 3-1 defeat on Alex McLeish’s boys. Birmingham’s last two matches in the English league
have ended in disaster. They lost to Everton at home and drew 0-0 against Wigan Athletic.
Alternatively, Arsenal began their league campaign with a hope that they will be able to put an end to their 5 year trophy drought. In their first match of the English Premier League season, Arsenal took on Liverpool at Anfield, in what was an enthralling
encounter. Arsenal barely escaped with a 1-1 draw due to Pepe Reina’s last minute mistake in Liverpool’s goal. After that encounter, Arsenal travelled to Ewood Park to face Blackburn Rovers, in what was anticipated to be a bruising matchup between the two
sides. Arsenal ended up as eventual winners by 2-1.
Arsenal then went onto win their next league match by 4-1 against Bolton before drawing against Sunderland in their fourth league match of the 2010/2011 Premier League season at the Stadium of Light. Disappointingly enough, Arsenal have failed to win either
of their last two encounters in the English Premier League as in their last match they were beaten convincingly by Chelsea through goals by Alex and Didier Drogba and before that they suffered a shock defeat at the Emirates Stadium at the hands of the new
comers West Bromwich Albion.
Despite the fact that Arsenal are going through a bad run in form, they are favourites to win against Birmingham, scheduled to take place at the Emirates Stadium. Nonetheless, the Gunners are set to participate in the match without their captain, Cesc Fabregas.
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