Preview: Hull City v. Arsenal

Oompa loompa doompadee dear

Phil Brown and Hull are in trouble this year

Pic by Mark Beech, via Guardian gallery.

KC Stadium, Kingston upon Hull

 Saturday, March 13

1730 GMT, 12:30 pm EST

• Referee: Andre Marriner
  
• This Match, Last Year: Hull City 1 - 3 Arsenal
• All-Time in All Competitions: 9 Arsenal wins, 3 Hull City, 3 draws
  
• Arsenal's Recent Form: L-L-W-W-W-W
• Hull City's Recent Form: D-D-W-L-L-L
  

Predicted Line-Up
guesses italicized

Almunia
Eboue - Silvestre - Vermaelen - Clichy
Denilson - Diaby - Nasri
Walcott - Bendtner - Arshavin

Subs from: Fabianski, Traore, Coquelin, Eastmond, Vela, Merida, Eduardo
Questionable: Campbell (match fitness), Rosicky (groin), Sagna (ankle)
Out: Fabregas (hamstring), Gallas (calf), Ramsey (leg), Gibbs (foot), Van Persie (ankle), Djourou (knee)
Suspended: Song (second of two, accumulation)

First off, let's examine the developing "rivalry" between Arsenal and Hull that might not last past Saturday:

• Hull City was promoted to the top flight for the first time in the club's history for the 2008/09 season.
• In their first trip to the Emirates, Hull City came from behind to earn a stunning 2-1 win.
• Arsenal needed late strikes from Samir Nasri and Nicklas Bendtner to win the return fixture 3-1.
• The two teams met again in the FA Cup, another game where Arsenal needed late goals to win.
• But, before that match, Hull manager and bizarrely orange Phil Brown claimed to have witnessed Cesc Fabregas spit at Hull assistant Brian Horton.
• After examining the situation, the FA found absolutely no evidence that Fabregas did such a thing.
• This makes Hull a bunch of liars.
• Arsenal beat Hull 3-0 at the Emirates in December...
• ...in a match that saw a 21 player fight that was instigated by some unsporting behavior from Samir Nasri...
• ...from which he was spared a potential three match ban...
• ...but both teams were fined for "failure to control their players."
• It's a shame Hull will probably be relegated to the Championship this year.

Arsenal News and Notes 

• Captain Cesc Fabregas will not play for the second straight match due to a hamstring injury he suffered on Saturday against Burnley. It's a recurrence of the injury he first suffered, also against Burnley, in mid-December.
• Alex Song is sitting out his second match of his two match ban for accumulating 10 yellow cards.
• Sol Campbell (match fitness), Bacary Sagna (ankle), and Tomas Rosicky (groin) are questionable with their own injuries.
• William Gallas is "back to square one" with his calf injury.
• Arsenal have won four straight Premier League matches and now four straight across all competitions. That's tied for their longest League winning streak of the season. Arsenal earlier this year won 7 straight across all competitions and went 13 unbeaten at one point. Their longest run unbeaten in the league was 10.

Hull City News and Notes

• Captain Ian Ashbee (knee) and Anthony Gardner (ankle) are long term injuries.
• Dean Marney (calf) is expected to return to the squad, as are Craig Fagan (from suspension) and Andy Dawson (match fitness/asthma).
• Stephen Hunt, who did not play at Everton last Sunday, may feature again, as he is putting off surgery on his injured foot to help Hull in their fight against relegation.
• Hull City currently sits in 19th place, in the relegation zone. They're even on points with currently safe and 17th place Wolves, but the first tie-breaker is goal difference, of which Hull has the worst in the league (−33).
• Hull City has won once in their last 14 league matches (a shocking 2-1 win over Manchester City). They have drawn six and lost seven in this span, dating back to a 3-2 win over Everton in late November.
• All five Hull City wins this year have come at home.

Match Facts

• Prior to last season, the only league meetings between Arsenal and Hull City came before World War I, in England's second division.
• The last time Arsenal lost at Hull was April 2, 1915. They have won all two of their matches at Hull since then.
• The two teams have met in the FA Cup three times. The first two meetings required replays, with Hull winning the first (1908) and Arsenal winning the second (1930). Arsenal won the quarterfinal last year against Hull.
• The two sides have also met three times in the League Cup, with Arsenal winning all three.

Around the League

• Saturday: Tottenham v. Blackburn; White Hart Lane, London
• Saturday: Birmingham v. Everton; St. Andrew's Stadium, Birmingham
• Saturday: Bolton v. Wigan; Reebok Stadium, Bolton
• Saturday: Burnley v. Wolves; Turf Moor, Burnley
• Saturday: Chelsea v. West Ham; Stamford Bridge, London
• Saturday: Stoke v. Aston Villa; Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent
• Sunday: Manchester United v. Fulham; Old Trafford, Manchester
• Sunday: Sunderland v. Manchester City; Stadium of Light, Sunderland
• Monday: Liverpool v. Portsmouth; Anfield, Liverpool