Tune in at 10:00 AM ET as Arsenal takes on QPR. Dan Frankel will be liveblogging for your enjoyment.
Thanks for joining me today as Arsenal try to avoid a third straight defeat in all competitions, at home, to a struggling Queens Park Rangers. Please feel free to send in your comments and questions.
Arsenal are desperate to pick up three points against a struggling QPR side today, after a shocking defeat to Norwich in the league and a 2-0 loss to Schalke in the Champions League. Some good news for Arsenal today is the return of Jack Wilshere. He will be making his return to first team football after an absence of more than a year with a series of injuries.
QPR have yet to pick up a victory in the league this season, having picked up just 3 points in their first 8 matches. The odds are surely stacked against QPR to take points today, especially with captain Park Ji-Sung out with a knee injury.
NOTES: 7 of the last 12 league matches between the two clubs have ended in a draw. QPR won the most recent meeting, a 2-1 victory at home in March.
Arsenal Starting 11: Mannone, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Andre Santos, Arteta, Wilshere, Cazorla, Ramsey, Podolski, Giroud.
Bench: Martinez, Koscielny, Walcott, Coquelin, Arshavin, Jenkinson, Gervinho.
QPR Starting 11: Julio Cesar, Bosingwa, Mbia, Nelsen, Traore, Wright-Phillips, Diakite, Granero, Hoilett, Taarabt, Zamora.
Bench: Green, Ferdinand, Cisse, Mackie, Onuoha, Ephraim, Faurlin.
We are just moments away from kick-off. Arsenal in red, QPR in the blue and white stripes
1 min: A loud applause for Wilshere on his frist touch. Arsenal in early possession.
2 min: Sagna with a strong run down the right side, slips on his cross attempt and cleared long by QPR.
3 mins: Cazorla with a darting run down the middle, his final touch to set up his shot is poor and QPR close on him quickly.
4 min: Arsenal in complete control at the moment, dictating the pace of play. Have only given up possession once so far.
4 min: Bosingwa picks off of Wilshere pass, under no pressure, tries to swing in a ball but it is poor and well over the Arsenal net.
5 min: Wilshere finds himself in a dangerous position, gets played in down the left side, and he slides a low hard cross through be 6 yard box, but it is past everyone and out for a goal-kick
6 min: QPR try to spring Hoilett over the top, but the ball is too far in front of him and handled easily by Mannone
7 min: Hoilett and Zamora work well to hold up the ball on the counter attack and wait for support from their teammates.
It will be crucial today for QPR that those two can hold up the ball well to relieve some pressure on the tired legs of the constantly defending QPR defenders.
8 min: Julio Cesar reacts quickly on a great opportunity for Arsenal.
Giroud deflected in a clipped cross form the left from Santos
10 min: Sagna whips in a strong cross from the right touchline, Ramsey gets his head on it and it loops over Cesar but off of the crossbar and out of play!
11 min: QPR look frustrated already, Granero just wraps his arms around Giroud and pulls him down.
12 min: Wilshere doing very well at the moment, plays Santos well down the left, who clips in a dangerous cross, but too far for Giroud
12 min: Ramsey lays it off to Podolski, who has loads of space in front of him, turns and hits one from 30 yards but his shot is just wide of the near post.
13 min: Arsenal look very confident on the ball at the moment. Keeping the ball for very long spells of possession.
14 min: Cazorla and Podolski work well down the left, but it ends with sloppy touch from Cazorla
15 min: Arsenal very patient, moving it from side to side. Sagna and Santos staying wide and waiting to attack out wide.
16 min: Ramsey down the right side working with Sagna trying to make progress but Traore does well to win a throw-in for QPR.
17 min: Arsenal back in possession, Arteta and Cazorla orchestrating the attack for the Gunners.
18 min: Giroud gets played in near the front post from Cazorla, he turns but his shot is soft and handled easily by Cesar at the near post.
18 min: Podolski played in from Cazorla again down the left side. Podolski's cross is poor.
19 min: Wilshere unleashes a shot from the top of the box, Cesar almost with a very costly spill but pounces on the rebound right before Cazorla is there to finish.
20 min: QPR with their first lengthy spell of possession here. Taarabt with some good footwork, wins a free-kick for QPR.
The ensuing free-kick is hit long, looking for Zamora, Mannone comes out well and punches it out for a QPR throw-in
22 min: Bosingwa finds himself with a lot of space down the right side on the overlapping run, tries to find Hoilett in front of net but might have been better dropping it back for Zamora. Wasted opportunity for QPR
