Premier League: Blackburn Rovers vs. Arsenal - Match Preview
Arsenal goes to Blackburn this weekend with some unfinished business. The Gunners lost their last match at Ewood Park 2-1. It was the last home game for Blackburn Rovers last season, and they got Arsenal at the worst possible time. Arsenal, who were title contenders in the early part of the season, lost their way and went to Ewood Park on the back of defeats against Wigan Athletic and Tottenham Hotspur.
Sam Allardyce, the manager of Blackburn, has said that his team is capable of repeating the same performance against Arsenal. Blackburn won their last match 1-0 this season at home against Everton and are in good form. David Dunn is expected to start, while Vince Grella is still struggling to recover in time for the match. Keith Edwards also remains a doubtful starter.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger may be looking to call back Laurent Koscielny in the centre of defence. The French defender was not part of the team in the 6-0 win against Blackpool. It was the biggest home win at Emirates for Arsenal. Alex Song may be the one to miss out in defence and may find himself on the bench. Cesc Fabregas is still suffering from a minor virus and may be a late decision, while Robin van Persie is likely to start. The two most influential players in the Arsenal squad have not yet started together this season; Wenger has a long list of players who are still some way off from full fitness. Nicklas Bendtner and Samir Nasri, however, have recovered to some degree while Aaron Ramsey, Denilson and Emmanuel Frimpong are still not available.
Mame Diouf may be given his first start in the league by Allardyce; Diouf is on loan to Rovers from Manchester United. The exciting new prospect scored a fantastic hat-trick in the midweek Carling cup tie, where Blackburn Rovers beat Norwich City 3-1.
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce said that whenever his team plays at home, there is added confidence. He said that last season, they had some fantastic results at Ewood Park and he would make sure they continue to do well there. He added that it has been the case in the last two seasons, and home form is what has carried the team. Allardyce said that when he took the job at Blackburn, the club was in the bottom three and threatened by relegation, but points at home kept them up.
When asked about his relationship with the Arsenal manager, Allardyce said that like most foreign managers, he likes to keep a distance. He added that he is a fantastic manager and he holds utmost respect for Wenger, but they both share a professional relationship and nothing more. He said that former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was pretty much the same and kept to himself mostly. He said that Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is also someone who has never stepped in his office prior to or after the game.
He said that with a British manager, it’s just very normal to go and meet the team manager after the game, and share a drink or two.
Arsene Wenger said that he is very excited about the form of his young team. He said that most of the players in his team have been targeted by the media and critics, but the abilities of even Rooney, Zidane, Gerrard and other such players were questioned in their early years. Therefore, he asked football pundits and critics to give them time and they will deliver. He said that he keeps telling his team that they should do all their talking on the pitch, and that is all that matters.
Wenger went on to say that last season’s defeat is still fresh in both his and his team’s memory. He said that the whole team is determined to put the score right and get another big win.
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