Fabregas, Nasri and Walcott to get a rest ahead of the three important games in the next two weeks. Arshavin will start, with Eboue on the opposite flank

Good result in Spain, and our focus now returns to the league. With this fixture coming between the two legs of the Champions League quarter final, with an FA Cup semi final next weekend and then a trip to Anfield the Tuesday after, I expect Arsene will use this game for a bit of rotation. Not a massive amount, Arshavin will still play due to his European ineligibility, but five games in fourteen days is a bit much for Wenger to play his strongest team in every one, and with the six point cushion either side of us in the league, this game has to be viewed as the only chance to rest some of the key players. Handily, if the injured players return relatively quickly we have a big enough squad to rotate and still put out a strong team capable of winning. We can choose from Nasri and Vela on the left, Arshavin, Walcott and Eboue on the right, Song, Diaby, Fabregas and Denilson in the centre, and Bendtner, Eduardo, Adebayor and van Persie up front, two players for each position. The defence could be a problem though, we’ve now lost Gallas and Almunia for a while and any further injuries could leave us rather light at an absolutely crucial stage of the season.

Villa have now lost six of their last seven games in all competitions, and four in a row in the league. We have the opportunity to open up a nine point lead before they play Everton at home on Sunday. Everton have won four of their last six matches and are now only a point behind Villa and hoping to swoop in for the kill. If the game on Sunday is a draw or an Everton victory, our lead over fifth place could be increased to seven or eight points if we manage to beat Wigan, with only six matches to go. With three of those remaining games coming against the top three, and the other games against Middlesbrough, Portsmouth and Stoke coming at times when we’ll probably need to rest players, eight points worth of breathing space could come in very handy if we’re still challenging on all remaining fronts in May. The games where all the top four sides will need to rest players if they’re still involved in the Champions League could be a good opportunity to catch up on the teams above us if we manage to win our games.

Wigan currently sit eighth in the table, three points behind West Ham who are currently set to occupy the third Europa League spot. They’ve only won three games out of thirteen in 2009, but had won two in a row before they were soundly beaten 4-0 by Everton at Goodison Park last weekend. Before that they had gone seven consecutive games without a win, including three goalless draws in a row. I mean, seriously, who does that? At home in the league this season Wigan have only managed fourteen goals in fifteen matches, a record beaten only by Middlesbrough with thirteen. Top scorer Amr Zaki hasn’t scored since December 28th. We’ve already beaten Wigan twice this season, 1-0 at home in the league in December and the kids demolished them 3-0 in the Carling Cup in November. We’ve played Wigan eleven times in recent years, winning every game apart from in the Carling Cup semi final in 2006, and a draw at the JJB Stadium last season as part of our run of five games without a win that cost us the league. Wigan haven’t beaten a “Big Four” side in twenty nine attempts.

Team News

I would expect Fabregas, Nasri and Walcott to get a rest ahead of the three important games in the next two weeks. Arshavin will start, with Eboue on the opposite flank. Bendtner and Vela could start up front, with Song and Denilson in central midfield. With Clichy out injured for a few games Gibbs or Silvestre will get a game at left back. Gallas is out injured with a suspected medial knee ligament problem, so Djourou will take his place, possibly alongside Silvestre at centre back to rest Toure. With Almunia’s ankle problem keeping him out for a few games, Fabianski will deputise. There’s no sign of Diaby returning from injury, but van Persie and Eduardo could perhaps be in the squad. There’s no point rushing them back with Adebayor on form, Bendtner available and an important game on Wednesday night.

Subs: Mannone, Silvestre, Ramsey, Fabregas, Walcott, Nasri, Vela.

Wigan