* In 105 league matches between the two sides Arsenal have won 51 times. Blackburn have been victorious on 29 occasions, while the teams have finished level 21 times.
* The Gunners are unbeaten in their last nine home matches against Rovers.
* Since the start of the Premier League in 1992-93 Arsenal and Blackburn have met 19 times in north London. The Gunners have won 11 matches and Rovers have come out on top three times. Five matches have ended in a draw.
* Arsenal have only won one of their last six matches in all competitions. In that time they have gone out of the League Cup, the FA Cup and the Champions League.
* Jens Lehmann appeared for the Arsenal reserves in their 2-1 defeat to Wigan in midweek. It was his first appearance in a Gunners jersey since rejoining the club on an emergency deal and he had some shaky moments during the match.
* Arsene Wenger's side have conceded 52 per cent of their goals from set-pieces, the highest percentage of any team in the Premier League according to Opta stats.
* Arsenal will be hoping Robin van Persie is fit to start as the Dutch striker enjoys playing against Rovers. He has notched 10 goals in 10 starts against the side from Ewood Park.
* Blackburn have not kept an away clean sheet this season and have conceded 38 goals on the road.
* Rovers have not won in their last seven matches. They have lost an FA Cup tie and four league matches. In that period they have picked up two draws against Newcastle and Blackpool.
* Blackburn midfielder David Dunn has scored five goals in seven Premier League games for the club against the north London side.
LAST MEETING
August 28, 2010: Blackburn 1-2 Arsenal
Theo Walcott gave the Gunners the lead but Blackburn hit back with an equaliser from Mame Biram Diouf. Arsene Wenger’s side showed resilience though and got the winner thanks to Andrey Arshavin’s second-half strike, and held on for all three points.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Arsenal: Almunia; Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Clichy; Song, Wilshere, Fabregas; Arshavin, Van Persie, Nasri.
Blackburn: Robinson; Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Olsson; Emerton, Nzonzi, J Jones, Pedersen, Hoilett; Santa Cruz.
Prediction
Arsenal 3-1 Blackburn 
