Will317
09-24-2004, 06:18 PM
Tomorrow (on Saturday 24th September), Arsenal face an again struggling Man. City side, away at the City of Manchester Stadium. I think it will be a 2-0 win for Arsenal, but we will have to work hard to keep players like Wright-Phillips and Anelka quiet!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manchester City v. Arsenal
City of Manchester Stadium
Saturday, 25 September
Kick-off: 1500 BST
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manchester City welcome back Nicolas Anelka who was rested for the 7-1 win over Barnsley in midweek.
David James and Richard Dunne are also likely to return but Steve McManaman (Achilles), Trevor Sinclair (knee) and Claudio Reyna (hamstring) are all out.
Arsenal's Robert Pires is out with a foot injury, while Gilberto Silva has a back problem and may be out for a week.
But Sol Campbell is set to return to the defence for his first appearance of the season after an Achilles problem.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Man City (from): James, Waterreus, Mills, Distin, Dunne, Sommeil, Thatcher, Sun Jihai, Mills, Barton, Bosvelt, Sibierski, Wright-Phillips, Fowler, Macken, Anelka, Flood, Jordan, Bischoff.
Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Almunia, Taylor, Lauren, Hoyte, Campbell, Cole, Clichy, Toure, Cygan, Senderos, Vieira, Edu, Fabregas, Flamini, Reyes, Ljungberg, Pennant, Henry, Bergkamp, van Persie.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BIG-MATCH FACTS
MANCHESTER CITY sharpened up for the pursuit of a first ever Premiership victory over Arsenal with a 7-1 hammering of Barnsley in the Carling Cup midweek, for which strangely, they earned in the third round draw, a home fixture against Arsenal . Kevin Keegan, who was reportedly one game from the sack a week ago, now has the possibility of seeing his side win three on the trot. But they are facing the defending champions, who will be keen to get back on the winning track having surrendered their 100% start to Bolton last time out.
The Citizens have won only five of 22 League games staged at the City of Manchester Stadium, but they've netted 11 goals in three League and Cup games there this term. Nicolas Anelka scored a brace at Crystal Palace last Saturday. It was his second double of the season and took his tally to five and to the top of the chart for the Barclays Golden Boot, alongside Arsenal's Jose Antonio Reyes and Thierry Henry. Anelka would dearly love to increase this return against his former club mates.
City were unable to halt Arsenal's 100% start to the season in this corresponding fixture in August of last year. The Gunners came from behind to win their fourth game on the spin with Sylvain Wiltord and Freddie Ljungberg goals after a Lauren own goal. So now Keegan's club set about improving an abysmal record of one win in 10 home League clashes with Arsenal since 1990 - the one success being 1-0 in the old First Division on 28 December 1991.
ARSENAL go to Eastlands in search of their 250th all-time Premiership victory. Arsene Wenger's side are still unbeaten this season, with a 100% record on the road and two point advantage over the field at the head of the Premiership table.
The champions, who visit Norwegians Rosenborg Trondheim in the Champions League on Wednesday, are striving for a fifth consecutive away win in the top League to extend their much heralded unbeaten record to an amazing 47 League games and 27 away from Highbury. They've won 18 of the last 24 Premiership outings and netted an incredible 21 goals from six this season, averaging exactly three and a half goals per game.
The Gunners have eclipsed City in 12 of their 14 Premiership engagements, and in six of seven on City soil, including the last three 0-4, 1-5, 1-2.
Referee: Neale Barry (Lincolnshire)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM
MANCHESTER CITY
Club stats
Fixtures
11th 7 points
Highest achievable by the end of Saturday: 6th
Lowest could fall: 15th
A draw would mean City had gained exactly 100 Premiership points under Kevin Keegan.
City would need a win to take their total of League points won under Keegan past the 200 mark (198 at present).
Gone 10 top flight games since losing by more than single goal. That defeat being the 1-3 reverse by Southampton at the City of Manchester Stadium on 17 April.
Need to net four more times to total 200 all-time Premiership goals at home.
Gone 47 highest League matches since enjoying consecutive victories.
Last enjoyed back-to-back victories in the Premiership on 18 and 21 April 2003 against Tottenham (0-2 a) and Sunderland (3-0 h).
ARSENAL
Club stats
Fixtures
1st 16 points
Highest achievable by the end of Saturday:
Increase lead AT THE TOP to five points
Lowest could fall: 2nd
16 points out of 18 is Arsenal's best start to a League season since 1947.
