Steed Malbranque... can Frenchman deny Denilson?
Saturday's Key Battles: Arsenal v Sunderland
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Arsenal needed a last-gasp equaliser when they met Sunderland earlier on in the season but they will go into Saturday's clash buoyed by Monday's FA Cup victory. This season Arsenal.com will be identifying the key battles for the game. We will bring you all the statistics and information a fan could need so swot up now and come Sunday you will be impressing anyone who will listen with your new-found knowledge.
William Gallas v Kenwyne Jones
After missing the first three months of the season, Kenwyne Jones has returned to the Sunderland starting line-up with a bang. The striker has hit seven goals in his 16 appearances this term, helping the Black Cats rise steadily up the Premier League. In his way on Saturday is William Gallas who has completed 90 minutes in Arsenal’s last three league fixtures. The Frenchman has won 12 of his 18 tackles this term in addition to an impressive 75 per cent dribbling success rate.
| William Gallas | Kenwyne Jones | |
| Appearances | 19 | 16 |
| Minutes played | 1710 | 1227 |
| Assists | 0 | 1 |
| Clearances | 30 | 2 |
| Successful dribbles | 6 | 4 |
| Unsuccessful dribbles | 2 | 2 |
| Goals scored | 2 | 7 |
| Complete passes | 78 | 45 |
| Incomplete passes | 34 | 35 |
| Shots on target | 5 | 27 |
| Shots off target | 5 | 12 |
| Hit woodwork | 1 | 1 |
| Tackles won | 12 | 2 |
| Tackles lost | 6 | 2 |
Denilson v Steed Malbranque
Denilson and Steed Malbranque could serve up a mouth-watering midfield clash on Saturday afternoon. The pair have appeared 24 times each this season with Denilson edging his opponent in the passing and goalscoring stakes. On the other hand, the ex-Spurs midfielder has completed more tackles and registered four more assists than the Brazilian. Malbranque has completed the most successful dribbles of the pair but has also failed more often.
| Denilson | Steed Malbranque | |
| Appearances | 24 | 24 |
| Minutes played | 2097 | 1864 |
| Assist | 5 | 9 |
| Successful crosses | 3 | 7 |
| Unsuccessful crosses | 12 | 22 |
| Successful dribbles | 9 | 17 |
| Unsuccessful dribbles | 4 | 14 |
| Goals scored | 3 | 1 |
| Complete passes | 109 | 101 |
| Incomplete passes | 62 | 73 |
| Shots off target | 12 | 10 |
| Shots on target | 13 | 10 |
| Tackles lost | 8 | 13 |
| Tackles won | 16 | 18 |
Nicklas Bendtner v Anton Ferdinand
With Emmanuel Adebayor laid low by a hamstring injury for the next couple of weeks, Nicklas Bendtner could get the nod in attack on Saturday. The Dane has struck three times in the Premier League this term, assisting twice. Anton Ferdinand has been almost ever-present for the Black Cats since September, winning seven of his five tackles and completing 36 clearances. An occasional goalscorer for his former club West Ham, Ferdinand has cut down on his forward forays this season averaging one shot on goal every 10 games.
| Nicklas Bendtner | Anton Ferdinand | |
| Appearances | 18 | 20 |
| Minutes played | 920 | 1800 |
| Clearances | 7 | 36 |
| Successful dribbles | 7 | 5 |
| Unsuccessful dribbles | 4 | 6 |
| Total dribbles | 11 | 11 |
| Goals scored | 3 | 0 |
| Complete passes | 53 | 75 |
| Incomplete passes | 24 | 55 |
| Shots on target | 18 | 0 |
| Shots off target | 10 | 2 |
| Tackles lost | 6 | 5 |
| Tackles won | 1 | 7 |
[Thursday, February 19, 2009]
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