May 07

Squad sheets: Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers

Will this be Martin O’Neill’s last game as Aston Villa manager? That is the question on the lips of just about every Villa supporter although whether they will get an answer on Sunday remains to be seen. O’Neill is expected to hold talks about his future with Randy Lerner, the Villa chairman, next week and a third successive top-six finish, which a victory over Blackburn Rovers will guarantee, would strengthen his hand. The Villa manager’s body language at the final whistle promises to be much more interesting than the match itself. Stuart James

Venue Villa Park, tomorrow 4pm Tickets £19-£38 (0800 612 0960) Last season Aston Villa 3 Blackburn 2 Referee S Bennett

This season’s matches 28 Y106, R5, 3.96 cards per game

Odds Aston Villa 3-5 Blackburn 11-2 Draw 3-1

Aston Villa

Subs from Guzan, L Young, Beye, Sidwell, Heskey, Delfouneso, Reo-Coker

Doubtful None

Injured Davies (groin, Jul), Harewood (foot, Aug), Delph (knee, Jan)

Suspended None

Form guide LWWWDW

Disciplinary record Y58 R2

Leading scorer Agbonlahor 13

Blackburn Rovers

Subs from Brown, Jones, Linganzi, Emerton, Jacobsen, Chimbonda, Hoilett, Kalinic, Di Santo, Bunn, Basturk

Doubtful None

Injured N’Zonzi (teeth, Jun), Diouf (tonsils, Sep)

Suspended None

Form guide WDLDDW

Disciplinary record Y58 R2

Leading scorer Dunn 9

Match pointers

• This will be the fifth meeting between these sides this season with Villa winning three of the games but Rovers victorious in the reverse Premier League fixture

• The Aston Villa defender James Collins has made more defensive blocks this season (43) than any other Premier League player

• There have been five goals scored in the last five minutes of the last five Premier League matches between Blackburn and Villa

• Gabriel Agbonlahor has scored in his last three Premier League appearances against Blackburn

Aston VillaBlackburn RoversPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk

No Comments | Tags: , , , , ,
May 03

Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Arsenal | Premier League match report

Blackburn came from behind to move up three places into the top half of the table, leaving Arsenal still short of the point they need to make sure of third place. In a game in which all the goals came from corners, two mistakes from Lucasz Fabianski that led directly to both home goals only served as a reminder that Arsenal still need to invest in a reliable goalkeeper.

Robin van Persie’s first goal in six months put Arsenal in front after 13 minutes, the Dutch striker finishing off an old-fashioned near-post corner routine after Bacary Sagna flicked on Samir Nasri’s cross. Conceding from any sort of set piece never puts Sam Allardyce in the happiest frame of mind, though the lead was no more than Arsenal deserved. They could have been ahead as early as the second minute had not Carlos Vela missed the target when a mistake by Gael Givet allowed Theo Walcott to roll the ball invitingly across the face of goal.

Allardyce had been relaxed enough about this game to take in the Wigan v Hull match earlier in the afternoon, reportedly checking the relegated Tigers for possible bargains. Blackburn had nothing in particular to play for here, though Allardyce’s summer spending plans are probably based on a mid-table finish rather than a position just above the relegation candidates.

With every league place dropped counting as money lost, the Blackburn hierarchy will have been relieved to see David Dunn grab an equaliser before the interval, while the travelling Arsenal support would not have been surprised to see another goalkeeping misjudgement cost their side. Fabianski had done reasonably well in keeping out a couple of Morten Gamst Pedersen shots from free kicks, but when he came for a 43rd minute corner and missed he left Dunn a simple tap-in once Keith Andrews had returned the ball back across the six yard line.

Arsenal’s reserve goalkeeper went some way to redeeming himself with good saves from Pedersen and then Junior Hoilett at the start of the second half as Blackburn began to exert some pressure, before Martin Olsson saw a goal disallowed for a borderline offside. Fabianski was almost as relieved as Mikael Silvestre when the defender’s sliced clearance nearly produced an own goal, only for his luck to run out from the subseqent corner when a woeful attempt to punch away Pedersen’s cross simply allowed Chris Samba a free header right under the crossbar.

This time Fabianski did not so much come for the ball and miss as fail to assert himself on his own goal line. Pedersen cleverly delivered his corner into the area where the goalkeeper, rather than his centre-halves, would have to deal with it, and Fabianski fatally allowed himself to be crowded out.