Won 33 and drawn 13 Premiership games since losing 2-3 to Leeds on 4 May 2003.
Aiming for a fifth consecutive away League victory.
Won 16 and drawn 10 top tier encounters away from Highbury, since losing 2-0 at Blackburn on 15 March 2003.
Bagged 11 goals and conceded just two in winning all three League matches on the road (1-4 against Everton and Norwich, and 0-3 at Fulham).
Victory would give Arsenal 19 points. Their previous highest after the first seven games of a Premiership season was 17 in each of the last two seasons.
Gone 52 Premiership games since losing by more than a single goal (2-0, at Blackburn, March 2003).
At their most dangerous in the middle 15 minutes of the second half of Premiership games, when six of the 21 goals have been netted.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES
MANCHESTER CITY
Squad profiles...
If on the field at kick off, Robbie FOWLER will be making his 50th Premiership appearance for Manchester City.
The former Liverpool striker has been out of favour recently. But ten of FOWLER'S 144 career Premiership goals have been scored against Arsenal.
ARSENAL
Squad profiles...
Jose Antonio REYES and Manchester United's Alan SMITH are the top scorers among Premiership players of club League and Cup goals this season - six each.
REYES and clubmate Thierry HENRY top the Premiership scoring charts, with five, alongside Nicolas ANELKA of Man City.
Fredrik LJUNGBERG is a hat trick short of totalling 50 goals across the European leagues. The Swedish International has scored 37 Premiership goals for Arsenal, in addition to 10 top flight strikes for Halmstads BK in Sweden.
If involved, Patrick VIEIRA will be making his 250th Premiership appearance - all for the Gunners. He's set to become the first Frenchman to reach such a landmark.
When Sol CAMPBELL next steps on the field he'll be making his 100th Premiership appearance for the Gunners and, if on from the outset, 450th club career start.
If selected in the 11, Pascal CYGAN will be making his 50th start for the North London giants.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Manchester City 1-2 Arsenal
31 August 2003 - Ref: Graham Poll
Man City scorer: Lauren 10 og
Arsenal scorers: Wiltord 48, Ljungberg 72
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
League: Man City 40 wins, Arsenal 76, Draws 36
Prem: Man City 0 wins, Arsenal 12, Draws 2
HEAD TO HEAD at Manchester City
League: Man City 27 wins, Arsenal 29, Draws 20
Prem: Man City 0 wins, Arsenal 6, Draws 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manchester City v. Arsenal
City of Manchester Stadium
Saturday, 25 September
Kick-off: 1500 BST
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manchester City welcome back Nicolas Anelka who was rested for the 7-1 win over Barnsley in midweek.
David James and Richard Dunne are also likely to return but Steve McManaman (Achilles), Trevor Sinclair (knee) and Claudio Reyna (hamstring) are all out.
Arsenal's Robert Pires is out with a foot injury, while Gilberto Silva has a back problem and may be out for a week.
But Sol Campbell is set to return to the defence for his first appearance of the season after an Achilles problem.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Man City (from): James, Waterreus, Mills, Distin, Dunne, Sommeil, Thatcher, Sun Jihai, Mills, Barton, Bosvelt, Sibierski, Wright-Phillips, Fowler, Macken, Anelka, Flood, Jordan, Bischoff.
Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Almunia, Taylor, Lauren, Hoyte, Campbell, Cole, Clichy, Toure, Cygan, Senderos, Vieira, Edu, Fabregas, Flamini, Reyes, Ljungberg, Pennant, Henry, Bergkamp, van Persie.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BIG-MATCH FACTS
MANCHESTER CITY sharpened up for the pursuit of a first ever Premiership victory over Arsenal with a 7-1 hammering of Barnsley in the Carling Cup midweek, for which strangely, they earned in the third round draw, a home fixture against Arsenal . Kevin Keegan, who was reportedly one game from the sack a week ago, now has the possibility of seeing his side win three on the trot. But they are facing the defending champions, who will be keen to get back on the winning track having surrendered their 100% start to Bolton last time out.
The Citizens have won only five of 22 League games staged at the City of Manchester Stadium, but they've netted 11 goals in three League and Cup games there this term. Nicolas Anelka scored a brace at Crystal Palace last Saturday. It was his second double of the season and took his tally to five and to the top of the chart for the Barclays Golden Boot, alongside Arsenal's Jose Antonio Reyes and Thierry Henry. Anelka would dearly love to increase this return against his former club mates.
