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109 posts
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Originally posted by xopa:pretty sure our lineup will be as such
Sagna Hoyte Gallas Clichy
Hleb Fabregas Flamini Rocisky
Eduardo AdebayorI like the midfield comb..but the defenders comb..is pretty alright i guess since hoyte was quite solid at the CB during the spurs match. But I think AW is gonna prolly use gilberto.
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Arsenal continue their quest for the Premier League title against Alex McLeish's Birmingham City at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners hold a two-point advantage over Manchester United, who play in Saturday's evening kick-off, and will be keen to apply pressure on their rivals with a victory over 16th-placed Birmingham.
Blues are on a rocky run of form compared to Arsene Wenger's men, having picked up just one league triumph in their previous six games.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are unbeaten in five and are likely to field a much-changed starting XI to that which drew 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur in Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final first leg.
Shortage
Wenger faces a shortage of natural centre-backs following Kolo Toure's departure to the African Cup of Nations and the absence of Johan Djourou - who misses out due to a groin injury.
Switzerland international Philippe Senderos is struggling with a knee injury, meaning that Gilberto Silva, Justin Hoyte and Bacary Sagna are on standby to partner William Gallas.
Emmanuel Eboue and Alexandre Song are both unavailable as they have flown out to represent their respective countries in Ghana.
Robin van Persie's fragmented season continues with the Dutchman suffering from flu, so Eduardo da Silva is poised to partner Emmanuel Adebayor up front.
Blues news
Djourou's return to Arsenal - after spending the first half of the season at St Andrew's - coupled with Radhi Jaidi's call-up to represent Tunisia at the African Cup of Nations has left McLeish short on defensive options too.
Martin Taylor looks likely to start alongside Liam Ridgewell, while Rafael Schmitz is back in the squad after injury.
Captain Damien Johnson is set to replace Ghana-bound Medhi Nafti and will wear a protective mask after he suffered a slight fracture of the skull a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, five-goal Olivier Kapo has recovered from a knee injury and travels with the squad.
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I knew I wasn't good enough for Arsenal, says Birmingham star Larsson
Sebastian Larsson is adamant his close friend Cesc Fabregas will be clutching a Premier League winners' medal in May, but insists he made the right decision to leave Arsenal - because he simply was not good enough for Arsene Wenger.
The Swedish midfielder returns to Emirates Stadium tomorrow to confront Fabregas for the first time since his £1million move to Birmingham City 12 months ago.
He is hoping to avoid the kind of master class from the Spaniard that convinced him he was never going to be part of Wenger's latest crop of youngsters that are lighting up the title race.
There were more than a few doubters about Arsenal's credentials back in the summer.
But Larsson, who spent five years being nurtured along with Fabregas, Gael Clichy and Nicklas Bendtner, was not one of them for the simple reason that his education in such company gave him a valuable insight into the potential at Wenger's disposal and his own short-comings.
He said: "I don't regret leaving. The reason was because I was not good enough. Simple as that. I am really grateful for my time there. I would not have got a better education anywhere else. I always believed in myself and I thought I was good enough, but at the same time you look around and see all the players in competition with you.
"I was not playing as much as I wanted to and you just have to be honest with yourself and take the next step.
"Many people in Sweden ask me why I failed at Arsenal. I don't see it like that at all. They helped make me the player I am today. I had the option to stay on, but I was not getting first-team football and I ran out of patience. I could not wait any longer. "I had to draw a line under it and move on. That was one step in my career. Now this is the next one."
He is expecting a flurry of text messages from Fabregas and Clichy, but it is the blur of red and white shirts at Emirates Stadium he fears more, from a team he believes have no peers in England, including Manchester United and Chelsea.
On his last visit to north London, Larsson, 22, scored a spectacular winner in the 3-2 win over Tottenham in December, so what does he think the odds are of lightening striking twice?
He added: "I think when they are on top of their game, they are definitely the best team in the country at the moment and there is no one that can play the football they can. I hope they are not on their game tomorrow.
"It is a matter of them sustaining that week-in, week out and they have done that so far this season. I know there were a lot of people who doubted them.
"I believe they will win the title. Even losing players to the African Nations' Cup, they have the squad to cope with that. Of course they are young, but they can cope with it, because they have been there and done it from an early age."
All of that is down to one person, according to Larsson - Wenger. From the bizarre shadow football that bemuses new arrivals, the strict food regimes and the meticulous planning, Larsson's five years of experience taught him that the Frenchman will never compromise his principles.
"What's his secret? He has got the way he wants to play football and he will not change. It does not matter what happens. He clones people for all positions and everything is repeated over and over until everyone has it right," added Larsson.
"As soon as he opens his mouth people listen and the reason the players who are first choice now are doing so well is because of the experience that Wenger makes sure they get. That is why they are as good as they are. He will never change that."
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Originally posted by felirox:I like the midfield comb..but the defenders comb..is pretty alright i guess since hoyte was quite solid at the CB during the spurs match. But I think AW is gonna prolly use gilberto.
gilberto.....................................
with him on the field, we just may lose this game.
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Originally posted by xopa:UPDATES ON THE FIRST 30MINS PLEASE!!!!!
i missed it just got home T_TLine-up:
24 Manuel Almunia
6 Philippe Senderos
10 William Gallas
22 Gaël Clichy
3 Bacary Sagna
4 Francesc Fabregas
16 Mathieu Flamini
13 Alexander Hleb
9 Eduardo
32 Theo Walcott
25 Emmanuel Adebayor
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No injuries yet.
Eduardo was fouled by Stephen Kelly of Birmingham City. Adebayor converted the penalty on the 21st minute.
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