Key Battles: The players to watch on
Sunday
Arsenal travel to Blackburn on Sunday for their first away game of
the new domestic campaign. This season Arsenal.com will be
identifying the key battles for each Premier League game and
bringing you all the statistics and information a fan could need.
Swot up now and come Sunday you'll be impressing anyone who'll
listen with your new-found knowledge.
Robbie Savage v Alexander Hleb
Alexander Hleb has enjoyed a dazzling start to the 2007/08
campaign. First he scored a vital equaliser against Inter Milan in
the Emirates Cup and took his scoring form into Arsenal's opening
match when he struck a dramatic last-minute winner against Fulham.
By scoring another in the 2-0 win over Sparta Prague on Wednesday
he entered 'purple patch' territory and staked his claim for a
regular start in that role behind the strikers. On Sunday, Alex
will test his new-found goalscoring touch against Robbie Savage, a
player notorious for his hard-tackling, no-nonsense approach.
Interestingly, Hleb proved more than a match for Savage when
tracking back last term, coming out on top in 63 per cent of his
challenges. In comparision, Savage won only 49 per cent of his
tackles. In fairness, the Welshman was plagued by injuries last
term and he'll be looking to remind the home fans of his
capabilities on Sunday.
Brad Friedel v Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann is unlikely to have produced a more clumsy blunder in
his long and illustrious career than the slip which allowed David
Healy to score for Fulham last weekend. But with nearly two decades
of experience to call upon, Jens is made of stern stuff.
Impressively, he remained focused for the remaining 89 minutes
against Lawrie Sanchez's side and kept an important clean sheet in
Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League win at Sparta Prague. With the
likes of McCarthy and Roque Santa Cruz lurking on Sunday another
shut-out would be a huge plus as Arsenal look to continue their
winning run. Lehmann's opposite number, Brad Friedel, is no
stranger to Premiership showdowns either. The 36-year-old has been
a stalwart of the Blackburn team for nearly seven years since
joining from Liverpool. Last season Lehmann made 10 clean sheets,
two more than Friedel and the Arsenal No 1 will be looking to get
one up on the American once more this weekend.
Benni McCarthy v William Gallas
Arsenal fans will need little reminder of McCarthy's qualities.
Last season the South African international scored a stunner at
Ewood Park to halt Arsenal's progress in the FA Cup. McCarthy's 18
goals in all competitions made him an instant hit with the Rovers
faithful and manager Mark Hughes, who will be pleased to have kept
hold of his prized asset following the Premiership's record summer
spending spree. On Sunday, McCarthy will come up against William
Gallas. The Frenchman may have endured an injury-ravaged first year
with the Gunners but his record of 21 successful tackles from 27
attempts last term suggests McCarthy will need to be on top form to
topple Arsenal's new captain on Sunday.
Please note: These statistics are from the 2006/07 Premier
League season.
