Barclays Premier League

FT: HULL 1 ARSENAL 2

A hugely-important but fortunate result for Arsenal takes the Gunners level with Chelsea and deals a hammer blow to ten-man Hull's survival hopes courtesy of that injury-time goal from Bendtner. The visitors never hit the heights of the midweek win over Porto, but they looked comfortable after Arshavin drilled them in front on 14 minutes. The home side were lucky with their equaliser as Vennegoor collected Marney's ball in an offside position but was allowed to continue. After that, he was clearly fouled by Campbell, who could have been sent off for a professional foul, and Bullard dispatched the penalty. Boateng was dismissed for a nasty foul on Sagna just before the interval. For all Arsenal's efforts they created only one clear-cut chance in the second half, Arshavin blasting over an open goal from ten yards and their title dreams looked set to suffer a big dent before Myhill parried Denilson's shot straight out to Bendtner.

KEEPER HOWLER

Denilson tried a speculative shot from 30 yards that Myhill parried straight back out to Bendtner, who kept his finish down and slotted into the corner.

GOAL!!!!!

Bendtner puts Arsenal back in front.

SHOT CLICHY

The Frenchman tries his luck from distance, but that is straight into Myhill's midriff.

ADDED TIME

There are six minutes of stoppage time. Groans all around the KC.

FASCINATING FACT

In the last ten minutes of games this season, Hull have conceded the most goals in the Premier League and Arsenal have scored the most.

SUBSTITUTION

Kevin Kilbane replaces Altidore, as 10-man Hull look to hold on to what they have.

ZAYATTE'S NOT GOOD

The defender reappears from the tunnel on crutches to take his place on the bench. Hull say it's a knee problem and he could be out for the season.

HULL SURVIVE

Arshavin finds Walcott on the right and his cross picks out Bendtner, who has a good shooting chance which is blocked by a combination of Mouyokolo and Cooper.

INTO ORBIT

Bernard Mendy launches a clearance out of play - and out of the stadium. You don't see that very often at the KC.

SUBSTITUTION

It's Eduardo for the disappointing Nasri for the visitors.

HULL SUBSTITUTION

It's Garcia for Vennegoor of Hesselink. Six characters instead of 22 (including spaces) - a commentator's dream.

BENDTNER MISS

Clichy's cross is only half-cleared and Bendtner hooks the rebound over the crossbar.

ONE-WAY TRAFFIC

The pressure is building on Hull here, but that Arshavin chance aside, the home side have been hanging on manfully.

WHAT A CHANCE

Walcott has an immediate impact, getting clear down the right and teeing the ball up for Nasri, who passes the opportunity up to Arshavin. The Russian has an open goal only ten yards out, but smashes the ball high and wide, Nicklas Bendtner-style against Burnley last week.

SUBSTITUTION

Arsenal do make that change, it's Walcott for Eboue.

BULLARD TRIES HIS LUCK

The midfielder surges forward and tries a shot on the run which is a couple of yards over the bar.

THEO'S GETTING READY

The Arsenal speedstar is lacing up his boots. It won't be long before he makes his entrance.

ARSENAL MUST GO FOR IT

Hull have done such a good containment job in this second half that it's easy to forget they are a man down.

WHO IS LIAM COOPER?

The teenage defender was born in Hull and his only other Premier League experience was in the 6-1 defeat at Liverpool earlier in the season.

HULL CHANGE

Zayatte went off for treatment, limped back on and has promptly collapsed again. He is carried off the field on a stretcher and Liam Cooper, 18, comes on as the Hull replacement.

STICK TO PENALTIES, JIMMY

Bullard's free-kick is about five yards high and ten yards wide.

ZAYATTE HURT

Campbell catches the Hull defender with a forceful but perfectly fair tackle that has Hull's fans begging for a red card for the Arsenal man.

WASTED CHANCE

Altidore does superbly to beat two men, but instead of pulling the trigger he decides to slip in Vennegoor of Hesselink, who is clearly offside.

CAUGHT IN TWO MINDS

Hull don't know whether to stick or twist here. A point's really not good enough in their current situation, but they are a man down.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

Arsenal kick off the second half. No changes by either side at the break, though Hull are down to ten men, you will remember.

HT: HULL 1 ARSENAL 1

All square at the break, in what is turning into a fractious match. Arsenal were cruising thanks to Arshavin's cool finish on 14 minutes. But Hull levelled out of the blue when Vennegoor of Hesselink collected the ball in an offside position and then profited from a clumsy tackle by Campbell. Bullard drilled home the penalty, but Boateng's sending-off gifts the advantage back to the visitors. Join us after the break, it promises to be a lively second half.

