Not since the days of Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane battling it out in the middle of the park has an affair between Manchester United and Arsenal been talked of with so much intensity. A fierce rivalry partially rediscovered by the transfer of Robin van Persie, the stars have seemingly aligned for Sunday’s meeting, the first occasion in which Arsène Wenger will face the Red Devils without Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm.
It’s anyone’s guess as to who will come out on top in this clash of titans, though this game will definitely prove entertaining for the neutrals tuning in and will be sure to conjure up many talking points that will be heavily discussed over the next few weeks.
United’s worry and promise
David Moyes’ start to life in Manchester hasn’t exactly been comfortable and with United lying eighth in the table, seven places below first placed Arsenal, a win over the Gunners could prove invaluable in the long run. Things are looking on the up for the reigning champions, as they have picked up three points in five of their last eight matches, drawing on the three other occasions. You could argue that the rise to prominence of a certain Adnan Januzaj has played a large part in their recent turnaround. Bursting onto the scene with a brace to defeat Sunderland, the 18-year-old’s name was on the lips of football observes across the continent and such euphoria lead to demand for a new, bolster, contract in order to nail their ‘saviour’ down for the long run. Ultimately, the ex-Anderlecht winger received a five-year-deal, earning him a handsome £30k p/week, a 20% rise, however it’s now up to him to sustain this astronomical rise. Yet to play against an English side who compete in the Champions League, it’ll be very interesting to see how he fairs against Kieran Gibbs or Bacary Sagna, depending on which flank he plays on, who themselves are enjoying a fine season.
Obviously, the spotlight will be on Robin van Persie, who’s set to face his former side for just the third time. Olivier Giroud, who wasn’t brought in to replace the Dutchman, yet succeeded him nevertheless, has scored the same amount of goals as the 30-year-old this season, so it’ll be fascinating to monitor any change to their respective tallies.
Arsenal on cloud nine
When Manchester United secured their twentieth league title, not many people could have predicted that in November of the following season, Arsenal would have an eight point advantage over the champions, however such a scenario has come to fruition and the north London outfit will go into the game with their tails wagging, so to speak. Why? Largely thanks to the resilience shown against Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, following losses against Dortmund in their first Champions League meeting of the campaign and Chelsea in the Capital One Cup.
Many doubted whether Wenger’s team had it within their capabilities to beat Liverpool, but the doubters were duly silenced as the Merseyside club were contained with relative ease, thus reflected by the 2-0 scoreline. Just days later, the Gunners faced their toughest test so far, arguably, as they traveled to the Ruhr valley to face a very much inform Die Schwarzgelben, who had somewhat calmed the optimism of Arsenal supporters just a few weeks ago.Remarkably, despite the ongoing onslaughts from Jürgen Klopp’s explosive attacking unit, a win was achieved at the Westfalenstadion through an Aaron Ramsey header, which proved to be the only effort to hit the back of the net. Although you could credit the goal-scorers from these victories, the majority of the recognition deserves to go to what some believe is the best central defensive partnership in the Premier League, Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny. Keeping a clean sheet in both matches, the telepathic relationship they share is evident ever time they take to the field. The highly acclaimed Sturridge and Suárez combination couldn’t find a way through the back-line and Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus, et al, suffered the same fate midweek.
After seasons when criticism for Arsenal centre-backs have been aplenty, it’s quite refreshing to acknowledge the newfound, widespread, appreciation for the German and Frenchman, who compliment each other alike Tony Adams and Steve Bould did, years ago. Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney will provide another difficult challenge, yet fans are confident of another dominant defensive display.
Team News
Arsenal:
Mathieu Flamini (groin), Jack Wilshere (ankle) and Serge Gnabry (ankle) all participated in full training on Saturday and all are likely to be judged match-fit for Sunday. Theo Walcott (abdominal) is still recovering and won’t feature in any capacity. Lukas Podolski (hamstring) will comeback in the very near future, though he won’t make an appearance until after the international break, at least. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee), Abou Diaby (knee) and Yaya Sanogo (back) still have a while to go before returning.
Predicted XI: Szczęsny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Ramsey, Arteta, Rosický, Özil, Cazorla, Giroud.
Why not make your preferred XI with our squad selector, here.
Manchester United:
Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverley and are expected to be at David Moyes’ disposal, after fitness doubts in the week, however Danny Welbeck and Rafael aren’t expected to make the starting XI or the bench, as they’re all still on the road to recovery, whilst Jonny Evans is questionable.
Predicted XI: de Gea, Smalling, Evans, Vidić, Evra, Carrick, Jones, Valencia, Rooney, Januzaj, van Persie.
Managers’ Comments
“I said at the start that Arsenal have got the same chance as the rest of us to win the league. It’s an open Premier League. They’ve had a really good start but it will only be decided at end of the season who will win it. We’ll wait and see until then. Arsenal are coming to play the champions. They’re in the top position at the moment, their form has been very good and they’ll come here in good spirits. But we’ve had some growing momentum and we want to put on a good show.” – David Moyes
“Yes, we believe we can get a result. We go there like we go everywhere, to control the game and to win the game. We still think the best way to win at Old Trafford is to control the game, which means take the ball, keep the ball and have more possession than they do. We are maybe a little less under pressure because we have a little advantage [in the table], but we have to use that in a positive way.” – Arsène Wenger
Betting Tips
1. Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny have been in fine form recently, but will they be able to prevent any goals for the third successive match? Arsenal are 31/10 to keep a clean sheet. BET ON THIS MARKET, HERE
2. Robin van Persie has scored in each of his two previous meetings with former club, Arsenal. Will he sustain this pattern at Old Trafford? The Netherlands international is 7/5 to hit the back of the net at any time. BET ON THIS MARKET, HERE
3. Despite playing well for Arsenal during his first two seasons with the club, Olivier Giroud has never netted a competitive hat-trick for the Gunners. Will he against David de Gea? The ex-Montpellier striker is 40/1 to score three goals in ninety minutes. BET ON THIS MARKET, HERE
4. Arsenal have lost one Premier League game this season. Will Manchester United be the second team to defeat the, domestically? The Red Devils are 13/10 to pick up three points. BET ON THIS MARKET, HERE
5. The aforementioned Adnan Januzaj is set to play in his first match against a ‘big’ Premier League side. Will he start it with a bang? The Young prodigy is 19/2 to break the deadlock. BET ON THIS MARKET, HERE
