Arsenal v Wigan Premier League Preview: Can The Gunners End The Latics 5-Game Unbeaten Run?

*

Arsenal play, Steve Bruce’s Wigan Athletic in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Arsene Wenger’s Gunners side will go into this clash with Wigan full of confidence after a morale boosting win at Stamford Bridge last Sunday, with Arsenal coming from behind to win 2-1 against Chelsea. This will have brought some relief to Wenger, with Arsenal losing their two previous matches to Aston Villa at the Emirates and then were soundly beaten 3-0 by Manchester City at the Eastlands Stadium before their win against the Blues. Arsenal, are 4th in the Premiership and will expect to take all three points against Wigan on Saturday.

The Latics will also be full of confidence for the trip South to Arsenal, with Wigan unbeaten in five games and go into this match with the Gunners on the back of two straight wins at the JJB Stadium against Everton and West Bromwich Albion. Wigan are 11th in the table and Bruce will hope that the Latics can keep their good run going against an Arsenal team that has struggled at times this season against less fancied opposition.

Arsenal will be without long-term injured Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), Eduardo (broken leg) and England International Theo Walcott (shoulder) for the visit of the Latics. However, Wenger could have William Gallas (calf), Johan Djourou (thigh), Abou Diaby (abdominal strain), Kolo Toure (calf) and Emmanuel Eboue (knee), who are all struggling to be fit for Saturday’s game. Robin van Persie, who scored both goals against Chelsea, is likely to start, with Emmanuel Adebayor his probable strike-partner for Arsenal.

Bruce has a full squad to choose from for the trip to the Emirates, with the only doubt being top-scorer for the Latics Amr Zaki, who is fighting to shake off a calf strain in time to take to the field against Arsenal.

Arsenal: (from) Almunia, Gallas, Toure, Eboue, Djourou, Clichy, Sagna, Nasri, Fabregas, Denilson, Van Persie, Adebayor, Bendtner, Fanianski, Silvestre, Song, Diaby, Vela, Ramsey, Wilshere, Mannone, Bischoff, Coquelin, Fonte, Gibbs, Hoyte, Lansbury, Merida, Nordtveit, Randall, Rodgers, Simpson

Wigan Athletic: (from) Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Figueroa, Scharner, Taylor, Edman, Cattermole, Palacios, Kilbane, Heskey, Koumas, Brown, Pollitt, Zaki, Valencia, Boyce, de Ridder, Cywka, Kingson, Kapo, Camara, Kupisz, Routledge, Ashworth

Brazilian Wonder-Kid Set For Arsenal Education

• 
  

Arsenal look set to welcome another young prodigy to the Emirates Stadium, with Brazilian wonder-kid Luis Gustavo Conte expected to arrive in London in December to discuss terms with the Premier League club.

Conte, who is only 14 wont be able to sign a professional deal at the Gunners until he is 17 under Premiership rules, but according to French newspaper L’Equipe a deal is already in place for the Mirassol youth player to arrive at the North London club on December 5th.

Such a move is a big step for Conte at his tender years, but with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger renowned for his nurturing of young talent at the Gunners it would appear to be the right move for Conte to continue his footballing education.

Arsenal already have Brazilian's Denilson, who is now a regular starter for Wenger at the Emirates along with 18-year-old Pedro, who is currently on loan at Spanish side Salamanca.

Magpies To Swoop For Arsenal's Denilson & Roma's Riise?

• 
  

Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear has been linked with January loan moves for John Arne Riise at AS Roma and Arsenal’s young midfielder Denilson (below), with the pair on the top of a list already handed to Magpies owner Mike Ashley.

61-year-old Kinnear has revealed that he has handed a list of potential targets to Ashley, despite not knowing if he will still be in charge at St James’ Park when the transfer window opens or if Ashley will still be in charge at the up for sale North East club.

Kinnear has not named the targets, but did reveal one was a Roma player believed to be former Liverpool defender Riise and the other player is understood to be Gunners Brazilian midfielder Denilson.

“I have already got my shortlist ready and I will be giving it to Mike,” Kinnear confirmed.

“We need two players in as soon as possible, and I have them in mind.

“One is with Roma and he is not in the team at the moment. The other is a player who has already scored against us this season.

“We need to strengthen the team and the squad, and if we can get them, they would be a big boost because both are top-class players.”

Norwegian International Riise left Anfield for the Stadio Olimpico during the summer for £4million, but is not guaranteed first-team football under Luciano Spalletti at the Giallorossi, with Kinnear revealing that he knows it would cost £2million to bring the Roma target to the Premier League.

“I know their agents and what they would be is loan deals from January until the end of the season. I already know the player in Rome would cost us £2 million to bring over here,” Kinnear added.

However, despite Kinnear claiming to have been a regular visitor to the Arsenal training ground during his time out of management and said to have a good relationship with the Frenchman. Kinnear might find it hard to persuade Wenger to let 20-year-old Denilson leave the Emirates Stadium on loan, with the midfielder featuring in 18 of the Gunners 21 matches so far this campaign.