Arsenal take on Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, a ground where they haven’t won for 10 years.
Andy Gray and Richard Keys, who front beIN Sports’ Premier League coverage discuss what could be a crucial game in this year’s title race.
Andy Gray: Arsenal’s performance levels have slipped a little bit but they are still in decent form and although this might not be a must-win, it is certainly a must-not-lose game in the race for the title.
If they come away from Old Trafford with nothing it will be a bad day for the Gunners.
I don’t think the midweek defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League will affect them adversely. In fact, it is more likely to concentrate their minds on winning the league title. Van Gaal talks about Manchester United having turned the corner after their last two wins but I wouldn’t get too excited about beating Shrewsbury and Midtyjlland but it shows how they are grasping every positive they can at the moment – sort of clutching at straws.
We will find out on Sunday just how far around the corner they actually are.
United have a lot of injuries at the moment so there are looking to young kids like Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial, although he might miss this game with a hamstring problem, and maybe the boy Marcus Rashford who was impressive on Thursday and will be well up for this game if he plays, but, for me, the player who can turn this game for Van Gaal is Juan Mata.
He needs to take this game by the scruff of the neck and dominate in midfield. If he does that, then United might have a chance but if he fails to control that area of the pitch then I can’t see anything but an Arsenal win because they are the better side with players who can both create and score goals given space.
The one Arsenal player who worries me a little bit at the moment is Alexis Sanchez. Since coming back from injury he has not quite been the player he was so he needs to step it up.
Mesut Ozil will be hugely important for Arsenal and if he is on top of his game he will create all sorts of problems for United who look a bit vulnerable at the back.
The Arsenal players will be aware of their poor record at Old Trafford but if it was me it would be a reason to go there and do well and I think that is exactly what will happen. 1-2.
Richard Keys: If beating Shrewsbury and Midjtyllland 5-1 is the benchmark we have come to judge Manchester United by, and according to Van Gaal it is proof of improvement, then there really is no hope.
I said a couple of weeks ago that Van Gaal was a dead man walking and I still believe that. I fully expect Arsenal to win this game despite the disappointment in Europe against Barcelona, which was another typical performance in Europe at this stage by Arsene Wenger’s side and maybe now he will have to accept that he will never win the Champions League.
However, in the Premier League they are good enough to beat United on any chosen day.
Like many, I think going out of Europe, and it is going to take a miracle for them to stay in the competition, would do them a favour as they can concentrate on the league title. They have had their blip, going four games without a win, and now appear to be back in reasonably good shape and I don’t see anthing at United that is going to worry them too much.
We don’t know if Martial will play after he injured himself in the warm-up against Midjtylland and although Rashford was brilliant in that game he is just a kid. Without Wayne Rooney you look at that Manchester United team and you wouldn’t be concerned about any of them.
How many of that team would get into the Arsenal team? Certainly none of the outfield players and I doubt that even David De Gea would make it with Petr Cech playing so well.
De Gea is probably United’s best player at the moment and because of that I can’t see Arsenal scoring too many goals but they will come away with three points. 0-1.
