Arsenal have a short time to recover from Thursday’s shambolic 3-1 loss to Rennes in the Europa League, as they face Manchester United on Sunday with just one point separating Unai Emery’s fifth-place side and United in fourth.
The two sides met in the FA Cup this season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United emerging 3-1 winners on Arsenal’s home patch, and Emery will be keen to avoid a repeat this weekend.
Here’s a look at how he can set about masterminding a reversal of fortunes.
HOW TO COUNTER THE COUNTER
In the aftermath of United’s 3-1 win in January, the players revealed that they knew they’d be able to pick Arsenal off on the counter. Given the result, there’s no arguing that the tactics worked. So how does Emery respond this time around?
Though it may not sit well with the home fans, perhaps the Arsenal manager decides to avoid playing into United’s hands by ceding possession to the visitors instead. Instead of letting Solskjaer’s side hit them on the break, Emery could set his side up to co-opt that tactic, sitting deep themselves and using the pace of players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Alex Iwobi to hit United on the counter.
It would be a huge departure from Emery’s preferred style, and Arsenal’s, but if it led to a win, would anyone care?
FOUR AT THE BACK THE WAY FORWARD FOR ARSENAL
Though Emery has preferred a 3-4-3 formation during his time at Arsenal, he’s also thrown variations at opposition managers as he’s looked to adapt to find the best way to a win. The FA Cup loss to United featured a 4-2-3-1 formation, which is what he used last weekend against Tottenham to good effect, while January’s 2-0 win over Chelsea was achieved with a midfield diamond.
So what does he do on Sunday? The 3-4-3 would leave space behind the full-backs that would again leave Arsenal vulnerable on the counter. With four at the back, if Emery instructs his full-backs to not over-commit in attack – which they are obligated to do in a 3-4-3 – Arsenal could cover for United’s attack without sacrificing too much in their own.
