After a lengthy series of away matches, Arsenal finally return to the Emirates stadium to face an unshackled Manchester United in the Premier League for a major test of the Gunners’ title credentials.
Tuesday’s Champions League victory at the San Siro against Inter Milan wrapped up Arsenal’s historic run of four consecutive away matches in four different competitions. It was nearly a perfect run, but a goalless draw in Arsenal’s league visit to Nottingham Forest put the lone blemish on their travels.
The past month’s run highlights one of the main issues in Arsenal’s season so far. The Gunners have cruised through their cup ties with relative ease, but two goalless draws in the last two league fixtures have kept them from establishing a sizable lead at the top of the table after title rivals Manchester City and Aston Villa dropped points in two consecutive matches. Arsenal’s 7 point lead is a healthy gap, but missing chances to extend the lead only amplifies the consternation.
Arsenal’s PL campaign has been blessed by a metronomic consistency in a season filled with mercurial performances and a lack of a truly elite competitor. Despite suffering only two defeats, they have yet to deal a hammer blow to the rest of the chasing pack with a win that would create the sort of distance that would feel insurmountable. The Gunners have risen to the occasion in countless marquee matches this season, and though United may not be in the position of a Bayern Munich or even an Aston Villa this season, this Sunday’s match feels monumental for the potential to make another emphatic statement on the heels of several frustrating league results.
With an ascendant rival coming to the Emirates looking to land a blow to Arsenal’s title hopes, will Mikel Areta’s side continue to dig deep on the biggest stages?
Here are three talking points ahead of Sunday’s match:
Know the Enemy
Manchester United come to the Emirates in 5th place in the Premier League with 35 points and a record of 9W/8D/5L.
You’ve got to hand it to United. Even when they aren’t producing on the pitch, they are still exceptionally entertaining. Another poor season under another volatile manager head coach has lead to yet another search for a their umpteenth coach in the past 5 seasons. Ruben Amorim’s decision to speak out against the board and practically dare them to fire him succeeded, and they parted ways with the Portuguese gaffer at the beginning of January. His 14 month tenure was marked with 24 wins from 63 matches managed, a cup final loss against a woeful Spurs, first round exits in both domestic cups this season, a club-worst 38.1% win rate, and zero haircuts for that one poor lad on social media.
United’s uncertain future after a growing list of managerial failures continues. In the mean time, they have turned to former United star Michael Carrick to lead the side in the interim. The mythical New Manager Bounce was at it’s potent best as Carrick led the Red Devils to a massive Manchester Derby win over Manchester City last weekend, and the result has, of course, led to very measured and rational takes by media outlets and United fans.
Considering City’s unrecognizable current form, Sunday will be a much more telling measure of United’s potential under Carrick. The stats put up by United this season have them leading a lot of major attacking categories, reflective of the success of their direct approach in the attack. Unlike possession-based sides like Arsenal, who choose to play wide and methodically poke and prod for weaknesses, United have opted to take a more direct route with a compact side that likes to attack in transition. They are largely successful in that, as they lead the league in shots (362) and shots on target (126) and trail Arsenal’s 40 goals by two. According to Opta, they should be comfortably top 4 this season relative to their stats, but a defense beset by injuries and a formation that never clicked has kept them from stringing results together.
United will also look to set things right, at least in their eyes, after they lost to Arsenal on the opening match of the season at Old Trafford after looking the more likely side to win. Add in the chance to deliver Arsenal their first loss at the Emirates this season and put a dent in their title hunt, and it’s hard to imagine them coming out with anything less than their full force, which is made all the more manageable for them with zero extra competitions for the remainder of the season.
Their attack has been led by summer signing Bryan Mbeumo, who looks a right steal for the Red Devils. Veteran midfielder Bruno Fernandes continues to shine in the middle of the park with 9 assists and 5 goals on the season. New keeper Senne Lammens has looked a vast improvement on Andre Onana, though that’s not exactly hard to do. The biggest boost, though, has been their defense slowly returning to health. Lisandro Martinez is back after a lengthy ACL recovery, though Matthijs de Ligt remains sidelined with a lower back injury.
