Rovers will get stuck into Gunners, says Hughes

BLACKBURN manager Mark Hughes insists his players will not make the same mistakes as Real Madrid when they face a resurgent Arsenal tomorrow.

Hughes was surprised by Madrid’s approach to the first leg of their last-16 Champions League clash with the Gunners at the Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Hughes, while impressed with the performance in Madrid, feels his team have the opportunity at Ewood Park to add to Arsenal’s domestic woes.

“If you allow good players time and space in which to operate then they have the ability to hurt you, as Arsenal proved against Real,” said Hughes. “I felt Real stood off Arsenal too much and never really put them under any pressure. As a consequence they had the space to exploit that.

“I would like to think we won’t allow them that kind of time and space. Arsenal have struggled at times when they have faced teams who have denied them space. That’s what you have to do when you play a team as accomplished as they are.

“It was still an outstanding performance, a great result for them and for British football. But I was hoping for more of an intense game for them, which didn’t seem to happen.

“Although they might not be as physically drained as I would have liked, I’m hoping it will have taken something out of them emotionally because it was a high-profile Champions League game.”

Rovers have lost their last six meetings with the Gunners without scoring a goal, conceding 13 in the process.

However Hughes feels his side have the beating of the current Arsenal team, who have lost seven of 13 away games in the league this season.

“They’ve been hampered by injuries, with a lot of key personnel out of the team at certain times,” reflected Hughes.

“That’s when you have to use the strength of your squad. Possibly they’ve not had that strength in depth going into certain games and that is why they have lost matches, with a number away from home.

“I also feel they’ve missed the likes of [Patrick] Vieira, who was a big influence on and off the field. Of course on their day they can beat anybody in the Premier League. Yet there is a feeling when you play them now you have a chance.

“I feel you have to play high tempo against them because they have the ability and individual talent to win games out of nothing.

“You have to work hard, deny them the space and then impose your own tactics and belief on the game, and hope you come out on top.”

Hughes and his squad returned this week from a sunshine break to Dubai where they recharged the batteries.