An early goal for Arsenal without gifting the opposition a goal start from a long punt up field will be just the tonic. The longer Birmingham keep Arsenal at bay the more they will play anti-football

It has felt like an eternity since we witnessed that sparkling attacking performance against Blackburn Rovers on Sunday 4th October. The International matches have been frustrating as Arsene Wenger would have wanted his players to have taken that confidence into the next game, I like I am sure Arsene will be hoping that the players can continue from where they left off.

The build up before the game will almost definitely be about what happened in the last match where the two sides faced each other. Funnily enough both of those players are unlikely to feature for their respective clubs due to injuries. Personally I hope that is the case, mainly because I am getting slightly tired of that story. Eduardo has recovered from his awful injury and although he is still subject to niggles every now and then we know that he will be alright in time and can continue an impressive Arsenal career.

Arsenal are the leagues top goal scorers and Birmingham have racked up an impressive defensive record up until now. Cesc and company will want to put a dent in that record. It is very possible that the Arsenal performance would have planted a little seed of doubt into the Birmingham City players. What will be important will be when the first goal goes in. Birmingham City have played 4-5-1 since the beginning of the season even at home against teams that they would be hoping to pick up points from so you cannot imagine their approach being any different at the Emirates.

An early goal for Arsenal without gifting the opposition a goal start from a long punt up field will be just the tonic. The longer Birmingham keep Arsenal at bay the more they will play anti-football, and the more frustrating it can become for the Arsenal players.

So far getting behind opposition defenders hasn’t been a problem and with the confidence pretty high I do not expect anything other than an Arsenal victory, having said that I think the game will be more Olympiakos than Blackburn Rovers.

I expect the team to remain pretty close to the team that effectively dismantled Blackburn at the Emirates. Gael Clichy will be missing after picking up an ankle problem for France so Kieran Gibbs is likely to play at left back. This is probably Gibbs’ best opportunity to displace the Frenchman after an inconsistent start to the season. This is where he needs to stamp his authority on the game and prove that he can be Arsene’s first choice left back.

Emmanuel Eboue could be an option at right back depending on the fitness of Bacary Sagna who has been busy playing for both France and Arsenal.

Eboue’s attacking nature could be a good tool to use against a side that will be looking to sit back and contain us. Eboue has been in fine form of late and I would nod approvingly if he is selected to play in that position.

I see Gibbs and Eboue as two full backs who can provide that extra attacking quality in the final third. Gibbs has a wonderful cross, while Eboue has the pace and power to fly past the opposition.

Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela will also be missing from the squad thanks to injury and the International matches. Apart from that I expect the side to remain the same. Abou Diaby has recovered from an ankle knock which saw him sit out for the French but his minor problem has now been resolved.

The most interesting decision that Arsene Wenger has to make is who to call upon to guard the posts. Lukasz Fabianski is not quite ready to come back into the squad but Manuel Almunia is ready to play after having the longest chest infection in human history. It seems quite clear that chest problems were not the reason why Almunia was left out of the firing line. The easiest conclusion would be lack of form but we do not know what is happening in the players personal lives or what mental state they are in every week. Whatever the issue was, it appears to have cleared up and now Arsene has to make a very important decision. I suppose that depends on how the players are performing in training and how highly the manager rates the two. It is a difficult one but if Almunia was back to his best then I would reinstate the Spaniard because of the vast experience he has but if he wasn’t 100% mentally or physically then I would gladly keep Mannone in goal as his form of late has deserved it.

Mean Lean’s Predicted Line Up

The timing of a first goal should one be scored is crucial, I have the feeling that Birmingham will frustrate Arsenal for spells during the game but we will have enough firepower to put Birmingham City to the sword.

Mean Lean’s Match Prediction