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Arsenal v Manchester Utd – Match Preview

By 2010/01/31 15 Comments

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By KESTER WISEMAN – Arsenal begin a period of games that could make or break their title challenge with the visit of Manchester United. The champions come into the game fresh from progressing to the Carling Cup final via a thrilling yet hauntingly predictable injury time winner from Wayne Rooney.

Whilst United were beating their noisy neighbours in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night, Arsenal were labouring to a 0-0 draw at Villa Park. In normal circumstances it would be deemed a good result, but given their next three opponents the necessity for all three points was especially high.

Sir Alex Ferguson has dubbed the tie as “the biggest game of the season” for his club, and the same is also true for the Gunners. League leaders Chelsea have been rampant of late. They scored eleven goals in their dismissals of Birmingham City and Sunderland, and are expected to make similarly light work of relegation candidates Burnley. If that match goes to form, then by the time Arsenal and United kick off on Sunday, the Londoners will be five points off the pace.

Despite the news that Thomas Vermaelen’s injury is not as serious as first feared, the game will come too soon for the Belgian. The same is true for Eduardo, who pulled up with a hamstring injury in the same game. The striker is expected to be back in the squad for the Chelsea match on the seventh.

Amongst the misery of Wednesday night, perhaps the biggest positive was the performance of Sol Campbell. The veteran replaced Vermaelen after 35 minutes, and went on to have a surprisingly convincing game against Villa’s considerable attacking talent. He did show signs of weariness towards the end of the game however, and was fortunate not to be penalised for a foul on Richard Dunne. It remains to be seen whether the 35 year old has the fitness to cope with such a busy schedule. Before rejoining the side he had made just two appearances in six months; an appearance on Sunday would be his third in just seven days.

As well as the enforced changes, Nicklas Bendtner will take the place of Eduardo in the starting line-up, it is likely that Emmanuel Eboue and Alex Song will be immediately reinstated to the squad after returning from the African Cup of Nations.

In contrast to Arsenal’s injury ravaged squad, Sir Alex Ferguson has a near full complement of players to choose from. Long term absentee Owen Hargreaves is still struggling with a knee injury, whilst John O’Shea has almost certainly played his final game of the season. Rio Ferdinand will miss the game through suspension after the FA punished him with a four game ban for his elbow on Craig Fagan.

United were the victors when these two sides met at Old Trafford earlier in the season, but not without some disastrous defending from Arsenal. Diaby’s own goal gave the Red Devils the impetus to go on and win the game after the Gunners had taken the lead through Andrey Arshavin’s speculative strike.{jcomments on}

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  • Joeyboy

    Just seen the team
    Vermalean starts so thats good. Hope hes ready for it tho. Also see Arsharvin gunna go up top again, with Bendtner on the bench. Man u have Brown, Evans and Rafael playing so their defence isnt as strong as it could be. Going to be a very interesting game i recon

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  • Clint Beefman

    Great news that TV starts, permitted that he’s fit. I think it was Evans and Brown that were in defence when United lost to Leeds, and they looked very uncertain that day.

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  • Benchod

    Another GROUNHOG DAY season…how long do we have to put up with this crap!
    Spend some money on A goalkeeper, DM,& centre forward for God sake!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • Andy P

    We will never win silverware with a goalkeeper who couldn’t get in the Celta Vigo first team.

    Clichy is lucky Gibbs is out injured – on this performance the possible future quandary of which one would be first choice has been answered.

    Denilson, despite the positives of last year, was appalling. He should’ve been subbed earlier.

    Sagna continues to look half the player he was in his first season.

    Nasri continues to bemuse. Concentrate on the basics son, beginning with improving your work rate.

    Why cross the ball in the box when a) most of the team is short b) we never attack crosses c) more often than not today there was noone in the box?

    Tactically we f-ed up too – we should’ve reverted to 442 far sooner, whilst a number of players showed a complete lack of awareness.

    An insepid, embarrassing, toothless performance. The only hope is two victories in the next two games but our form presently reads Stoke (lost), Villa (drew), Man U (lost). Nice…

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  • db10

    harsh on nasri. often he’s the one covering for the centre backs and the 4 times that arshavin was through and should have passed it nasri was there supporting the play. watch a video of the invincibles and the amount of goals we scored by getting through on goal and then passing it square for a tap in. now everyone is either selfish or completely unaware this is the easiest way to do it.

    on sagna he is rubbish going forward but he’s still an excellent defender. this system doesn’t suit him because the full backs are the only players who provide width becuase the wingers are actually central attacking midfielders. if we are going to persist with this then the wide forwards should be wider and higher up and they should be primarily strikers (like henry and messi for barca).

    denilson doesn’t add anything to the team. he’s not fast, powerful, strong, good at passing, combative or good at tackling. a good midfielder needs to be good at all these things unless they are exceptional at a few (ie cesc)

    i can’t believe he hasn’t bought a striker.

