With Chelsea and Manchester United enjoying possible easy home games this weekend, the pressure is all on Arsenal as they pay a visit to the KC Stadium to play 19th-in-the-table Hull. Ironically enough, Burnley were placed 19th when we played against them last Saturday but I have a feeling tomorrow’s will not be easy as it was against the Clarets.

As always, we do have a number of players either injured or suspended but personally, I still believe we can go out there with a very strong line-up. Especially, considering the form the likes of Samir Nasri and Andrey Arshavin showed against Porto. Together with Theo Walcott, I have a feeling these three will be the key to our success in Saturday’s late kick-off.

Hull City

One goal scored, eight conceded. This is how Phil Brown’s side prepared for the game against Arsenal, but, let’s not underestimate the fact that their last two defeats all came on the road. At home, in their last two games they defeated Manchester City and started our second comeback on Chelsea by enjoying an impressive one all draw against Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

Favourite line-up

With William Gallas and Cesc Fabregas ruled out and Tomas Rosicky and Bacary Sagna doubtful, Arsene Wenger can still field a very strong starting eleven at the KC with Emmanuel Eboue replacing the Frenchman as right back and Sol Campbell and Thomas Vermaelen keeping their places at the back.

In midfield, Denilson will be the one to replace Alex Song and Theo Walcott – fresh from the break against Porto – should start in place of Tomas Rosicky. You know what I think of Denilson but I appreciated his comments before the game in which he said this is a golden opportunity to show what he can do and I’m honest when I say that I hope he does well.

Pre-match Interviews

In a way or another, it’s always a battle against Hull City, either on or off the pitch. Arsene Wenger decided to take a cool approach to the game, declaring how there is no “bad blood” between the two sides.

He said:

I feel there is respect, and we go in to the next game. We don’t make a special fuss of anything, we just try to play football. We have to focus on what is the most important, which is that the people who pay to come to watch a football game get something for their money. That is what we always try to do.

We do not focus on bad blood. We just focus on our game and try to play well. In fact, if you look at what happened [in December], there was not a lot, nobody has been injured. There was a little brawl at some stage where we got punished, them as well, but the game was not dirty.

I look forward to seeing my team play football well. As for the rest, I respect everybody in life, and I don’t make any special issue of that.

The Gunning Hawk Coverage

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