Match Preview: Blackburn Rovers vs. Arsenal

By Matt Holmes / September 17, 2011

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger somewhat in the two weeks since the end of the transfer window and despite how unconvincing they have performed against Swansea and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League mid-week, as long as they keep grinding out results, the free flowing and awesome football we've seen from them in the past can wait. Points are of the utmost importance at this stage... playing like Champions is another day's concern. Today's early afternoon 12.45pm kick-off against a struggling Blackburn Rovers and an even more under pressure boss in Steve Kean really couldn't be a better match for the Gunners to pick up another three points and mould new signings Yossi Benayoun and Mikel Arteta into the playmakers Wenger believes them to be. They may not have the skill and pace and imagination of the departed Cesc Fabregas or Sami Nasri but they have proven Premier League experience and are quality players who can turn Arsenal's team around and just have them playing well again. Bottom of the league Blackburn look woeful up front and unable to threaten most sides, picking up only one point so far this season. It's not really been from a lack of effort either but more a lack of quality and it'll be up to Gael Givet, former Gunners target Christopher Samba and the pacy full back Martin Olsson to be strong at the back again to keep the Arsenal speed at bay. And if things really start badly today for Blackburn they could be dead and buried within 30 minutes. The crowd have grown tired of their run of form at home, winning only one of their last nine matches at Ewood Park and patience for results are running extremely thin.

Team News

For Blackburn, the impressive Junior Hoilett has passed fit for the game which is a huge boost for the home side, though Morten Gamst Pedersen (hamstring), David Dunn (calf) and Ryan Nelsen (knee) all face late tests and are all doubts. Arsenal should be a much stronger threat with Gervinho back from his three-match suspension he gained on the opening day of the season, as too Alex Song who was post-convicted with video evidence for stamping on Joey Barton in the same game at St James' Park. The latter should help strengthen what has been a dodgy centre of the park, especially with Aaron Ramsey out, Tomasz Rosicky a doubt with a knee injury and Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby both long term absentees with knee injuries. Youngster Ryo Miyaichi isn't expected to play either. Blackburn (from): Robinson, Dann, Samba, Olsson, Salgado, Givet, Dunn, Petrovic, Nzonzi, Hoilett, Formica, Goodwillie, Rochina, Lowe, Roberts, Yakubu, Vukcevic, Hanley, Pedersen, Slew, Blackman, Bunn. Arsenal (from): Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Benayoun, Walcott, Song, Arteta, Van Persie, Gervinho, Fabianski, Santos, Frimpong, Chamakh, Park, Djourou, Arshavin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jenkinson, Ramsey. Arsenal should have too much quality for Blackburn and the pace of Walcott, Van Persie and the endeavour from Arshavin, Benayoun and Arteta will be too much for them. I think it'll be fairly comfortable today for the visitors and I'm betting on Van Persie to score once again away from home for Arsenal, having netted 10 in an impressive 11 away games away from the Emirates. Prediction 0-3 Blackburn Rovers vs. Manchester United is the lunchtime kick-off live on Sky Sports. Kick off at 12.45pm.