if Wenger picked his first choice team we’d have a bench that could include Walcott, Rosicky, Vela, Eduardo and Bendtner. Some serious attacking changes that we could make if we’re struggling to score like we have been in the league recently

After my slightly negative league predictions before the last league game, football has once again shown it’s ability to change quickly and we now find ourselves only three points behind an under pressure Villa, who have lost four of their last six games, after successfully making our way to the quarter finals of two cup competitions. Maybe the season’s not over after all. We play the day before Villa the next four Premier League weekends in a row, meaning that we have the opportunity to go ahead of them, at the very least on goal difference, before each of their next four games which includes fixtures away at Anfield and Old Trafford, and at home to Everton. Villa are on TV each of those weekends, we’re only being shown once, so the focus and pressure really is on them. If we can’t get back into the Champions League places during the next month, as Eduardo, Walcott, Adebayor, Fabregas and Rosicky all return after injury, then we don’t deserve to end up there. Simple as that, really. It’s certainly looking far more promising.

Those five players coming back will certainly give a boost to the squad though. If (gigantic if) we can keep the squad fit with that lot back in it, then we have some real attacking options available to us, which should allow us to go for both the cups while maintaining our challenge for fourth in the league. With everyone available, if Wenger picked his first choice team we’d have a bench that could include Walcott, Rosicky, Vela, Eduardo and Bendtner. Some serious attacking changes that we could make if we’re struggling to score like we have been in the league recently, rather than have Eboue and Song trundle on at 0-0 as if they’re ever going to make a difference. As we keep saying, Villa will continue to drop points here and there (maybe not as freely as they are at the moment, but they will again) and the pressure is on them, but only if we actually get back to beating teams other than those four points adrift at the bottom of the table. Starting with fat faced walrus looking cunt extraordinaire’s latest bunch of anti-football cunts, while Villa take on the spuds at home on Sunday. Could Tottenham do us a favour? Probably not.

Blackburn have won two of their last three league games and have only lost a few under Allardyce. We’re looking for our first home league goal since the 10th of January. We’ve scored one league goal at home in 2009. Stoke have scored one home goal less than us this season, West Brom have managed one goal more.

We’ve beaten Blackburn the last three times we’ve played them in all competitions. The last time they beat us in the league was February 2006 at Ewood Park. The last time they beat us at home was back in 2002, Edu scoring our only goal in a 2-1 defeat. In their current eight season stretch in the Premier League, we’ve beaten them ten times, drawn with them twice and been beaten three times. We’ve won our last five home league games against them.

Team News

There’ll probably be some changes from the team that snuck past Roma last night. Wenger may want to freshen the team up a bit after a hard fought 120 minutes. Arshavin will come back into the starting team in place of Eboue and Song could come into central midfield. It’s the same squad as the Roma game, except Eduardo picked up a groin injury against Roma and will miss this game. Rosicky, Adebayor and Fabregas should be back after the international break next week.

Subs: Fabianski, Djourou, Denilson, Ramsey, Eboue, Walcott, Vela.

Paul Robinson has had a shoulder problem, but he played last night against Fulham and he’ll play on Saturday as long as he came through that unscathed. Brett Emerton and Stephen Reid are out for the season. Santa Cruz has been ruled out of this game so Jason Roberts will probably start upfront on his own.