After such a brilliant display in Spain, the match at Blackburn could very well spoil the buzz. Rovers can be so easily forgotten as they have been mired in mediocrity for several years. Rovers now possess a consistant back four, a talented midfield and strikers with heart and an eye for goal. Steadily moving up the table, this match can see Rovers leaping ahead of the Gunners with a win.
Brad Friedl will always be a force between the posts but he has had some help from a backline who are playing with a consistency they have not had for two years. Neill, Gray, Nelson and Todd have had most of the play between them and Rovers have seen themselves move up the table as they grow together.
The midfeild is a truly interesting set. David Bentley, the former Gunner and Norwich player, has gotten 15 starts this season. His talents are on display in every minute he’s on the pitch and some fans wonder how we let this kid go. Brett Emerton has finally started to live up to the expectations many had for him. He has seen his time on the pitch increase, though he looks to not have factored in the last few matches. No injury report to find, he may just be out of form for now. Savage is always Savage, and Pederson always Pederson but a young talent by the name of Kuqi has been showcased of late. The Finnish International leads the team in assists with limit starts. I thought you had to put a “u” after “q”, it’s seems no matter for footballers.
Finally, the strike force is much improved. Bellamy leads the team in scoring with 7 goals in 11 matches. His intensity is felt through each player and he has done well to live up to the expectation many had when he moved from Newcastle. He is now paired with Pongolle, from Liverpool. He had little to do at Liverpool and got little playing time. He stands to make a difference in a Rovers squad that needs a player to off set the responsibilities of Bellamy.
Rovers are a far better side at home(8W-2D-2L) than on the road. They sit in 7th place and just one point behind the Gunners. The Gunners must focus on getting the win and putting distance between them and a side that just might push them to the last minute.
Blackburn 1-2 Arsenal
19 Responses to “Blackburn Rovers”
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February 24th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
No question Hughes has brought stability and resiliency to Blackburn. I also wondered why Wenger decided to release Bentley so quickly when he did not get much of a chance to show his stuff in Arsenal’s first team. Could come back to haunt Arsenal this weekend - as Manure found out to their chagrin. Hughes knows the formula to beat Arsenal is to get into Arsenal’s faces. In Savage and Bellamy, he has the players to carry out that gameplan. I hope Wenger start Diaby to lend some weight and height to the middle of the park for Arsenal. Cesc and Gilberto on their own will find it tough against the likes of Savage.
Given Arsenal’s away EPL form, a 1-1 draw is realistic.
February 24th, 2006 at 12:53 pm
small correction - Kuqi is a vet at 30, has spent most of his career in england in div1 (the championship) and plays up front as a big target man..apart from that..
February 24th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Kuqi is a veteran forward which previously ply his trade at the Championship side Ipswich. Not really a young talent. Famous for his “airplane goal celebration”, not something he was able to showcase often this season though.
Blackburn, alongside, Bolton are the modern day Wimbledon. It’s very much an image of Mark Hughes himself during his playing days - tough and aggressive, though Hughes probably got a little bit more flair.
It’s gonna be a difficult task ahead for the Gunners, the way things going so far, we don’t really afraid of being outplayed, we worry more being outmuscled. But it’s a good opportunity for the youngsters in our team to learn to deal with that, and it can’t do them no harm as they will only get better and better playing physically tough opposition like Rovers. When they face less physical side in the future, they would feel life much easier.
February 24th, 2006 at 1:13 pm
This one is going to be tough, but unlike Bolton, we’re not afraid of them. Its a real shame Robin’s still injured cause he cuts through these punks like they were old fruit.
Bellamy could cause real problems for whomever we have at left back. But then he’s got to get past our immense keeper. Lehmann is man of the year, easy.
For those of us who thought we’d have to play defensive against madrid to sneak a free kick, that might be well observed here. There’s just nobody to put the ball in the net with regularity in a tie like this. However, 4-4-2 with Diaby in the middle of the park and Adebayor winning 50-50’s just might give Friedel’s hands lots to do.
All the evidence for me points to 0-0, 1-1, maybe a 1 nil if we hold it together and aren’t too tired from Tuesday and travel. I’m mostly curious to see how we attack this one after Madrid. If we look lackluster, we’ll know that all we really can be arsed to do is show up for the CL, as that’s all Henry is looking to do at the moment.
