Friday, February 18, 2011

Preview: Leyton Orient v. Arsenal, FA Cup 5th Round

Orient's mascot is a dragon. His name is Theo.
Last year, Theo Walcott's birthday cake had a dragon.
Connection!?!? Pic via Leyton Orient.

Matchroom Stadium, London
Sunday, February 20
4:30 p.m. GMT, 11:30 a.m. EST
  • Referee: Kevin Friend
  • All-Time in All Competitions: 7 Arsenal wins, 2 Orient wins, 1 draw
  • All-Time in FA Cup: 4 Arsenal wins 
  • Arsenal's Premier League Form: D-W-W-W-D-W
  • Leyton Orient's League One Form: D-D-D-W-W-W
Predicted Line-Up
I usually only get like seven of these in cup ties

Almunia
Eboue - Koscielny - Squillaci - Gibbs
Denilson - Wilshere
Bendtner - Rosicky - Arshavin
Chamakh

Subs from: Szczesny, Sagna, Clichy, Song, Fabregas, Nasri, van Persie
Suspended: Diaby (second of three, violent conduct)
Doubtful: Walcott (hamstring)
Out: Djourou (back), Fabianski (shoulder), Vermaelen (Achilles)

Arsenal News and Notes
  • Johan Djourou picked up a back injury on Wednesday and will miss the cup tie. Get well soon (damn it, we need you)!
  • Theo Walcott is a doubt with a hamstring knock, though I wouldn't have expected him to start anyway, and certainly hope he wouldn't have been necessary to use. Arsenal has been leaving these cup ties for late, though, haven't they?
  • No other new injuries, but a lot of rotation likely.
  • Arsenal are unbeaten in nine across all competitions, by far their longest streak of the season. Arsenal last went unbeaten in nine from February 20 to April 3 last year, a streak that was snapped at Camp Nou.
  • In 25 tries, Arsenal has never lost an FA Cup tie to a lower tier team under Arsene Wenger.
Leyton Orient News and Notes
  • Orient currently sit in 10th place in League One, meaning Arsenal have played progressively lower teams down the table with each passing round (Huddersfield Town is in 3rd.)
  • There are three teams currently still alive in the FA Cup that are below Orient in the table: Sheffield Wednesday, Notts County, and non-league Crawley Town.
  • I'd give you their injury news, but honestly, I can't seem to find specifics. As of last week, it appears that Adam Chambers and Matthew Spring are injured. I hope that is good enough for you.
  • Orient are unbeaten in nine League One fixtures (5 wins, 4 draws) since a New Year's Day loss to top of the table Brighton & Hove Albion. They have won three straight.
  • To progress this far in the competition, Leyton Orient has beaten Dagenham & Redbridge (another London derby!) in a replay, Droylsden in a replay in which they scored six goals in extra time, then upset two Championship sides in Norwich and Swansea. Both of those sides sit in Premier League promotion playoff spots right now.
Match Facts
  • Arsenal have won all five matches they have played against Leyton Orient since World War I.
  • The last meeting came in the 1978 FA Cup. Arsenal won 3-0 at Highbury.
  • Leyton Orient has spent only one season in the top flight, 1962/63. Arsenal beat them 2-1 at Brisbane Road and 2-0 at Highbury.
  • Orient's last win over Arsenal came in the old second division, on February 13, 1915. Orient won 1-0 at Millfields Road.
  • Arsenal have won all four FA Cup ties against Leyton Orient, with three of those coming away from home.
The Referee
  • The referee is Leicestershire-based Kevin Friend.
  • This is Friend's second Arsenal match in his career. The first was the 3-0 win over Wigan last month, in which Robin van Persie had a hat trick.
  • His last Leyton Orient match was on April 13, 2009. Orient won 1-0 at Swindon Town.
Other 5th Round Ties (and 4th Round Replays)
  • Saturday: Chelsea v. Everton (4th Round Replay); Stamford Bridge, London
  • Saturday: Stoke City v. Brighton & Hove Albion; Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent
  • Saturday: Birmingham City v. Sheffield Wednesday; St. Andrew's, Birmingham
  • Saturday: Manchester United v. Crawley Town; Old Trafford, Manchester
  • Sunday: Manchester City v. Notts County (4th Round Replay); City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester
  • Sunday: Fulham v. Bolton Wanderers; Craven Cottage, London
  • Monday: West Ham United v. Burnley; Boleyn Ground, London
  • Next Tuesday: Chelsea or Everton v. Reading; London or Liverpool
  • Next Wednesday: Manchester City or Notts County v. Aston Villa; Manchester or Nottingham

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