Sunderland-3 points closer? + Miyachi Exclusive Interview!

Arsenal are playing Sunderland at the Emirates and it's a good chance for us to get closer to Man Utd or even get the chance to top them on the table.The main talking point of this game is the probable return of a certain Aaron Ramsey.He hasn't played for the first team since his horrific accident over a year ago. He'll be coming off the back of a successful loan period to Cardiff. "There is a chance Aaron could be available in the squad for Saturday," Arsene Wenger told Arsenal TV Online on Thursday. With both Fabregas and Song out of the game, he'd be welcome addition... but the likelihood is he'll start the game on the bench.

The last time we met Sunderland, it was under similar circumstances,with a chance to get to the top of the table if we'd won...the match ended in a draw.The game was pretty bland except for two exceptional goals, each in their own way.The first one happened when Anton Ferdinand's clearance took a deflection off Fabregas's boot all the way up to the halfway line, and somehow found the net.That deflection left our captain injured. The second goal came well into extra-time from Darren Bent (a looooot of arguments over the extended extra-time because of that one).

The Arsenal team has not lost a single EPL match in 2011, keeping six clean sheets in the process. Our home form has been good with us winning our last four matches at the Emirates. Sunderland, on the the other hand,  have had a rather different start to the year.They've lost all of their last four games AND lost their most prolific scorer, Darren Bent, in the transfer window to Aston Villa. So you can expect THE team going all out, hungry for their very first win at the Emirates. The players starting will have to be on their toes during the full 90 minutes if they hope to get a win.

Riding on a wave of confidence after a MOTM performance against Orient, Nicklas Bendtner is confident that the team has moved on from Sunday's defeat and are ready to move to the top of the table (if Liverpool beat Man Utd on Sunday, then we can top them if we win our extra match). He also believes that they're ready to face Barcelona and thinks that scoring against the Catalans is not impossible. He's confident of being in the starting line-up today... and so am I. I also expect Diaby to start in place of the injured Song- his towering presence in midfield would very well counteract the physical Sunderland midfield. Rosicky is also expected to start, even though he walked out with a concussion during the midweek win over Orient.

Predicted starting line-up:

Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Djourou, Clichy, Diaby, Wilshire, Nasri, Rosicky, Arshavin and Bendtner                                              

                                                                                                                                       

The full pre-match interview with Arsene Wenger from Arsenal TV Online is below:

In other news, Arsene Wenger won Barclays' Manager of the Month award for an unbeaten record throughout February. Scott Parker from West Ham won the Player of the Month award.

                                       Arsene Wenger with his Manager of the Month Trophy

Former Arsenal player Kolo Toure got suspended from playing for Manchester City FC after a 'specified substance' was found in a routine blood sample.Wenger came to his defence saying "It is a complete surprise,I had Kolo Toure here for years, I brought him to England. He is a boy who has a clean life, very honest living, always at home and a family man." He went on to say "I just think it is a mistake by forgetting to ask ‘can I take that?' He wants to control his weight a little bit because that's where he has some problems and he took the product of his wife. I think it is a mistake and he was not cautious enough. I don't think there's a desire there to do something wrong and hide it."

Young Japanese prospect Ryo Miyachi was signed in the January transfer window. In order to gain some valuable experience, he was sent on loan to Feynoord in the Dutch Eredivisie where he has gone on to be a regular. An interview he gave just before he left for Feynoord is featured below.

Like last time, I predict a home win with a 3-1 scoreline. Bendtner can continue on from his midweek hat- trick with the opener today.

That's all for the day folks.You can follow me on twitter for my banter about the club and updates about new postings, and you can leave your comments below. Have a good weekend!

©goonerburgh