Up the Arse, Kiss the Crest, Keep the Faith!
February 24th, 2006 at 1:31 pm
I really am hoping the performance at Madrid carries over. Perhaps the players will realize just what some intense commitment can do, along with great determination.
I’d like to see the same EXACT side on the pitch that played in Spain… playing the same way with the same emotion.
I’m going to go for another SOLID hard working performance from the Arsenal. If we can beat Real Madrid in Spain, we can beat Blackburn up north.
2-0 to the Arsenal.
February 24th, 2006 at 7:42 pm
2-1 Blackburn for me.
February 24th, 2006 at 10:03 pm
Iraqu??
February 24th, 2006 at 10:13 pm
Hrmmm arsenal away from home.. ill go for a 1 nil to arsenal.. hopefully we play as well as we did in madrid.
February 24th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
You are priceless!
Noting this one.
Didn’t you have Madrid 3-0 or 4-0?
February 24th, 2006 at 11:25 pm
Hard to call.. Most of the players are still high on the win at Madrid and that might be bad news. If we play as a team and like men I say 3 nill to Arsenal but if we play like girlies we will be fighting to get into Europe let alone CL.
That is why I said this game is very important than the Madrid game.
February 25th, 2006 at 12:35 am
We’ve had a number of false dawns this season.
4-1 Fulham followed by 1-2 Boro
2-1 Ajax followed by 1-2 West Brom
4-0 Pompey followed by 0-0 Aston Villa
7-0 Boro followed by 0-1 Everton
2-0 Birmingham followed by 0-0 Bolton and 0-1 Liverpool
So it’s easy not to get carried away with the Real Madrid result. We will find out if the vets are really interested in fighting it out in the league or just shining on the big CL stage.
I am predicting a 1-1.
February 25th, 2006 at 7:41 am
Didn’t everyone have Madrid 3-0, 4-0?
Madrid played to our strengths, Blackburn won’t - they will play the football that has beaten us all season long.
You and your knee-jerk reactions. You change your mind like the weather Stag.
I’m not saying we can’t win, of course we can, but it will be very tough - especially as the players will be tired coming back from Madrid and Blackburn have just come back from a sunny holiday.
February 25th, 2006 at 10:05 am
While I am often pessimistic Danny…
I am HOPEFUL about the Arsenal.
I have hope we can win…
Many folks had Madrid burying us. Thats for sure.
I do DEFINITELY have the capacity to change my mind!
February 25th, 2006 at 10:50 am
1-0 to Blackburn at H/T
Anyone reckon the Primera Liga will let us play with them next season?
February 25th, 2006 at 11:56 am
Have not seen the game yet but saw this comment on eurosport:
Blackburn-Arsenal 50′ Blackburn are chasing down balls in every area of the pitch. Arsenal haven’t got time to think before they are being bullied off the ball
So was it again a case of F*** Blackburn thugs again? One day they might be able to play football again. But what do they care if they keep getting results being the pricks they are.
February 25th, 2006 at 11:59 am
Oh, isn’t it so lovely to be brought back to earth by goold old Blackburn.
I have some choice things to say of the some of the players, something much more important bothers me now.
ARSENAL WILL NOT BE PLAYING IN EUROPE NEXT YEAR!!!!
Wigan will take one UEFA Cup spot due to the Carling Cup. If one of Chelsea or Liverpool don’t make it to the FA Cup final, then only 5th place will give an European slot. I hope everybody at Arsenal understands the gravity of the situation.
February 25th, 2006 at 12:03 pm
The Thugs are above Arsenal now in the standings.
Seriously can Arsenal play Madrid every weekend as opposed to playing talentless crap? Because it was nice to see real football on Tuesday night.
F*cK!
February 25th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
I see Bolton still have 2 games on hand, West Ham are level on points…
February 25th, 2006 at 12:21 pm
I’ll be going to London in a couple weeks to see a few things
1- My 2 final matches at Highbury
2- Henry’s continuing audtions for Real\Barca, I don’t expect anything from him in the ‘pool game (unless he finds out the spanish producers are in the house) he’s obviously playing out the string, we’d better get at least GBP40 millon for him
3-Seeing a true sportsman play live a couple more times. So long Dennis.
It’s good that the Grove is bigger, because with no european matches next year, us north americans won’t have as many games to get tickets for.
Long live the Arsenal Football Club!!