Arsenal face a familiar foe this afternoon in the Premier League as they welcome Manchester United to The Emirates with the Gunners seeking to restore their 7 point league at the top of the table. It always feels like it has a bit of extra spice this one. When I first got into football, it was Arsenal and United slugging it out at the top of the table as the countries finest and although it’s been a long time since those days, the feelings still remain the same and it’s therefore always a fixture that I’m desperate for us to win.
Regardless of the result, I don’t have to face the United fans at school the next day, so that’s something, but beating United should be something that is always an absolute must and the league position and current state of affairs in the Premier League right now make it doubly important.
Manchester United had a morale boosting win over Manchester City last week and look a different animal under interim boss Michael Carrick, so this is going to be a very different United side to some of the ones we’ve seen from earlier in the season, which is a great shame. ☹
We will therefore have to be at our very best in this one if we are going to take all three points and if we can go to the San Siro with a rotated team and win fairly comfortably, as we did in midweek, we know we are capable of doing the same again today, so we just need to put in that kind of performance, be clinical and hopefully, the rest will take care of itself.
Areas of encouragement
If the training pictures are anything to go by, Mikel Arteta may have a fully fit squad to choose from this afternoon for what must be the first time this season, so if that is the case, that is an absolutely huge boost. It feels particularly important at left back where we’ve our two first choice options missing, so to just have one of Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie back for this one would be amazing.
Arsenal’s strikers also scored goals in midweek!! Three goals between two of them in fact! Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres are now both pushing to start this one and that competition and the confidence that both of them should have after their midweek exploits could be huge for us.
Areas of concern
It’s one of those games where I’m always going to be concerned. We’ve had some really good teams in the past few years and United have struggled in patches over this recent period yet despite the apparent gap between the two teams, I don’t ever remember us beating them comfortably. I think the last game I can remember where we were truly comfortable against United was during a 3-0 win at The Emirates in which early goals from Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil helped us race into an early 2 goal lead and basically cruise to the win. That was in 2015!!! So, yes, the very fact that it’s Manchester United we’re playing, makes me concerning.
The new Manager bounce is also another concern as the players all seem to have that extra yard of pace and a spring in their step that was perhaps missing under previous boss Ruben Amorim. Arsenal are going to have to match their intensity from the first whistle if they are to win this one.
What I’d love to see
An early Arsenal goal just changes the whole game doesn’t it?! Gets the crowd up, puts pressure on them, makes them come out a bit. An early breakthrough would be huge in this one. I’d also love to see our strikers get on the scoresheet again.
What I’d hate to see
After two nil-nils in the past two league games, I’d hate to see another low block in front of us from the first minute. I can actually see United coming and having a bit of a go and although that would be pretty terrifying at times, given some of the quality they have going forward, that would make it a much more open game, which could suit Arsenal.
I’m expecting the ‘dark arts’ to be out in force again, as United will do everything they can to quieten down the crowd and slow down the tempo, so as much as I hate seeing that, what I really hate is us playing into it and getting riled up. Best way to deal with those sort of tactics, get a couple of early goals!!
Lineup and Team News
As I mentioned above, there is the possibility of a fully fit squad for Mikel Arteta to choose from and judging by the lineups he has picked for the majority of the season, most of those positions are nailed on. I think there’s only two positions that are up for debate – left back and striker.
At left back, this depends on fitness as Riccardo Calafiori as his preferred choice at left back, but it depends on how fit he actually is, following his recent mystery injury. I expect him to start this one. If not, Piero Hincapie could also make his own return from injury. Surely one of them will return.
Upfront is more based on form than fitness. Viktor Gyokeres has struggled this season, especially in the league, and Gabriel Jesus was excellent against Inter Milan and probably deserves a start in a really big game, where the stakes are high. This one could go either way, as we all know how much he favours Gyokeres when he’s fit however, I think form and the high that Jesus will be on from the game in Milan will just see him pip the Swede and start this one.
Predicted lineup:
Raya
Timber
Saliba
Gabriel
Calafiori
Zubimendi
Rice
Odegaard
Saka
Jesus
Trossard
Substitutes:
Arrizabalaga
White
Mosquera
Merino
Eze
Havertz
Martinelli
Madueke
Gyokeres
PREDICTION
Never an easy game against this lot, no matter where we play them. I think we should have enough to get over the line though so I’ll go for 2-0 to The Arsenal.