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  • fucknilson

    denilson was fault by 2nd and 3rd goals. the only players performs like an arsenal team is rosicky and vermelean. Title challenge is officially over. I don’t think they (Mu, chelsea) will drop much points over the next three games. While us, is looking like we tend to drop points in any matches.

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  • Mexican Gunner

    I hate when people came to say: Denilson is shit! Diaby is shit!… But today will be the first time that Im agree on Denilson.

    In the first goal after Nani did that great move Denilson was in front of him and he just extended his leg and Nani shooted and well Almunia did the same as always, nothing!!

    In the second goal Vermaelen did an amazing run to catch Park and Denilson was next to Rooney and he runned next to him and Denlson just showed his stupid surprised face again.

    Arshavin was awesome!! even that he didnt score was one of his best games for Arsenal. What a shame that around him there a bunch of kids that doesnt know what to do.

    And dont spend the money Arsene. Bendtner is like a new signing he will solve all our problems.

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  • db10

    are you joking about bendtner. by the time he finds any form it will be too late. anything other than two wins against chelsea and pool isn’t enough. saying that a new striker will take time to settle as well but bringing in a big name (huntelaar) will give a lift to whole team like last year with arshavin.

    although arshavin was good if he wasn’t so selfish we would have been two up in the first 25 minutes.

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  • Clint Beefman

    A win on Sunday gets us straight back into the hunt, but as some of you have mentioned, that looks very unlikely right now.

    Although all three looked effortless from United, the first goal today was particularly embarrassing. The way that Nani ghosted past three Arsenal players is very worrying indeed.

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  • Ehibaba

    The title chase is OVER officially or unofficially! We lost this game the moment AW said during his press brief at the Emirate that irrespective of the outcome of this game, we are in contention for the title! Dream oh Dreamer, read my lips……IT IS OVER!!!!! By the end of the season, Fab would have been gone to Barca and we would start to rebuild another gang of youngsters that would become title contenders in another five years!!!!
    Is it not obvious we lack a good GK? What the hell was Denilson doing on the pitch? It is hard to believe AW hasn’t bought a player as at today 31st of January( oh i forgot, he’s got cambel) What a waste!!!!
    Clichy is gone, Nasril is a Shadow of himself and walcott should consider modeling! What way to mess up my day!!!
    All the same ARSENAL FOR LIFE!!!!!

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  • Ehibaba

    You are right clint, the team did not show a fighting spirit today. Denilson was the biggest culprit!What a way to loss to a manu side we are better then! I dont think i will forgive AW for this!!!

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  • Mexican Gunner

    Obviously I was being sarcastic on Bendtner, he´s even worst than Denilson.

    It will be so crazy to bring Pavlyuchenko in the last minutes of the market?? I like much more other strikers than him, but he knows the league, he lives in London, he can play the CL, and he could bring that connection with Arshavin of the last European Cup.

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  • john

    Listen the peformance or ‘lack of’ is down to lack of good players in key positions.
    Wenger has known for ages where these areas are but refuses to do anything about it. Why the hell can he not spend some f-in money and fix whats broke, is that not his job, well in that sense he aint doing it too well. I cant take any more of this bollocks that the players arnt there, they bloody well are, but unfortunately Mr Wenger they dont come free or on the cheap, you actually have too pay money for them.
    Im not saying to throw money at a problem will fix it, but with his scouting network blah,blah,blah, something should have been done, so no matter who says what, we should of had at least had 1 new player a striker.
    Some times I think wenger is smoking something cos at times he is so full of shit its unreal, not taking anything away from his redevelopement of the club, but I am about the hear and now, and in the hear and now we are pure shite, and things are starin us all in the face and wenger refuses out of pure arrogance to do anything about it.
    We are simply not in chelsea’s league and we are not also in (in my opinion( a good not great utd teams league either.
    1 more thing kiss goodbye to Fabregas in the summer.

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  • TJ14

    [quote name=john]
    1 more thing kiss goodbye to Fabregas in the summer.[/quote]
    Cesc was shocking yesterday. He is our captain and is supposed to set an example. He gave away far too many passes. His head went down too easily on so many occasions. He has his get out clause to go to Barcelona, but he needs to put in the effort while he is here.

    Denilson was shocking yesterday. As was Almunia. I hate slagging off our own players, but they were so poor yesterday. Denilson can have good games, but he is only supposed to be a squad player, not a regular. Almunia surely has to be dropped now. The first goal and the kick near the end were embarrassing.

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  • Jezza

    Well was hoping for a better result than that!
    The same errors and poor displays that were evident against Chelsea were there for all to see again last night. The areas that were weak 3 years ago are still the weak points of this team. AW knows what needs to be done but is too afraid to damage the egos of his youngsters. Maybe a few new faces will give them the kick up the backside they need. This team is very technically good but physically and mentally not strong enough to cope with playing at the highest level. For all AW has done at the club he knows this season and next are pivitol. If he doesn’t renew his contract next year then it will mean a legacy will be tanited by his own stubborness not to rectify the issues we have. Lets hope we keep pushing this year but based on this performance i wouldn’t excpect a happy finish to the season.

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