Arsenal will be up against a daunting home record as they look to keep their title bid on course against Birmingham on New Year's Day.
Alex McLeish's men have turned St Andrews into something of a fortress, having lost just one of their last 24 Premier League games there.
The Blues have already produced one upset this week after pinning Manchester United to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday courtesy of Lee Bowyer's 89th-minute strike.
And the Gunners are the next high-profile side on their checklist as they bid to pull clear of their precarious spot on the edge of the relegation zone and climb the table in Saturday's tea-time kick-off.

Arsene Wenger's team, meanwhile, appeared to suffer a festive hangover in midweek after being brought down to earth with a bump from their triumph over title rivals Chelsea with a disappointing 2-2 draw at Wigan.

Blues boss McLeish is poised to field an unchanged side to the one that snatched a point against United in midweek.
His side have no fresh injury worries, with former Gunners midfielder Alexander Hleb again likely to be amongst the substitutes as he continues his return from a hamstring injury.

The Gunners welcome back captain Cesc Fabregas from suspension after the Spaniard missed Wednesday's Wigan clash.
However, midfielder Abou Diaby will be out for around a month after suffering a calf strain at the DW Stadium.
Robin van Persie and Alex Song are expected to come back into the side having been rested against the Latics, but Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles), goalkeeper Manuel Almunia (ankle) and Kieran Gibbs (ankle) are all still out.

Possible starting XIs:

Birmingham: Foster, Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Larsson, Bowyer, Ferguson, Gardner, Fahey, Jerome.

Arsenal: Fabianski, Squillaci, Clichy, Sagna, Koscielny, Arshavin, Song, Nasri, Fabregas, Van Persie, Chamakh.

it will b a draw or possibly a win to the blues. they av a very gud home record even last season.

3points is mandatory gunners, plz make my newyear a blissful start, i beg of u,

This is so looking like a guaranteed 3 points for the gunners . . .

u wan make thunder strike twice for the same spot ?

Diaby? Wel gud news 4gunners
3pts 4guns despite d odds.

Only 3 points will do. Manu did it earlier today

arsenal lead 1 - 0. v. persie

Djorou looks like a straight up homosexual.

WTF is that on his hair. Pink lip nucca with ginger hair and loose wrist joints.

GAYnners at work.

halve time
birmham 0 - arsenal 1.

RVP very lucky --- coulda been a PK there!

Poor ball control from VP. hope we score atleast one more goal in the 2nd half, these birmingham boys look hungry.

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Re: West Brom Vs Manchester Utd On Saturday, January 1st; 1.45pm
« #34 on: Today at 03:05:18 PM »  
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abeg name them ooooh
We see stuff like this happen week after week.
It's still gonna happen next week

 

I believe that Van Pus*sy hand ball is not a pen.

We hardly ever get decisive in the final third! Stray passes & meaningless runs kills the flow; hopefully Arsene gets his teamtalk spot on in 2nd half.

Ibime's finally outta the closet.
RVP should have been on a hat-trick and I am at sea as to why Taylor is still on the pitch.
I am not comfy with being a goal up at St.Andrews.We need a goal more before Zigic is introduced and start their aerial bombardment.

We need this 3 points badly abeg.

kay_pumpin:

Ibime's finally outta the closet.
RVP should have been on a hat-trick and I am at sea as to why Taylor is still on the pitch.
I am not comfy with being a goal up at St.Andrews.We need a goal more before Zigic is introduced and start their aerial bombardment.

We need this 3 points badly abeg.

What of RVP hand ball was it a pen? Nobody will hear of it cos its not man united.

Arsenal really need to put this game to bed, if we get 2-0 up I can't see Birmingham making a comeback.

Another waste from RVP.

presido1:

What of RVP hand ball was it a pen? Nobody will hear of it cos its not man united.

They only see what they want to see,

They are like wenger 'i did not see it'

Sometimes I wonder, don't they practice how to shoot in training we should be 3-4 goals up by now!

Djorou looks like a straight up homosexual. WTF is that on his hair. Pink lip nucca with  ginger hair and loose wrist joints. GAYnners at work.

you have the gall to talk about djorou when players like Malouda are competing braids with Kim Kardashian

coded guy:

They only see what they want to see,
They are like wenger 'i did not see it'

Don't mind them. Next one will be SAF and FA told Odewinge not to score the pen. Noting wey we no go hear from these cry cry babies.
When you think they have out grown their nappies this new yr they still come out with it.

Seriously. . . . . Foster is a far better GK than that Kuscz (whatever his name is) --- wonder we let go of him!?

we need this 2nd goal to wrap up this game.

I hope this is not one of those days! Glorious chances after chances and still a 1-0 game? It will be heartbreaking if we draw. . .

I love you NASRI

Prince Nasir, yeah he's the master!

nasri has make it 2

If they manage to win this now, they will all come out with all sorts of postulations as to how they will win the prem, oonly to throw it away again in the next game.

with a 2 goal lead am sure they are not comfortable. what a team

geefivez:

nasri has make it 2

MADE!!

Fabulous Fab & the prince himself, that's fantastic!

arsenal lead 3 nil

Good for your wooes as WenGAY will not buy in this window.

presido1:

 

I believe that Van Pus*sy hand ball is not a pen.

Scummies will forever be scummies
Passing it on to the next generation
Only a scummie will compare a straight up blatant red card offence of bringing down an opposition player in a goal scoring position with a handball in the box that the ref may or may not see as deliberate