Friday, February 16, 2007

ARSENAL CONFIDENT OF BEATING BLACKBURN AFTER EVENTFUL WEEK


Arsenal scored two goals in the last nine minutes to beat Wigan in the Premier League and survived an extra-time cup game against Bolton.

The Gunners should be confident heading into a fifth-round FA Cup match against Blackburn on Saturday, especially after beating Blackburn 6-2 and 2-0 in league action this season.

Coach Arsene Wenger's team, which is also in the Feb. 25 League Cup final against Chelsea and next Tuesday visits PSV Eindhoven in the last 16 of the Champions League, is going through a busy spell of games.

Meeting Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on Thursday at least was on a break day after Wednesday's grueling 3-1 victory over Bolton.

"There is not much time for Saturday. That is a problem we have at the moment," Wenger said. "The fatigue factor is important. We didn't wish to play extra time (against Bolton) but, as long as you win, you hope you can recover. I will change a few players on Saturday, that is for sure."

Wenger rested Thierry Henry, Jens Lehmann and Cesc Fabregas for the game at Bolton, which the Gunners won despite missing two penalties. Although he often uses his young backup players in cup games, Wenger may recall his big names for Saturday's game against Rovers at the Emirates Stadium.

Entering the Bolton game as a substitute, Fredrik Ljungberg made his first appearance after a long injury layoff and scored. Wenger may reward Jeremie Aliadiere, who set up that goal, with another start.

"Aliadiere is a good player," Wenger said. "He has made a huge improvement this year. But he was always injured in the seasons before. This is the first year when he has been completely clear, and sometimes you need patience with young players."

Blackburn comes off a 3-2 UEFA Cup loss at Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday and will be without South Africa striker Benni McCarthy, who picked up an Achilles tendon injury against the Bundesliga side.

Morten Gamst Pedersen is sidelined with a hamstring problem, and manager Mark Hughes is also without Robbie Savage, Andre Ooijer and Steven Reid. He plans to rest talented Turkish midfielder Tugay Kerimoglu.

"Tugay has been a big player this season and played a lot of games," Hughes said. "I have to protect him because he is an influential player for us. We have big games coming up two or three times a week until the end of May ... at times he will have to be rested."

Bruno Berner and Christopher Samba were unavailable for the UEFA Cup game but can face Arsenal while forward Matt Derbyshire should return after a thigh injury.

Also Saturday in the FA Cup, Premier League leader Manchester United hosts Reading, which has climbed to sixth in its first ever season in the top flight, while Chelsea hosts Norwich from the League Championship.

Middlesbrough, which needed a penalty shootout to beat League One club Bristol City after a 2-2 extra-time draw, hosts West Bromwich Albion, which is second in the League Championship and pushing hard for a return to the top flight.

Watford hosts another League Championship club, Ipswich, while the lower division is guaranteed a team in the quarterfinal because Plymouth meets Derby.

On Sunday, eight-time FA Cup winner Tottenham visits Fulham, which lost to West Ham in its only appearance in the final 31 years ago, while Manchester City visits Preston, another strong League Championship side which is chasing promotion to the top flight for the first time since 1961.

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