Old rivals Arsenal and Manchester United resume hostilities this Sunday, in a match that is been billed as a top of the table six-pointer.
A swashbuckling 5-2 win away at Leicester City lead many to believe that the Gunners had finally turned the corner from an attacking sense after struggling for cutting edge in the final third.
The momentum created from that victory was put to a grinding halt on Tuesday night when Olympiacos caused a major boil-over with a 3-2 victory at the Emirates Stadium, a result that puts the North Londoners teetering on the brink of elimination with two daunting matches against Bayern Munich to come.
The calamitous performance has again heaped pressure on Arsene Wenger, who’s decision to start reserve goalkeeper David Ospina over Petr Cech backfired on the Frenchman, as Ospina’s error and some shoddy defending gifted the Greeks all three points.
One the other side of the coin it is all smiles for United and Louis van Gaal at the present time, sitting top of the Premier League table for the first time in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era and bouncing back from their defeat in the Champions League on matchday one with a hard-fought 2-1 win over VfL Wolfsburg.
The Red Devils have won their past three league matches on the bounce and have the likes of David de Gea, Chris Smalling, Juan Mata and summer signing Anthony Martial to thank for the team’s recent resurgence.
A trip to the Emirates will be United’s first major test of their title credentials as they look to create some breathing space between themselves and the chasing pack.
Key Battle – Theo Walcott vs Chris Smalling
After much conjecture about who should be Arsene Wenger’s first choice centre-forward, Walcott has all but cemented his spot at the point of Arsenal’s attack.
Twelve goals in his past 13 starts is an indicator of Walcott’s beaming confidence in his preferred position as a striker and his clever and nimble movement makes him a slippery customer for defenders, compared to the more stagnant option of Olivier Giroud.
Smalling would have to be one of the most improved players in the league so far this season, vindicating the faith van Gaal has shown in the defender when their were strong calls for the Dutchman to sign a commanding centre-back in the summer.
The 25-year-old has become the leader of the United defence playing alongside Daley Blind. Smalling is winning more tackles and clearances then last year and has yet to make a defensive error, the main reason why the Red Devils have the joint most miserly defence in the league, conceding just five goals thus far.
The former Fulham man is rated as the fastest player in the United squad, so he is well equipped to go toe-to-toe with Walcott if he looks to play off the shoulder of the final defender. Overall, this should be a fascinating duel, with both players looking to continue their recent run of good form.
Team News
It was a disastrous night all round on Tuesday for Arsenal, and it was compounded even further with the injury to key defender Lauren Koscielny, who is set to miss three weeks with a hamstring strain. Defender Gabriel returns after serving his one-match suspension.
Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta have also been ruled out, while Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky are out long-term.
Arsenal Expected XI (4-2-3-1): Cech (GK); Bellerin, Gabriel, Mertesacker, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla; Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez; Walcott.
United have a clean bill of health with no fresh injuries from their midweek encounter and have been further boosted by the return of Michael Carrick after recovering from a calf complaint.
Mystery surrounds the fitness of midfielder Ander Herrera, with Marcos Rojo and Luke Shaw out indefinitely. There is a chance Ashley Young could continue to deputise at full-back after impressing when coming on for the under-fire Antonio Valencia.
Manchester United Expected XI (4-2-3-1): De Gea (GK); Young, Smalling, Blind, Darmian; Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin; Mata, Rooney, Depay; Martial.
Head-to-Head
These two have met a total of 211 times with United holding the upper hand in this fixture, claiming 93 wins compared to Arsenal’s 79, with 49 draws inbetween.
These old foes have played out some memorable duals over the years, with the Red Devils unbeaten in their last four visits to the Emirates.
Previous Meeting
The corresponding fixture last year saw United claim a smash-and-grab 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium in December after being outplayed for large portions of the match.
A Kieran Gibbs own goal and a late Wayne Rooney strike earned the Red Devils a crucial three points and van Gaal’s first win away from home since taking the reigns at Old Trafford.
Prediction
The title might not be won in October, but it can certainly be lost and another defeat for Arsenal could spell trouble, having already lost two matches so far.
The Gunners will need to regroup quick smart after their Champions League nightmare otherwise the knives will be out with the discontent among fans clearly visible after their recent defeat.
The form of Walcott and Alexis Sanchez is a big plus, but their defending has been chaotic to say the least.
Leicester could have easily doubled their lead last weekend before they surrendered an equaliser and the Olympiacos debacle has even further exemplified the Gunners’ soft centre.
While the jury is still out on whether United are for real this season, this should be seen as a real opportunity to stake their claim as a title contender by claiming a big scalp.
How van Gaal approaches this match will be intriguing. His pragmatic style came up trumps last season and was also helped by the Gunners’ wastefulness in front of goal.
With Arsenal looking vulnerable at the back, the Dutchman could be tempted to play a more expansive style, with the likes of Martial, Depay and Mata more than capable of posing some serious questions in the final third.
A draw seems the likely result, an outcome that would satisfy United more than it would the home side, who need a big result in front of their own fans to lift the doom and gloom surrounding the club at the present time.
Arsenal 2 Manchester United 2
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
