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DATE: Saturday
15 October 2005
MATCH PREVIEW BY: Dale Brookes
So we face Arsenal on Saturday and yet another game I feel we will get no
points from, especially taking recent form into account. Even though they
have three of their best players out in Campbell, Cole and Henry I still
think we are facing a massive task to even get a point as they have so
much strength in depth and are able to fill those positions with other
quality players. Also, having had a poor start to the season they are
slowly starting to click into top gear and I can honestly see us getting
turned over big time. I really hope Robson doesn't go with 4-5-1 like he
did against Blackburn with Campbell (if he's fit) up front on his own as
we will be asking for trouble, our defence will be put under so much
pressure that conceding goals will just be inevitable like at Ewood Park a
fortnight ago. COME ON YOU BAGGIES!!! Albion:
Boss Bryan Robson has
injury doubts with Kanu (hamstring), Diomansy Kamara (illness), Zoltan
Gera (groin) and Kevin Campbell (ankle) all facing a race against time to
be fit for the game. That could possibly mean Nathan Ellington may get
only his second Premiership start since joining from Wigan Athletic in the
summer.
Arsenal:
With the exception of
Thierry Henry, Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole manager Arsene Wenger has no
other major injury worries going into Saturday's
game. Pascal Cygan and Gael Clichy could feature as the Gunners look to
build on their 1-0 win at home to Birmingham City a fortnight ago.
This Season:
Arsenal currently lie in 7th place in the Premiership with 13 points
from seven games. They were beaten in the FA Community Shield at Cardiff by
Chelsea. Thierry Henry is the club's leading scorer with three
goals. The Gunners have won four and drawn one of their last five games,
beating Birmingham City 1-0 at Highbury in the most recent. Last Season:
Finished as
runners-up to Chelsea in the Barclays Premiership. Reached the last 16 of
the Champions League before bowing out to German side Bayern Munich. Won
the FA Community Shield by beating Manchester United at the Millennium
Stadium and also won the FA Cup after beating the Reds in a penalty
shoot-out at the same venue but Arsene Wenger's men were beaten by United
in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup. Thierry Henry finished the season as
Arsenal's top goalscorer with 30 league and cup goals.
The Manager:
Despite having a very modest playing career Arsene Wenger has
gone on to become one of
Europe's top coaches. Born in
Strasbourg in 1949 he
began his playing career in the French third division with Mutzig. Spells
at Mulhouse, Vauban and home-town club Strasbourg.
He took his first steps towards management
by becoming youth coach at
Strasbourg
in 1981 before spending a short spell as Cannes
assistant coach in 1983.
He took over as
Nancy coach in
1984 and stayed there for three years before taking over at Monaco, the
club where he would make his name at.
During his seven years in
charge there he managed to win the French league and never once did the
club finish outside of the top three. He also won the French Cup in 1991
and reached the final of the Cup Winners Cup in 1992. Surprisingly he was
sacked by the French club in 1994.
After leaving
Monaco he spent a year in
Japan at Grampus Eight, he took them from third from bottom of the league
into second place and guided them to a Japanese Cup win.
He took over at Arsenal in 1996 replacing Bruce Rioch.
Success quickly followed, in 1998 he led them to a league and cup double,
a feat they repeated four years later. After three Premiership titles and
four FA Cup wins Arsene Wenger will go down in
history as one of the all-time great managers.
Squad List (Squad numbers in brackets):
Goalkeepers: Defenders: Midfielders: Strikers: Ones To Watch: Robin van Persie - One of the most underrated strikers in the
Premiership, has pace and can finish too. Fredrik Ljungberg - Very unpredictable, a creative midfielder
who can shoot with both feet. Dennis Bergkamp -
Dutch master who is still going strong at 36 years of age, full of tricks
and has the ability to change a game at anytime.
The two clubs first met in
competitive action during the 1900/01 season, Albion running out 1-0
winners in an FA Cup second round tie at the then Woolwich Arsenal's Manor
Ground, Ben Garfield the scorer of the only goal of the game.
The first league meeting of the two club's came during
the following season, Albion lost the first game at Arsenal 2-1 before
winning the return game twelve days later at The Hawthorns 2-1, Chippy
Simmons and Billy Lee the Albion scorers.
Albion's biggest win against Arsenal came in October
1922 at The Hawthorns, legendary striker Freddie Morris hit four goals in a 7-0 victory.
Arsenal's best victory over Albion is 6-2,
achieved in September 1970 at Highbury.
The Baggies' last victory over Arsenal came in December
1978 at Highbury, current boss Bryan Robson and Ally Brown the Albion
scorers in a 2-1 victory. Albion's last win at The Hawthorns was
achieved in February 1973, Tony Brown scoring the only goal of the game in
a 1-0 victory.
Arsenal have won on each of their last three visits to
The Hawthorns.
Last Meeting
At The Hawthorns
Albion 0-2
Arsenal
Albion: Hoult, Albrechtsen (Horsfield 80), Gaardsoe, Moore,
Clement, Robinson, Greening, Wallwork, Richardson, Gera (Kanu 80), K
Campbell (Earnshaw 80). Subs not used: Kuszczak (gk), Scimeca Arsenal: Lehmann, Lauren, Toure, Senderos, Cole, Fabregas (Edu
74), Vieira, Gilberto, Pires, Reyes, Van Persie (Bergkamp 74). Subs not
used: Almunia (gk), S Campbell, Alliadiere Goalscorers: Van Persie 66, Edu 93 Referee: Neale Barry (North Lincolnshire) Half-Time: Albion 0-0 Arsenal Attendance:
27,351
Two second half strikes for Arsenal left the Baggies with
their first home defeat since Boxing Day last year as they slipped ever
closer to that dreaded drop into the Championship. Robin van Persie took
66 minutes to break the deadlock before Brazilian midfielder Edu settled
the contest with a late strike to end any hopes Robson's men had of
holding on for a point at the Hawthorns.
Current Connections
Albion striker Kevin Campbell started his career with
the London giants in 1988 and went on to make over 150 appearances for the
Gunners before leaving to join Nottingham Forest in 1995.
Nigerian star
Kanu moved to Arsenal from Ajax in 1996 and spent six years at Highbury
before moving to Albion in July 2004.
Junichi Inamoto spent a year on loan at Arsenal from
Japanese side Gamba Osaka but failed to make a single league appearance.
Past Connections
Amongst the
players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Kwame
Ampadu, Paul Barron, Vince Bartram, Brendon Batson, David Cork, Bobby
Gould, Don Howe, Alan Miller, Brian Talbot, Steve Walford and Chris Whyte.
Don Howe played for and managed both clubs whilst
former Arsenal and Albion players Brian Talbot and Bobby Gould were both
managers at The Hawthorns. Albion manager of the 1960's Archie Macaulay
played for Arsenal.
Gordon Clark, Albion's manager from 1959-61 later
became chief scout at Arsenal.
Former Albion assistant manager Colin Addison had a
spell as a player at Highbury whilst George Wright was a physio / trainer
at both clubs.
ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS ARSENAL LAST TEN MATCHES AGAINST ARSENAL
Tickets for this Category A game are now on general sale. |
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