Arsène Wenger had been unhappy with Blackburn’s persistent fouling of Van Persie earlier in the game, Vince Grella in particular pushing his luck after picking up a booking and Pederson also being cautioned for a badly mistimed tackle, though in the end the Arsenal manager had no choice but to contemplate the weaknesses in his own side.

Apart from Fabianski, Walcott was largely anonymous once again, Vela was negligible and even Van Persie faded towards the end. “Blackburn defended well and were sharper than us in the fight, but it was a poor game,” Wenger said. “We were not good, but I thought Lucasz was fouled on both occasions. The referee has to give a goalkeeper more protection than that. Blackburn do it very well, but in football if you don’t go for the ball, if you push the opponent inastead, then it is a foul. I thought Lucasz had a good game.”

An unrepentant Allardyce simply grinned when informed of Wenger’s complaints. “We beat them fair and square,” he said. “We did identify the goalkeeper as a weak line and tried to play on that, putting in plenty of crosses and putting him under pressure, but you are allowed to do that. The referee gave some fouls that perhaps weren’t, and missed some that possibly were, but we caused them problems in that area. If you play on your opponents weaknesses eventually they will be exposed.”

Arsenal now need a point or more from their final games against Fulham to make sure of third. “We are playing at home,” Wenger said. “I don’t think we need to worry about what Tottenham or Manchester City do.”

Premier LeagueBlackburn RoversArsenalPaul Wilsonguardian.co.uk

No Comments | Tags: , , , ,
Apr 24

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Blackburn Rovers | Premier League match report

As far as the Wolves supporters were concerned, it was an “I was there” moment. With nine minutes remaining, and just when the home team seemed certain to make it five games without a goal — and five in a row at home — Sylvan Ebanks-Blake nodded Stephen Ward’s cross beyond Paul Robinson and saw it bounce off the post and over the line.

The eruption around the ground was one of sheer relief, though despite the idiotic ground invasion at the end, Wolves are not yet safe. If Burnley win all three of their remaining games, and Wolves lose both of theirs, they may yet go down.

And while it would be unfair to suggest that the fact they probably will now stay up is down to the failings of others, their impotence in front of goal in the last three months inevitably takes some of the gloss off an otherwise praiseworthy season.

For that, surely, the manager, Mick McCarthy, has to take his share of the blame, for all that the Yorkshireman deserves credit for Wolves’ survival. Playing one up front, with one of a five-man midfield sweeping in front of the back four, is acceptable away from home, but in front of their own supporters it has led to a series of sterile and sometimes, as on this occasion, fruitless matches. Next season they will almost certainly have to offer more.

Inevitably, given the formations, the match developed as so many at Molineux have this season, with Wolves organised primarily to frustrate — or, as McCarthy would no doubt prefer, to be solid — and chances at either end at a premium.

It took almost 20 minutes for the first to arrive, when Rovers came within a post’s width of taking the lead in a manner that would have driven McCarthy up the wall. Nikola Kalinic was up against three Wolves defenders when Basturk swung in a cross from the left, but the Croatian forward got in front of George Elokobi and was unlucky to see his header come back off Marcus Hahnemann’s left-hand post, with the American goalkeeper well beaten.

It was 25 minutes before Wolves first threatened. Kevin Doyle’s cross was headed for a corner, which eventually resulted in David Jones shooting into the side-netting.

Three minutes later Rovers went ahead. Morten Gamst Pedersen’s corner to the far post badly misjudged by Hahnemann, and Ryan Nelsen, arriving late, kneed it into the empty net.

With his team yet to create an opportunity worthy of the name, McCarthy gave Doyle some support in the shape of Chris Iwelumo, but their only genuine chance of the half fell to Jody Craddock, who was coming in at the far post when Jones’s volleyed cross cleared the Blackburn defenders. The defender’s shot went well wide.

The second half was an improvement of sorts, as it had to be. Paul Robinson almost fumbled a simple save from Jones, and Craddock volleyed over from close range after Elokobi’s throw was flicked on by Iwelumo.

For Rovers Pedersen and Keith Andrews shot straight at Hahnemann, but just when the crowd had given up, McCarthy put on Ebanks-Blake, and the substitute obliged. Even then Rovers spurned three good opportunities to score a winner.

Premier LeagueWolverhampton WanderersBlackburn RoversRichard Raeguardian.co.uk

No Comments | Tags: , , , ,
« Previous Page Next Page »