Arsenal Will Become the Most Hated Team in England This Weekend

There's an important game coming up today for Arsenal, and for Burnley. One is challenging for the Premier League title, the other is battling hard to avoid relegation.

The events of last Saturday and the intervening week have served to build into this otherwise innocuous fixture a tension so high that it is almost certain to boil over into anger on the field.


Background

Aaron Ramsey's leg was snapped in two places last Saturday in a tackle by Stoke's Ryan Shawcross. Shawcross is neither repentant, nor demonstrating any signs of learning from the incident, as this link demonstrates.

Arsene Wenger proclaimed the tackle unacceptable in light of the three bad leg breaks suffered by Arsenal players in the last four years (he didn't mention the two leg breaks committed by Ryan Shawcross, not even branding him a dirty player).

However, these comments have generated the most amazing outpouring of pity for the perpetrator ever seen, especially compared to the relative lack of sympathy for Ramsey, whose career may have been ended by the break.


Burnley

Meanwhile Leon Cort of Burnley stated about his teams visit to Arsenal today "We are going to go there and still throw tackles in because it is a physical game and we are fighting for our lives."

Brian Laws, the Burnley manager agrees with his player, adding in his article here "People talk about 'getting in their faces' and if that is what it takes then that is what we will have to do."

This kind of macho talk adds nothing to the game, and is surely unacceptable following such a nasty incident last week.

It demonstrates perfectly the argument that Arsenal fans have been claiming for some time (including prior to the match last week at Stoke) that Arsenal are targeted by clubs for "special" rough treatment.

To deny that claim is to ignore the wealth of evidence freely available demonstrating the contrary. Such blatant comments are NOT made prior to games with other clubs, but ONLY when facing Arsenal.


The Game

The Arsenal team are likely to line up with Almunia in goal. A back four of Eboue, Vermaelen, Silvestre, and Clichy. A midfield of Denilson, Diaby, and Fabregas. And a forward line of Nasri, Bendtner, and either Rosicky or Eduardo.

An unusual team perhaps, but one forced by injury. Sagna played midweek, and had a poor game for France, so I expect him to be rested. Gallas is still injured and Campbell has a slight groin strain. Campbell may have a chance of playing but he's likely to be kept for the Porto game midweek.

In midfield we have lost Song due to an accumulation of yellow cards (including a pathetically weak one last Saturday) and of course we won't see Ramsey until next season. So Denilson will play, and Diaby if he's fit enough. Fabregas is a given, but if Diaby isn't fit, we'll probably see Eastmond.

The forward line is unlikely to see Arshavin, who although having missed several Arsenal matches, played for Russia in midweek. Walcott is also not up to full fitness yet, but played 57 minutes for England in midweek.


Tactics

Arsenal have one tactic (to their success and detriment). Which is playing complicated passing football trying to put together lovely sweeping passing moves.

Burnley have a playing tactic similar to that of a number of lower rank premiership clubs. They leave the midfield open and pack the defense. Then hoof the ball up front to their strikers hoping to catch Arsenal on the break. That in itself is a tactic that has often undone Arsenal this season.

However allied to that tactic against Arsenal, Burnley add as described above the plan to "get in their faces" and "throw the tackles in." Nobody objects to a level of physicality, where that level demonstrates commitment, but the potential for violence implied in the Burnley statements surely must be looked at.


Expectation

This prediction has been made before, and one can only hope it's proved incorrect. However if it happens, remember where you read it, and quote it as evidence for the defense.

I fear Arsenal players will be targeted by the referee and the media more than the Burnley players. The first slightly mistimed or heavy tackle by an Arsenal player will bring a red card, and an outcry in the media.

The English sports media (with few exceptions) has shown this week the way they operate. If someone should dare to criticise any aspect of the status quo (in this case macho bully-boys tactics) then they are targeted more frequently and with more fervour.

The media will cry "hypocrites" at Arsenal (ignoring their own hypocrisy and culpability as demonstrated all week), and will claim "Arsenal are as guilty as they say others are". Patently untrue as demonstrated in a thousand articles by Arsenal writers this week, many of whose articles are peppered with clear evidence of their arguments.

That's my biggest fear for tomorrow, that Arsenal will officially become the most hated team in England. A fear made all the more real by the stupidity of the Burnley comments. They will hit Arsenal, Arsenal will hit them back, and Arsenal will be punished.

Obviously the hatred leveled at Arsenal is ridiculous—the team is far more sinned against than sinners (although as I've said before, no team is whiter than white). The only hope is that it reinforces the fortress mentality already building in the team.

I apologise for the negativity of that expectation, but any tiny scrap of faith I may have had in the English sports media has been drained out of me this last week.

As to the score, one can only hope Arsenal win, to maintain a challenge at the top of the premier league. I predict a score of 2-0 with Bendtner scoring first from a header.