Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is excited about the prospect of locking horns with Manchester United in one of the Barclays Premier League’s “special” fixtures this weekend.
Arsenal versus United was always seen as a title-defining fixture around the turn of the century, as Wenger’s side duelled for supremacy with Alex Ferguson’s United but this has been dilluted with the rise of Chelsea and Manchester City.
However, Sunday’s contest at the Emirates Stadium once again has a top-of-the-table edge to it with Arsenal sitting only three points behind league leaders United, and Wenger believes that means this weekend’s meeting takes on extra importance.
“It is a special fixture because usually Man Utd are always fighting at the top,” he said. “It has an even bigger meaning now because there are three points between the teams and we play at home in a big game.
“We have just come from a big win at Leicester and we want to continue our run. We are the only team who has beaten [Leicester], so I don’t see why we should not believe we can beat Manchester United.”
Arsenal’s impressive 5-2 victory at the King Power Stadium last Saturday was followed up by a 3-2 home defeat to Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League. David Ospina was selected in goal during the week but Petr Cech is set to return this weekend. Laurent Koscielny (hamstring), Mikel Arteta (knock) and Mathieu Flamini (hamstring) are definitely out but Wenger expects Francis Coquelin to be fit.
The Frenchman’s opposite number Louis van Gaal, meanwhile, was effusive in his praise of Arsenal on Thursday. Van Gaal described Wenger’s team as “technically and tactically the best team in the league” and also said he is wary of a backlash from their loss to Olympiacos.
United travel to north London buoyed by four consecutive wins in all competitions, with last Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Sunderland moving them top of the BPL table for the first time in over two years.
Juan Mata has been in superb form in recent weeks, and the Spaniard was instrumental in United’s 2-1 midweek win over Wolfsburg, scoring the equaliser from the penalty spot before setting up Chris Smalling’s decisive goal. Michael Carrick missed that game with a minor injury but is fit to play at Emirates Stadium.
“The solution is recovery, recovery, recovery – that is why it’s so difficult to prepare for the match against Arsenal,” Van Gaal added. “We have to wait and see for Saturday and then I can make decisions.”
Arsenal (from): Cech, Ospina, Bellerin, Chambers, Debuchy, Gabriel, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Monreal, Cazorla, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ozil, Ramsey, Campbell, Giroud, Sanchez, Walcott.
Manchester United (from): De Gea, Romero, Johnstone, Valdes, Darmian, Jones, McNair, Rojo, Smalling, Valencia, Varela, Blind, Carrick, Fellaini, Herrera, Lingard, Mata, Pereira, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Young, Depay, Martial, Rooney, Wilson.
Match Appointments
Referee: Anthony Taylor Assistants: J Brooks, L Betts Fourth Official: R East
Match Facts
Manchester United are unbeaten in four away matches against Arsenal. They have never gone five without a loss away to the Gunners in the Barclays Premier League era.
Arsenal’s win rate of 24% against Manchester United in the BPL is their lowest versus any team in the competition.
Wayne Rooney scored his first Barclays Premier League goal (October 2002), his first league goal for Man Utd (October 2004) and his 100th BPL goal (January 2010) against Arsenal.
Louis van Gaal has lost just one of his five meetings with Arsene Wenger (all competitions). Van Gaal lost in the FA Cup last season after winning one and drawing one in the BPL, and he won once and drew once in the 1999/00 UEFA Champions League group stages with Barcelona.
source:premierleague.com
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 