Two sides that really struggled this April will meet at
Ewood Park for a match fueled by pride alone. Arsenal's European and Domestic ambitions went down the drain last month when the Gunners self-destructed after a 4-1 defeat by FC Barcelona knocked them out of the Champions League. Blackburn have been on cruise control since the Rovers ensured relegation safety last month.
Sam Allardyce's strategy of 'controlled aggression' has produced 4 draws and 2 wins in the last 7 games.
New Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has done wonders at a club who just last year were mired in the relegation zone. Their biggest strength has been home performance, where they have lost only 3 times all season. Especially impressive is the fact that
Blackburn have not yet lost to Big Four opposition at Ewood Park. Allardyce will not want that record tarnished so expect him to have something ready for the visiting Gunners.
The Blackburn squad took a Scottish holiday ahead of their last home game, so should be rested and mentally prepared for Monday's match. Rovers could be handed a last-minute boost with the probable fitness of defender Chris Samba, midfielders Brett Emerton and Vince Grella, and striker
El-Hadji Diouf.
Arsene Wenger has been understandably frustrated with his team's impotence at the most crucial point of the season. The Gunners put up a tough fight in the Champions Leg first leg against Barcelona, but were crushed 4-1 almost single handedly by
Lionel Messi in the return match at Camp Nou. This seemed to affect the players' confidence as they would lose their next 2 league matches and go from serious title contenders to securing a 3rd place finish.
The Gunners lost their last 3 away matches and have not won in 4. The mood in Arsenal's camp is a feeling of helplessness and many key players are being linked with summer transfers. Both
Robin Van Persie and
Cesc Fabregas have are rumoured to be contemplating a switch to Spanish giants Barcelona or Real Madrid. One thing seems clear, Arsene Wenger needs to make some major signings this summer if he wants Arsenal to be serious contenders for Domestic and European titles.
Blackburn are rested and ready to play a hard-fought match in front of their home fans.
Arsenal are running low on motivation and confidence; there isn't much left to play for this season. Allardyce's physical approach should be a major challenge for the Gunners attack.
Blackburn Rovers - Arsenal FC
Monday 3 May, 2010
Kickoff: 5:00 PM (GMT)
Venue: Ewood Park (Blackburn, Lancashire)
Tip: Under 3.5 Goals
Best Odds: 1.41 @ Betfair
