Christopher Samba to Arsenal was one of the more tedious transfer stories of the summer and he will get his chance to prove that Wenger made the wrong choice in buying Per Mertesacker this afternoon.

Blackburn have made an even less impressive start to the season than us and there are expected to be protests against the management at Ewood Park this afternoon. Nonetheless an away game in the north-west is always a challenge and no one will need reminding of our last visit to the region. Arsene Wenger will be hopeful that the defensive character seen in our last match will be a consistent feature of his new team. There are still question marks over Mertesacker's pace but his ability to lead from the back could mean he is one of Wenger's most important signings in his time at the club.

We welcome back Alex Song and Gervinho from suspension and even if Ramsey is not deemed fit enough to start, Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun proved the new depth to our squad with promising displays in Dortmund.

Our likely line-up will be Szczesny, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Sagna, Song, Arteta, Ramsey, Arshavin, van Persie and Walcott. Gervinho may find a starting place but Arshavin did not feature in Germany and has made a decent start to the season whilst Walcott is always a threat away from home. 

It is another important game as we look to achieve a more respectable position in the table and as this new squad takes shape, many Arsenal fans will also have a refreshed perspective on our development. Patience with Wenger was waring thin last month but the fact that he has revamped the squad has rejuvenated the whole club. Now we just need to build some momentum on the pitch. 

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