Premier League

Birmingham/ Arsenal

The best thing about NOT being a professional footballer is that when you've had a rubbish time on the pitch - skying the ball, somehow tripping over your own face - you don't have a trillion people looking down on you with judgemental eyes shrieking bloody murder. Have a good afternoon, Birmingham.

Birmingham
Last six: DDLLDL
Last six league games: DDLLDL
Last six home league games: DLDWDL
Injuries: Quedrue (hamstring, 23 Feb)
Suspensions: None

ARSENAL
Last six: DLWWWW
Last six league games: WWWWDW
Last six away league games: WWWDLD
Injuries: Diaby (calf strain, 9 Mar)
Doubtful: Almunia (virus), Rosicky (hamstring), Denilson (hamstring), Van Persie (thigh strain), Djourou (groin injury)
Suspensions: Eboue, G.Hoyte

» chickendinner superfact: In nine Premier League games against Arsenal, Birmingham have only managed to get on the scoresheet twice.

» Birmingham have already welcomed Manchester United and Chelsea to St Andrews and couldn’t muster a goal against either.

» In their last six games in all competitions Birmingham have scored just four goals – Arsenal have powered home eleven.

» Only Portsmouth have stopped Arsenal scoring in a Premier League game this season.

» Emmanuel Adebayor has scored in seven consecutive Premier League games.

» Betting on under/ over 2.5 goals? Six of the last seven domestic games Arsenal have contested have seen over 2.5 goals – including the last four trips Arsenal have made away from North London.

» Arsenal have scored twenty-three goals in their Premier League away games this season – an average of 1.9 a game whilst Birmingham have shipped an average of 1.2 per home game.

» Arsenal have only kept three clean sheets in their twelve away games this season – at West Ham, Portsmouth and Fulham.

» Birmingham are yet to score a goal from open play in the first half of any league game in 2008.

» In the four seasons Birmingham have spent in the Premier League with Arsenal, Arsenal have managed to score at least three goals against them across both games – so having notched only one at home earlier this season, don’t back against Arsenal nabbing a couple.

» Birmingham have conceded the first goal and have let in exactly one goal to all their London visitors this season – Chelsea and West Ham won 1-0, whilst Fulham drew 1-1.

» chicken dinner Da Vinci Code insight: Birmingham City have hosted Arsenal on 23rd February before – when they won 3-1 back in 1974.

21/02/08

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