Manchester United v Arsenal is not a fixture that carries the gravitas it once did, as evidenced this weekend. Whereas this was always a strictly top of the table affair, on Sunday the sides meet with the objective of avoiding a Champions League qualifier. There’s still something important to play for, but it’s not nearly as pivotal as it used to be.
For the Gunners, if they can avoid defeat, they will go a very long way to guaranteeing an improvement on last season’s 4th placed finish, a win will guarantee them third and leave hopes of second place alive.
The visitors broke their Salford hoodoo in March’s F.A. Cup clash and also defeated Manchester City away in January, so the city holds good memories and signs of progress for Arsenal in 2015.
United will be grateful to have broken straight back into Europe’s premier competition, not least after last summer’s enormous outlay on players that have enjoyed mixed seasons.
Arsene Wenger did not plan for the likes of Ospina, Bellerin, Coquelin and Monreal to be crucial members of his defence last summer and Louis van Gaal surely could not have predicted that the likes of Marouane Fellaini and Ashley Young would have ousted Falcao and Angel di Maria as key components of his attack.
Form fluctuates and shapes shift over the course of a season. Arsenal know that United will likely spend big again this summer and staying above them in the table and avoiding a tricky qualifier in August should be motivation enough to extend their Manchester honeymoon this season.
Vital Quotes:
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger wants his team to avoid the prospect of another irksome Champions League qualifier in August, ‘”It`s very important for your season preparations not to have that kind of stress of the play-off over your head from the first day you start again,” he said. “We know what it means and we know it`s always tricky, because you can play against teams who are in the middle of their championship when you are in preparation.
“It is the pressure and the consequences of not qualifying that are massive. Every day in practice you have to focus on thinking you have to be ready on that day. When you qualify at Udinese, it is a relief but days later you go to Old Trafford to get exactly the same focus. You know you have more chance to lose the game than to win it, so sometimes you pay the price in the Premier League.
‘It is difficult,” he said. “They think that most of the time you`re playing in the Champions League but you`re not sure. The only thing we can say to convince them is that statistically we have always done it.
‘What is even more important now is that the international competitions force you most of the time to start the new season without your players,” Wenger said. “You cannot give them a long enough rest when they have played international games. You also know in England that we have no break in the winter. That is sometimes difficult to deal with.”
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal believes injuries have disrupted his side’s momentum this season, with more players set to miss the clash with Arsenal.
‘This season I think we have averaged ten injured players every game and you can’t cope with that, I could not have expected that at the beginning of the season.’
van Gaal went on to suggest that finishing in the top 4 has satisfied his first target for the season, ‘You (the press) have sat here with me since the first day and the board and I have said the goal is to finish in the first four positions.
‘We have reached that two games before the end of the season, so that’s not bad I think. The most important thing is to balance the selection of the team, but I have to change positions of players because there are players injured.
‘We have to bring that balance into the selection and we could not this year. Transfers are also a process, it’s not a case of ‘I want him’ and he comes. There are always three parties to satisfy.’
Manchester United Team News:
United will be without Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Rafael da Silva and Luke Shaw for the visit of Arsenal. Jonny Evans faces a late fitness test. Andreas Pereira is away with Brazil for the U-20 World Cup.
Marcos Rojo and Robin van Persie are fit enough to return.
Manchester United (from); de Gea, Jones, Rojo, di Maria, Mata, Falcao, Janujaz, Smalling, Blind, Young, van Persie, Herreira, Valencia, Fellaini, Valdes, McNair, Blackett, Wilson.
Player to watch: Marouane Fellaini
Francis Coquelin expertly shackled the Belgian in the F.A. Cup tie in May and the Frenchman will be required to perform the same job again this time around.
The Belgian offers particular danger for Arsenal’s back four as he carries a real aerial threat in the area and 35% of the Gunners’ league goals conceded this season, have been to headers.
Arsenal Team News:
Mathieu Debuchy and Mikel Arteta are still short of fitness for this one. Meanwhile, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered a hamstring problem in training and faces a race to see if he can play again this season.
Danny Welbeck is still not quite fit enough after a hamstring injury so will not play against his old club.
Arsenal (from); Szczesny, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Koscielny, Rosicky, Wilshere, Ozil, Giroud, Ospina, Walcott, Ramsey, Alexis, Monreal, S.Cazorla, Flamini, Chambers, Coquelin, Bellerin.
Player to watch: Olivier Giroud
Without a goal in 5 games now and substituted in each of his last four league appearances without a goal or assist. As Harry Kane has found, better form leads to increased scrutiny.
Teams have observed how crucial Girous is to Arsenal’s build up play and have often double marked him. That potentially frees up space for the likes of Alexis and Ramsey, but they may have to learn how to play without the Frenchman is the go to pivot.
Match Facts & Stats
Manchester United are unbeaten in seven Premier League meetings between these sides (W5, D2) and they have lost just one in 12.
Arsenal’s last league victory at Old Trafford was in September 2006; however they did win there in the FA Cup earlier this season.
The Gunners’ last five top-flight victories at United have all been by a 1-0 scoreline.
Manchester United have won seven of their last eight league games at Old Trafford.
They have earned 43 points at home this season – only Chelsea have won more, with 46.
Arsenal have won five successive league games away from home.
Arsenal have named the same team in five successive league matches for the first time since January 1994.
Ref Watch:
Pom poms at the ready for the fabulous Mike Dean, VOGUE!
Match Prediction:
I think this one will end in a 0-0 draw.
Next Fixtures:
Arsenal play at home to Sunderland on Wednesday, 20th May at 7.45pm. Manchester United play away at Hull City next Sunday at 3pm.