City were unable to halt Arsenal's 100% start to the season in this corresponding fixture in August of last year. The Gunners came from behind to win their fourth game on the spin with Sylvain Wiltord and Freddie Ljungberg goals after a Lauren own goal. So now Keegan's club set about improving an abysmal record of one win in 10 home League clashes with Arsenal since 1990 - the one success being 1-0 in the old First Division on 28 December 1991.
ARSENAL go to Eastlands in search of their 250th all-time Premiership victory. Arsene Wenger's side are still unbeaten this season, with a 100% record on the road and two point advantage over the field at the head of the Premiership table.
The champions, who visit Norwegians Rosenborg Trondheim in the Champions League on Wednesday, are striving for a fifth consecutive away win in the top League to extend their much heralded unbeaten record to an amazing 47 League games and 27 away from Highbury. They've won 18 of the last 24 Premiership outings and netted an incredible 21 goals from six this season, averaging exactly three and a half goals per game.
The Gunners have eclipsed City in 12 of their 14 Premiership engagements, and in six of seven on City soil, including the last three 0-4, 1-5, 1-2.
Referee: Neale Barry (Lincolnshire)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM
MANCHESTER CITY
Club stats
Fixtures
11th 7 points
Highest achievable by the end of Saturday: 6th
Lowest could fall: 15th
A draw would mean City had gained exactly 100 Premiership points under Kevin Keegan.
City would need a win to take their total of League points won under Keegan past the 200 mark (198 at present).
Gone 10 top flight games since losing by more than single goal. That defeat being the 1-3 reverse by Southampton at the City of Manchester Stadium on 17 April.
Need to net four more times to total 200 all-time Premiership goals at home.
Gone 47 highest League matches since enjoying consecutive victories.
Last enjoyed back-to-back victories in the Premiership on 18 and 21 April 2003 against Tottenham (0-2 a) and Sunderland (3-0 h).
ARSENAL
Club stats
Fixtures
1st 16 points
Highest achievable by the end of Saturday:
Increase lead AT THE TOP to five points
Lowest could fall: 2nd
16 points out of 18 is Arsenal's best start to a League season since 1947.
Won 33 and drawn 13 Premiership games since losing 2-3 to Leeds on 4 May 2003.
Aiming for a fifth consecutive away League victory.
Won 16 and drawn 10 top tier encounters away from Highbury, since losing 2-0 at Blackburn on 15 March 2003.
Bagged 11 goals and conceded just two in winning all three League matches on the road (1-4 against Everton and Norwich, and 0-3 at Fulham).
Victory would give Arsenal 19 points. Their previous highest after the first seven games of a Premiership season was 17 in each of the last two seasons.
Gone 52 Premiership games since losing by more than a single goal (2-0, at Blackburn, March 2003).
At their most dangerous in the middle 15 minutes of the second half of Premiership games, when six of the 21 goals have been netted.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES
MANCHESTER CITY
Squad profiles...
If on the field at kick off, Robbie FOWLER will be making his 50th Premiership appearance for Manchester City.
The former Liverpool striker has been out of favour recently. But ten of FOWLER'S 144 career Premiership goals have been scored against Arsenal.
ARSENAL
Squad profiles...
Jose Antonio REYES and Manchester United's Alan SMITH are the top scorers among Premiership players of club League and Cup goals this season - six each.
REYES and clubmate Thierry HENRY top the Premiership scoring charts, with five, alongside Nicolas ANELKA of Man City.
Fredrik LJUNGBERG is a hat trick short of totalling 50 goals across the European leagues. The Swedish International has scored 37 Premiership goals for Arsenal, in addition to 10 top flight strikes for Halmstads BK in Sweden.
If involved, Patrick VIEIRA will be making his 250th Premiership appearance - all for the Gunners. He's set to become the first Frenchman to reach such a landmark.
When Sol CAMPBELL next steps on the field he'll be making his 100th Premiership appearance for the Gunners and, if on from the outset, 450th club career start.
If selected in the 11, Pascal CYGAN will be making his 50th start for the North London giants.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME:
Manchester City 1-2 Arsenal
31 August 2003 - Ref: Graham Poll
Man City scorer: Lauren 10 og
Arsenal scorers: Wiltord 48, Ljungberg 72
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
League: Man City 40 wins, Arsenal 76, Draws 36
Prem: Man City 0 wins, Arsenal 12, Draws 2
HEAD TO HEAD at Manchester City
League: Man City 27 wins, Arsenal 29, Draws 20
Prem: Man City 0 wins, Arsenal 6, Draws 1