SENDING OFF

Boateng did not have to wait for that red card. He goes in high on Sagna, who is caught on the knee. It was not nasty, but a bad tackle for sure and that's the seventh sending off of his career.

AN ESCAPE, BY GEORGE

Boateng's a lucky boy, to be fair. He raised his arm to Bendtner's face and could easily have been shown a red card.

BOOKINGS GALORE

Bad foul from Dawson on Denilson has Arsene Wenger off the bench and that's the clearest yellow card you will ever see. The assistant referee draws the attention of the official to a flare-up between Boateng and Bendtner which earns both a caution.

BENDTNER'S EFFORT BLOCKED

Arsenal have recovered their composure and threaten to go back in front. Zayette only half-clears Sagna's cross, but does well to block Bendtner's follow-up shot and Arshavin skies the rebound.

FAGAN MUST BE CAREFUL

The midfielder gets a ticking off after numerous fouls in this first half. One more and he's in the book.

MORE ON THAT PENALTY

The ball was played into Marney, who played a neat first-time flick over the square Arsenal backline. Vennegoor of Hesselink was clearly offside, but the flag stayed down and Campbell's challenge on Vennegoor was a clear foul. The central defender was booked for his tackle.

GOAL!!!!!!

Bullard steps up and smacks it home to level for Hull.

PENALTY HULL

Campbell floors Vennegoor of Hesselink in the area and that's a spot-kick.

SHOOTING CHANCE

Altidore runs into Campbell, earning his side a generous free-kick. Bullard lines up a shot from 25 yards which hits one of the wall on the shins. Disappointing.

WAY OVER THE BAR

Dawson's right-wing corner is half-cleared by Arsenal. Bullard is lurking, some 25 yards out, but his shot is never going to trouble Almunia.

CLOSE TO A SECOND

Sagna fizzes a ball across the face of goal that causes Myhill some problems and Mendy clears for a corner.

MILESTONE MOMENT

That is Arsenal's 100th goal in all competitions this season and the 800th in the Premier League this campaign.

MORE ON THAT GOAL

Nasri and Bendtner combined to set up Arshavin on the edge of the area. He ghosted past the attentions of Mendy and Boateng, who were back-pedalling, courtesy of a lucky ricochet, before firing right-footed past Myhill. Classy finish. Classy player.

GOAL!!!!!

Arshavin puts Arsenal in front.

THE FLAG GOES UP

Nasri's through-ball finds Arshavin in acres of space, but the little Russian is well offside.

PUTTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Before you go thinking that Paul McShane has been dropped because of a poor performance at Everton last weekend, it should be pointed out he is not in the starting line-up for family reasons.

BOLD FROM BROWN

Hull are playing with two strikers today in Vennegoor of Hesselink and Altidore - the Tigers are definitely going for it.

SQUEEZING THEM IN

Apparently there is a record crowd inside the KC Stadium today, in excess of 25,000.

EARLY PROMISE

Some nervy defending from Hull there almost allowed Diaby to profit from Bendtner's flick-on. At the other end, Altidore pulls a shot wide from outside the box.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

This pitch is in very poor condition, Hull FC play Super League here and the Tigers also trained on it yesterday. Arsenal's passing game is going to suffer on this bobbly surface.

HERE WE GO

Chelsea beat West Ham 4-1 earlier in the day, so Arsenal will need to win by five clear goals to go top. Hull could have done with Burnley and Wolves sharing the points at Turf Moor, because the Molineux side's 2-1 win means the Tigers are now three points adrift of safety. Arsenal kick off.

TEAM NEWS

Phil Brown rings the changes after last week's thumping at Everton. Out go: McShane, Kilbane, Barmby, Garcia, Cairney and Zaki. In come: Mendy, Dawson, Fagan, Bullard, Altidore and Vennegoor of Hesselink. It's more straightforward for Arsenal, Alex Song is suspended domestically, so Denilson comes in. Otherwise it's the same team that hammered Porto.

