Cannonballs: The Fantastic Four
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A big return last night for one Robin van Persie. The Dutch striker has been out of the Arsenal mix since October 7 when he picked up a knee injury. The injury took place while van Persie was on duty for Holland in their match against Slovenia. Van Persie's return took a bit longer than originally scheduled but the striker's return comes at a vital for the club.
Last evening at the Emirates van Persie was able to put in a good 65 minutes of football which will go a long way in building his fitness and confidence when the Gunners face Chelsea this Sunday. Van Persie did in fact play an important role last evening as Arsenal defeated Steaua Bucharest in their final game in the UEFA Champions League Group Stage. Arsenal won the match 2-1 with van Persie putting in Theo Walcott a few times and he also provided the pass to Nicklas Bendtner which the Dane converted into a goal.
This weekend in the Premier League can certainly be called the battle of the Fantastic Four. On one front Arsenal and Chelsea will play this Sunday. Arsenal still sit top of the table on 37 points and Chelsea are presently in third on 34 points. Sandwiched in between the two clubs is Manchester United who sit in second on 36 points. The Red Devils will play Liverpool also on Sunday. Liverpool are in fourth with 30 points. The top four teams in the Premier League facing each other surely there isn't a bigger match day than this one.
Even with the return of van Persie it is still questionable whether or not he will be fit enough for a full 90 minutes. I would wager that Arsene Wenger will have van Persie on the pitch to start the game but he will probably not get more than 75 to 80 minutes. Further injury issues also confound Arsenal as it does not look like either Cesc Fabregas or Alexander Hleb may be fit for the Sunday showdown. One player who I think is vital for Sunday is Mathieu Flamini. Flamini has been a joy to watch this season. The Frenchman's work rate is second to none and he also provides a bit of a physical presence in the midfield. One player who may make the squad against the Blues is Abou Diaby. Diaby also returned from injury against Steaua Bucharest and scored just eight minutes into the match to give Arsenal the lead. A fantastic way to reintroduce yourself into the lineup.
As far as Chelsea goes I just hope all those loyal supporters give a very "warm" welcome to a certain left back, you know he deserves one. A big loss for the Blues midfield is that Michael Essien will miss the match through suspension.
So a huge day in the Premier League as the Fantastic Four of the teams meet in what I am hoping will a very memorable day.
On the Champions League front Arsenal finished second in their group which means they could be drawn against either F.C. Porto, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, or AC Milan. Of those teams only Inter are the team who have never lifted the trophy with the big ears. Not an easy draw at all but this is the knockout stage now so you have to face the best teams at sometime or another so I say bring it on.