If United are patient and pick their chances wisely, they can present some real problems for the Gunners. Disrupting their counters and slowing down the play will be key on Sunday. If Arsenal cannot find a way to dictate the flow of the game, it could be along Sunday for the home side.
Injuries & Suspensions
Heavily-rotated and playing on the road, Arsenal navigated their midweek Champions League trip to Italy And left with all 3 points and no new injuries reported. Cristhian Mosquera got his first start in weeks and got 75 minutes under him. Kai Havertz, despite returning to selection this month, stayed on the bench as an unused substitute. His minutes have been sparse since returning to fitness, but considering he just returned from injury and the other strikers are healthy, it’s fair to not rush him back. There have also been whispers that his problem knee is acting up a bit, which would explain his lack of usage despite being on the bench. Both Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie returned to training late in the week, but it might be too soon for either to feature.
QUESTIONABLE: Riccardo Calafiori (knock), Piero Hincapie (groin)
Predicted Lineup
Attack: Trossard, Jesus, Saka
This lineup is a tricky one. Considering that United will want to follow up their win over City with another big one, Arteta needs to get his personnel spot on. United will be aggressive, and I think that plays better into the hands of more technical wingers like Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka who can possess the ball and defuse pressure. Similarly, Gabriel Jesus at striker brings more control than Viktor Gyökeres. I’m optimistic that the 1-2 approach of Jesus for 60 and Gyökeres for the last 30 can be utilized more often and to better effect. Rarely have we seen Vik have a go at tired legs, but it finally came to fruition away at Inter Milan and led to a wonderful moment for the beleaguered striker.
Midfield: Rice, Zubimendi, Ødegaard
Arsenal’s midfield saw two of their usual starting three rested on the bench as Martin Zubimendi was the lone midfield starter at kick off against Inter. The makeshift midfield did fine and got the job done, but it looked much sharper and controlled when Declan Rice came on for the last 25 minutes. He comes back in on Sunday. Martin Ødegaard got a rare day of rest on Wednesday, and it was certainly overdue after his lackluster performance at Nottingham Forest. A rested Ødegaard is sharp and presses like a beast. Arteta will need that Ødegaard to show up against United and not the one that was muscled off the ball last weekend.
Defense: Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber
The defense is so close to being back to the necessary depth required to put a stranglehold on the league, but left back continues to be a point of concern thanks to injuries. Myles Lewis-Skelly started against Inter Milan after two poor league performances and rewarded Arteta’s faith with a solid outing. He will have his hands full with Mbeumo, but he has never shied away from a challenge, and he should be feeling more confident after Tuesday. The rest of the starters remain at their usual positions and will look to lock down the back line at home once again.
Keeper: Raya
David Raya saw a rocket of a shot fly past his outstretched hands in the first half at Inter, but maintained his focus for the remainder of the match and kept the hosts from adding to their goal tally. His mental fortitude and short memory are such elite qualities.
It’s been a while since this historic rivalry had a meaningful impact the title run, but Sunday could mark a return to the impact of this storied tie. United are finding their feet after a season of turmoil, while the Gunners are steadily steaming ahead toward their first title in ages. With 16 matches to go, every match begins to feel more and more important. Sunday is no doubt going to have a ripple effect on the shape of the league with an electric attack facing the league’s best defense. It’s time for Arsenal to once again step up on their home turf and remind the league, and themselves, of their pedigree under the brightest spotlight.
WHO: Arsenal vs Manchester United
WHAT: Premier League match day 23
WHEN: Sunday, January 25th, 11:30am EST/8:30am PST/4:30pm GMT
WHERE: THe Emirates Stadium, London
HOW TO WATCH: Streaming on the Peacock app
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