THE TEAMS

Hull: Myhill, Mendy, Zayatte, Mouyokolo, Dawson, Fagan, Boateng, Bullard, Marney, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Altidore. Subs: Duke, Barmby, Garcia, Kilbane, Zaki, Cooper, Olofinjana. Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Campbell, Vermaelen, Clichy, Denilson, Diaby, Eboue, Nasri, Arshavin, Bendtner. Subs: Fabianski, Eduardo, Walcott, Silvestre, Traore, Merida, Eastmond. Referee: Andre Marriner (W Midlands).

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

Taking charge of today's game is Andre Marriner, who has been a member of the select group of Premier League referees since 2005. The West Midlands whistleblower has refereed 20 top-flight matches this season and while his yellow-card count of 76 is nothing extraordinary, the red-card count is. He has sent off seven players, two more than his nearest rivals, Mike Dean and Mark Clattenburg. Twice this season Marriner has dismissed two players in the same match – Nemanja Vidic and Javier Mascherano in the game between Liverpool and Manchester United and Kenwyne Jones and Radoslav Kovac when Sunderland hosted West Ham. Interestingly, though, he has not sent anybody off since Boxing Day. He has seen Arsenal once and Hull twice in 2009-10, but only shown a total of seven yellow cards in those three games. Expect a few more today.

EARLY TEAM NEWS

Unless Arsene Wenger was playing with smoke and mirrors or Cesc Fabregas's middle name is Jesus, there is no chance of the Spaniard playing at the KC Stadium with his manager saying on Thursday that it would take a miracle for him to take the field. William Gallas has suffered a setback in his recovery from a calf injury and is likely to be out for another three weeks, so the Frenchman joins long-term injury victims Robin van Persie (ankle), Aaron Ramsey (broken leg) and Johan Djourou (knee) on the sidelines. Tomas Rosicky (groin) faces a late fitness test, as does Bacary Sagna (ankle) but Sol Campbell, who seemed unlikely to play two games in four days, has recovered well from a slight calf problem and could figure. Alexandre Song is servng a ban, having collected 10 bookings this season. Hull have Craig Fagan back from suspension and Stephen Hunt and Andy Dawson, who had started every game until last week's defeat at Everton, are in contention for a return. Dawson was suffering from asthma, while Hunt has an ongoing foot problem.

FORM GUIDE

Just one month ago, Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to complete the double over their London rivals and seemingly knock them out of the title race. Arsene Wenger's side were nine points off the summit at that stage, but have clawed their way back into contention with four straight victories. They also know that at least one of the heavyweights above them is certain to drop points between now and the end of the season, as Chelsea have to go to Old Trafford on April 3. As one of two sides yet to win away from home in the Premier League (Burnley are the other) it is Hull's home form that is going to keep them in the top flight. Phil Brown's side lost two of their first three at the KC Stadium, but have been beaten just once in their last ten league games at home. But with Arsenal and Manchester United among their five remaining matches at home, Hull are going to need something special to survive.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

In three words: all of them, and very closely. Although neither manager claims there has been any carry-over, there has been bad blood between these sides in recent meetings. Fabregas was charged by the FA after allegations by Hull that he spat at assistant manager Brian Horton after the FA Cup quarter-final meeting last March, though no punishment was meted out due to a lack of evidence. It was the same in November, when Samir Nasri escaped after appearing to stamp on the foot of Richard Garcia in an off-the-ball incident which prompted a mass brawl. If we are going to be focusing on the playing side, then keep an eye on Nicklas Bendtner and see which frontman turns up: the one who missed a hatful of chances that a Sunday League striker could have put away against Burnley last weekend, or the world-beater who scored a Champions League hat-trick against Porto three days later.

PREVIEW

Arsenal proved against Porto in midweek that they can win without their inspirational captain Cesc Fabregas and must do so again as the Spain midfielder has not yet fully recovered from the hamstring injury that forced him off during last weekend's win over Burnley. This match, though, could provide a tougher test: away from home against a Hull side scrapping for their lives, quite literally, it seems. City appear to be wound tighter than a watch spring at the moment, as witnessed by the bust-up between Jimmy Bullard and Nicky Barmby on Monday that took place near the Humber Bridge in front of around 50 to 100 disbelieving members of the local Women's Institute who were unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity. Games against the big four are quite often write-offs for teams at the wrong end of the table, but Hull's plight is such they simply must get something from this match. As for the Gunners, they have plenty at stake too. Manchester United do not play Fulham until Sunday, so Arsenal have the chance to go second with a win and could even go top if Chelsea do the unthinkable and fail to beat West Ham at home. Come back around 30 minutes prior to the 1730GMT kick-off when we should be able to bring you first news of the teams.