Injury-hit Arsenal face Birmingham City
After a week of FA Cup actions, Premier League clubs return to business as usual in the Premiership, which is the foremost priority in every club’s domestic season. Arsenal are involved in all four domestic and European competitions but winning the Premiership is Arsene Wenger’s main aim. This weekend the Gunners welcome Alex Mcleish’s relegation-threatened Birmingham City at the massively imposing Emirates Stadium knowing that they are heavily hit by a series of injuries to key players at key places. The very fact that Kolo Toure, Alexander Song and Emmanuel Eboue have left for the African Cup of Nations has not helped the matter either. Arsenal struggled in midweek against Tottenham in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg, although many frontline players were missing. But what is hurting the team most from the match is the fact that Phillippe Senderos, Johan Djorou, Robin Van Persie and Theo Walcott suffered injuries. It is a certainty that both Djorou and Van Persie would miss the game and there are question marks over the fitness of Senderos and Walcott. If Senderos does not recover from his knee knock, Justin Hoyte, Gilberto or even Bacary Sagna could start at the center-half position. Emmanuel Adebayor, Cesc Fabregas, skipper William Gallas, Manuel Almunia, Alexander Hleb and Mathieu Flamini are all set to return on Saturday. The attacking fire-power is not a problem as in-form Eduardo would partner high-scoring Adebayor .
The clash against Birmingham City is an interesting one given that a lot of young Arsenal players travel to the Midlands as loaned or transferred players. The likes of Niclas Bendtner and Johan Djorou honed their skills at St.Andrew’s while Sebastian Larsson and Fabrice Muamba rubbed shoulders with the likes of Fabregas and Flamini before permanently becoming a Brummie. The blues are just two points adrift of the relegation zone and Alex Mcleish would surely put out a defensive minded team although Mikel Forsell and Cameron Jerome would be pretty handful for the injury-hit Arsenal defense. Damien Johnson is set to play with a skull guard after suffering a slight skull fracture a fortnight ago.
Given the difference of quality and form between the two sides, it could be a long afternoon for the side from the second city, although you never know what could happen in football. Just ask West Ham. As a result Arsene Wenger knows very well that there is no scope for complacency in English football and his boys would go all out to take the unbeaten run to ten matches in all competitions since losing at the Riverside. My personal humble prediction is a comfortable 2-0 win for the Gunners.
