After Wednesday's trip to Manchester, the Gunners are back on the road on Saturday when they travel to Portsmouth in the Premier League. 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 Saturday you will be impressing anyone who will listen with your new-found knowledge
Peter Crouch v Kolo Toure
With the current raft of injuries to Arsène Wenger’s defensive unit, it is unlikely that Kolo Toure will get a rest against Pompey on Saturday. He will almost certainly face Peter Crouch who remains the South-Coast side’s most potent offensive force. The England striker has struck 11 times in his 34 appearances this season, racking up five assists along the way. His Ivorian opponent has a goal of his own this term in addition to an impressive tackling success rate of almost 90 per cent.
| Peter Crouch | Kolo Toure | |
| Appearances | 34 | 26 |
| Minutes played | 3003 | 2010 |
| Assists | 5 | 1 |
| Unsuccessful dribbles | 7 | 5 |
| Successful dribbles | 5 | 8 |
| Goals scored | 11 | 1 |
| Complete passes | 118 | 106 |
| Incomplete passes | 59 | 42 |
| Shots blocked | 6 | 2 |
| Shots off target | 36 | 9 |
| Shots on target | 41 | 11 |
| Woodwork struck | 3 | 0 |
| Tackles lost | 5 | 2 |
| Tackles won | 8 | 17 |
Glen Johnson v Andrey Arshavin
Because of his ineligibility in the Champions League, one man almost certain to feature at Fratton Park is Andrey Arshavin. The little Russian has made a massive impression since arriving in January, setting up five and scoring six in his first nine appearances. In his way on Saturday could be Glen Johnson whose imperious form this season saw him cement a place, not only in Fabio Capello’s England squad, but in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year too. However, he is also the most booked player in either squad.
| Glen Johnson | Andrey Arshavin | |
| Appearances | 27 | 9 |
| Minutes played | 2422 | 767 |
| Assists | 4 | 5 |
| Bookings | 8 | 0 |
| Clearances | 40 | 3 |
| Unsuccessful dribbles | 11 | 3 |
| Successful dribbles | 16 | 5 |
| Goals scored | 3 | 6 |
| Complete passes | 129 | 42 |
| Incomplete passes | 79 | 25 |
| Shots off target | 16 | 8 |
| Shots on target | 24 | 18 |
| Tackles lost | 15 | 5 |
| Tackles won | 26 | 2 |
Sean Davis v Denilson
After sitting out Wednesday’s Champions League defeat at Man United, Denilson may get the nod in the centre of Wenger’s midfield on Saturday. He looks likely to face ex-Tottenham man Sean Davis. The pairs’ stats are remarkably similar although Denilson looks the more incisive of the two with three goals and seven assists. On the other hand, Davis has completed 16 more clearances and attempted a handful more tackles than his Brazilian opponent.
| Sean Davis | Denilson | |
| Appearances | 29 | 33 |
| Minutes played | 2453 | 2855 |
| Assists | 2 | 7 |
| Clearances | 24 | 8 |
| Unsuccessful dribbles | 7 | 4 |
| Successful dribbles | 9 | 9 |
| Goals scored | 1 | 3 |
| Complete passes | 127 | 149 |
| Incomplete passes | 60 | 83 |
| Shots off target | 9 | 14 |
| Shots on target | 16 | 17 |
| Woodwork struck | 1 | 1 |
| Tackles lost | 12 | 9 |
| Tackles won | 21 | 21 |
