Blackburn Rovers vs Arsenal Betting Odds, Preview & Tips – 17.09.11

Struggling sides clash at Ewood Park

Premier League Betting

Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal Betting Tip & Odds: This is a fascinating betting opportunity, one which is looking like a draw for different reasons. It will be a surprise if there is a clean sheet, because neither defence has showed up to the races this season, so this could all come down to passion and who wants it more on the day. Rovers have to wake up soon, and this could be the tonic they need, in a crazy way it fits that they would get their first win here. However, very close to call, so with home advantage, we’ll take Blackburn +0.5 Asian Handicap for Evens at Bet365.

Blackburn Rovers to win: 18/5 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 13/5 at Victor Chandler
Arsenal to win: 10/11 at Totesport

EPL Match Preview: Two managers under pressure and two struggling teams. Between Arsenal and Blackburn, they have produced just one win this season in their collective eight matches. Does that point to this being ground out as a draw on Saturday? Both sides have defensive problems, and neither can find the required punch up front. With unrest growing quickly at Ewood Park, and protests on their way, will this be one of those emotional days when football gets overlooked, or will the home players respond with a morale boosting win. Rovers need a win to try and get off the foot of the table, while the Gunners need to start heading up the table to contest for a European spot. There aren’t many roses blooming for these sides, so who will prevail?

Blackburn Rovers Form: Rock bottom of the Premier League after four matches. So no form to write home about. Manager Steve Kean is a man under pressure and looks likely to be the first managerial casualty of the new season. We suggested that they were going struggle, but never though that it would be this badly. How they are going to get out of this mess if drastic measures are not taken is anyone’s guess. But the new owners of Blackburn Rovers are asking fans to get behind the team and Kean, as rumours of big protest for Saturday’s match are filtering through. Rightly so, Blackburn fans are not happy. They saw the big slide in the teams fortunes after Sam Allardyce was booted out last season and Steve Kean took over. It was rosy at the start, but they ended up on the fringe of a relegation battle. The club seemed reluctant to spend money over the season to try and remedy things, and things have just gotten off to the kind of form which almost got them into trouble last season. Not sure of the motives of the new owners, as team investment and the managerial position don’t appear to be pressing needs, but the fans know that they are. They need a huge boost here after just one draw to show for their efforts so far this season. That draw came in their last league match away at Fulham, and so maybe that is something to build upon for Rovers. If there is anything good for confidence when a team is struggling, it is beating one of the top sides in the country, and Blackburn have the chance to wake up the Ewood Park crowd by taking down a shaky Arsenal. No, there is no form that suggest Blackburn are going to do this, certainly  not with three goals scored and seven conceded in their four matches, but it is just the kind of fixture where you can see something odd happening, especially with all the emotions running amok on the day.

Arsenal Form: After a midweek draw in the Champions League away at Borussia Dortmund, which was not a bad result we suppose the way Arsenal’s form has gone this season, but still, again, it has not been good enough. Where are the Gunners after four matches of the new season? Not where you would expect them to be, down in 12th place with just one win to their name, which was a tense 1-0 home victory over Swansea. The Swans had a massive chance near the end of a spirited second half performance that should have seen them take a point. It wasn’t to be, and Arsenal got away with their first win of the season. Much has been made about the players that Arsenal have let go, and the likes of Gervinho coming in to the attack really haven’t done enough to take the spotlight away from those departed. Yes, Arsene Wenger has injury problems with Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere out, leaving a hole in the middle of the park, but for a team who have been in the top four for so long, they should have quality in depth. Arsenal don’t and it is showing. There was the horror show of an 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford, which highlighted a lot of Arsenal’s problems. There is no real leader at the back (they have the second worst defensive record in the league at the moment), no-one strong enough to take the game by the scruff of the neck in the middle of the park and chances not being created. You do feel that if they lose Robin van Persie for any significant length of time, Arsenal are not going to pack a big punch up front. They are still trying to string together their pretty football, but there hasn’t been the end product, which may be coming from a big lack of confidence. Wenger remains a man under pressure for different reasons than his opposite number on Saturday. Three points away from home would do wonders in the attempt to set things right.

Head to Head: The Gunners have at least taken some positive results against Blackburn in the past. They sneaked out with a 2-1 win from Ewood Park, but were held 0-0 at the Emirates last season. Blackburn have struggled to beat Arsenal at home, and their 2-1 win in the 2009/10 season remains the only home win in five matches now at Ewood Park. In the last thirteen matches in total between these two, Blackburn have won just two. The stats make for pretty even reading therefore between the two at Ewood Park, where there have been 57 meetings in total. Blackburn have won 20, Arsenal 22 and 15 draws. This is why this match is going to be interesting. Two close results last year, and both sides struggling this season.

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