Arsenal v Reading

Emirates Stadium
Saturday 3 March
Kick-off: 1500 GMT

Arsenal will be without suspended trio Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, but Jens Lehmann, Abou Diaby and Cesc Fabregas all return.

Thierry Henry, Tomas Rosicky, Justin Hoyte and Mathieu Flamini are all out.

Reading have reported no fresh injury worries, with only Ibrahima Sonko and Bobby Convey (both knee) still missing from the Royals' squad.

Dave Kitson is set for his first start in the Premiership after suffering a knee injury on the opening day.

Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Gallas, Djourou, Senderos, Clichy, Hleb, Gilberto, Fabregas, Ljungberg, Aliadiere, Baptista, Almunia, Diaby, Walcott, Denilson, Traore, Randall, Connolly, Perez.

Reading (from): Hahnemann, Murty, Ingimarsson, Bikey, Duberry, Shorey, Little, Sidwell, Harper, Hunt, Lita, Doyle, Kitson, Long, Federici, de la Cruz, Halford, Sodje, Gunnarsson, Oster, Seol, Bennett.

Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva:"The last few games have been disappointing and the coming days won't be easy.

"We have huge games coming up but it's hard because we only have a few days to save the rest of our season."

Reading boss Steve Coppell:"In many ways you are just in awe of teams like Arsenal when they are really flowing.

"You look at their ability going forward and you just think 'wow'.

"I am also in awe of what they are doing with their youngsters. It is a shame they are not English, but you can only respect what they are doing."

BIG-MATCH FACTS

ARSENAL revert to the business of picking up precious Premiership points in a top six match-up with Reading, after losing three Cup ties in just over a week, and exiting from both domestic knock-out competitions within four days of each other. Manager Arsene Wenger will want a morale-boosting winning performance from his side, ahead of Wednesday's Champions League return, home to PSV Eindhoven. A one goal first leg deficit must be recouped, in a tie that now takes on enormous importance as a season-saver.

The Gunners are holding onto the fourth Champions League spot, just two points ahead of Bolton, and are the lowest ranked of the three clubs still with an unbeaten home Premiership record. They're yet to lose at the Emirates Stadium. If they can pick up a fifth successive League win there, they will also extend the longest current undefeated run, home and away in the Premiership, to six games.

The Gunners hold a 100% record against Reading with six wins from the six League and Cup meetings since 1935. That includes a 0-4 victory in the reverse fixture, when Arsenal turned on the style and outclassed Reading four and a half months ago. Thierry Henry got the scoring underway after only 58 seconds.

READING are on course to qualify for the Uefa Cup, having already exceeded all expectations from their maiden campaign of top flight football by reaching an all-time high of sixth place. But it remains to be seen if manager Steve Coppell would consider their reward for this massive over-achievement, of a campaign in Europe as an unwelcome resource-stretching distraction in what is bound to be a more difficult second season at this level.

The Royals go north London on the back of two defeats. The away loss to Middlesbrough, was followed by Wednesday's FA Cup replay, home to Manchester United in which they found themselves three-down in six minutes, but fought back to lose 2-3. Last Saturday's reverse for their first of the year, and ended a six-match unbeaten League run of five wins and one draw.
The Royals are making an inaugural visit to the Emirates Stadium for their first ever away League fixture against Arsenal, and will be seeking a first goal against the Gunners in 20 years.

REFEREE

Chris Foy (St Helens, Merseyside)

Premiership referees' table
Chris Foy's 2006-07 Premiership card count

SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM

ARSENAL

Club stats
Fixtures 4th 49 points

Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 4thLowest could fall: 4th
1. Won only one more Premiership match than Reading (14 to 13).
2. Claimed 13 points from a last possible 15, since the turn of the year. The last League defeat was 1-0 at Sheffield United on 30 December.
3. Drawn 99 Premiership matches under Arsene Wenger.
4. Completed 44 League games since a goalless draw - the longest current such sequence of any club in the Premiership. The last goalless stalemate was home to Manchester United on 3 January 2006, and was the second in a row, after the no score draw at Aston Villa three days earlier.
5. Conceded the opening goal in 15 top League games this season, including the last three. Only West Ham (21 times) and Charlton (17) have fallen behind from the opening whistle more often. Also, one of two clubs with a 100% record from Premiership matches in which clean sheets have been kept - won eight of eight. Manchester have won 12 of 12.
6. The most resilient team in the highest echelon, having gained an unequalled 18 points from losing positions in Premiership games this term. Won, home to Blackburn, Manchester United and Wigan, and away to Charlton, and drawn home to Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Everton, Newcastle and Portsmouth, and away to Middlesbrough, having trailed in all 10 fixtures.
7. Awarded and converted more penalties than any other club in Premiership competition this season - scored seven of the eight given.
8. The busiest of all Premiership clubs. This is their 47th fixture of the season.
9. Won 13 and drawn seven of the last 20 home Premiership games, since the 2-3 defeat to West Ham on 1 February.
10. The next three Premiership fixtures after this are all away, to Aston Villa, Everton and Liverpool.

READING

Club stats
Fixtures 6th 43 points

Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 6thLowest could fall: 8th
1. Lost the last two in League and Cup, after having a nine-game unbeaten start to 2007 ended by Middlesbrough last Saturday.
2. The 2-1 defeat at the Riverside also ended a four-game winning run in the Premiership.
3. Now in danger of suffering back-to-back defeats in the top League for the first time in what will be 10 outings, since Christmas.
4. Boast 14 different scorers of Premiership goals this term - only Manchester United's goalscorers list is longer (15 players).
5. Looking to make Arsenal their fifth League victims on the road this season. Already taken maximum points away from Sheffield United, West Ham, Fulham and Manchester City.
6. The next four Premiership fixtures take in a home game against Portsmouth, an away match at Tottenham, a clash with Liverpool at the Madejski and a visit to Charlton.

KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES

ARSENAL

Squad profiles

Robin VAN PERSIE is Arsenal's top scorer with 13 goals, 11 in the Premiership.

Cesc FABREGAS is the only remaining player to have participated in at least a part of every one of Arsenal's Premiership matches this season.

If selected in the 11, Emmanuel EBOUE will be making his 50th start for Arsenal.

Suspended: Emmanuel ADEBAYOR, Emmanuel EBOUE, Kolo TOURE

READING

Squad profiles

Leroy LITA is Reading's top scorer with 14 goals.

LITA needs to score one to total 50 career League goals (Bristol City and Reading).

Kevin DOYLE is the club's top Premiership marksman - all 10 of his goals have been in the League.

Ivar INGIMARSSON and Marcus HAHNEMANN have been on the field for every minute of every one of Reading's Premiership matches to date. The pair, together with James HARPER and Steven SIDWELL have played in at least a part of every one of Reading's Premiership matches.

If he plays, John OSTER will be making his 50th League appearance for Reading.

THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE

Reading 0-4 Arsenal22 October 2006 - Ref: Alan WileyArsenal scorers: Henry 1, Hleb 39, Van Persie 50, Henry 70 pen

HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS

Home and awayLeague: Arsenal 1 win, Reading 0, Draws 0Prem: Arsenal 1 win, Reading 0, Draws 0

at Arsenal onlyLeague: Arsenal 0 wins, Reading 0, Draws 0Prem: Arsenal 0 wins, Reading 0, Draws 0

From : BBC Sports