Live on PPV, 10 a.m. ET, IIRC from the "Yanks on TV" master thread. Also getting the game live here, in Australia, on free-to-air TV, 1:55 a.m. Saturday night/Sunday morning on SBS. DK and Buff, I can do the PbP, or at least assist with it, if you need me to. I'll also try and dig up some other pertinent news on the match as well between now and kickoff...
News roundup, or start thereof... No milestone for Seaman, yet, and Dunn misses out (sportinglife.com): http://www.sportinglife.com/footbal...STORY_NAME=soccer/03/03/14/manual_072538.html Arsenal trio out, Duff returns (skysports.com): http://msn.skysports.com/skysports/article/0,,2560-1083586,00.html So far, it sounds like Blackburn's chances of doing the double over Arsenal are quite good...
Big 'bust-up' between Souness and Andy Cole, Cole not to start, may not even be on the bench. Sukur to start with Yorke. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/sporttop/page.cfm?objectid=12738246&method=full&siteid=50143
Starting lineups: Friedel, Gresko, Berg, Short, Taylor, Duff, Flitcroft, Tugay, Gillespie, Sukur, Yorke. Subs of Kelly, Grabbi, Johansson, Douglas, Gallagher. Taylor, Van Bronckhorst, Keown, Cygan, Lauren, Pires, Parlour, Edu, Ljungberg, Bergkamp, Henry. Subs of Warmuz, Jeffers, Wiltord, Gilberto, Toure.
Arsenal's lineup, incidentally, has a total of four changes from their Champions League match on Tuesday. Blackburn have not won four games on the trot since 1995, says the TV commentator here. And the game is on....
3rd min.- Bergkamp and Henry linking up well, deep in the box, but Rovers' defensive shape holding solid, no chance for Henry to cross. 5th min.- Sukur can't head squarely on Taylor's goal, but a good opportunity nonetheless.
8th min.- Yorke and Sukur play a 1-2, but the return ball just a half-step beyond the Turkish striker, making his Rovers debut. Blackburn holding an early edge in possession, so far, within the opening ten minutes or thereabouts...
10th min.- Friedel having to clear a hurried backpass from Short, but the throw-in for the Gunners amounts to nothing. Commentator relates a story from Graeme Souness, where the Scottish manager says that Arsenal will have to "beat the best goalkeeper in the world" in Friedel to maintain their Premiership lead. 13th min.- Arsenal with a nice series of passes, and Flitcroft gives away a free kick 20 yards away from goal, left-hand side of the box. Friedel come up huge with a diving stop on Henry's blazing free kick, lunging to his right to make the save against the post. Corner to the Gunners; flag kick comes to nothing.
16th min.- Duff booked, high challenge on Lauren, had a hold of the Frenchman's shirt. 17th min.- Keown appears to be hurt, pulling up lame with a hammy, adding to the Gunners' injury worries, as Van Bronckhorst's free kick wide on the right is easily gathered in by Friedel. Gilberto Silva comes on for Keown, 19th minute.
1-0 to Blackburn... Damian Duff scores in the 21st minute. Scores at the second attempt, after fanning on his first try at goal, and after Yorke's shot is blocked at the Gunners' defense.
23rd min.- Ljungberg's shot from the top of the box, on a short feed by Henry, stopped by Friedel. Not a difficult save, however.
Hamstring injury to Keown confirmed. No word how serious, however, but could miss the Gunners' midweek CL trip to Valencia. Arsenal looking quite disjointed in their attack, due to the changes to Arsene Wenger's lineup, undoubtedly. 29th min.- Corner to Blackburn, and Short heads over from eight yards.
Could be... so far, so good. Announcer has made mention of the good record Blackburn have had against the Premiership's top-three sides so far this season. However, a mixed bag of results may cost Rovers a chance of playing in the UEFA Cup next season. Back to the action... 32nd min.- Edu's free kick from 40 yards out easily gathered in by Friedel-- no threat, really.
34th min.- Good spell of possession for Blackburn, they win a corner... Duff's rasping drive results in a self-defense save from Taylor for another corner. Next corner cleared out. Arsenal looking "decidedly shaky", in general, as Cygan has trouble clearing his own end.
37th min.- Pires' shot from 20, following Henry's short pass, has Friedel getting down well and early to make an easy save. 39th min.- Henry tries to play a slide-rule ball into the box, but Friedel gathers it in before any Arsenal attacker can make the connection. 40th min.- Henry wins a corner after a battle with Berg, Pires misses a sitter after Friedel can only deflect the Henry corner.
45th min.- Friedel grabs a long chip from the right, and then Edu blasts a long shot over Friedel's goal. Two minutes added on...
Halftime... Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Arsenal (Duff 21) Arsenal, due to their wholesale changes due to their injuries, looking very ordinary. Haven't really threatened Friedel at all, save for Henry's early free kick that was saved at the post. The Blackburn defense, even more importantly, looking very organized. But on the attack, Rovers not taking full advantage of an Arsenal defense that is now missing both Sol Campbell and Martin Keown. Seeming content to sit back and absorb whatever attacking moves, as ineffective as they are so far, Arsenal can muster.