When I ask the question of whether Arsenal can do a Chelsea over Manchester United there are two ways to take it, but I think that both apply. When our Germany international star Mesut Ozil was talking about Chelsea this week however, as reported by the Evening Standard, it was clear that he was saying that the Gunners must try to produce another performance like the one against the Blues earlier in the season which saw us tear them apart and win confortably.
Just like this weekend´s clash with Manchester United, that was a big game against a strong rival and one that we have struggled against over the last 10 years or so. So it was great to see Arsenal play with freedom, desire and fluency and that is what Ozil wants from his teammates tomorrow.
The German play maker said, “[We need to] win every game, get as many points as possible and also be successful against the big teams, like we were against Chelsea.
“We have the quality to beat any team and that’s what we want to show this season.
“You can see that the big clubs at the top have quality, and that we have to win every game because of how tight it is at the top.
“Our goal has to be to look at ourselves.
“If we win the games, we’ll be at the top at the end.”
Another way of saying that Arsenal need to do a Chelsea, though, is to attempt to replicate what they did against the same side we are facing tomorrow, because just a few weeks ago Antonio Conte´s men absolutely destroyed the bewildered looking United of Jose Mourinho and we should be able to take some good tips from that game.
It was achieved by high energy and a heavy press that United could not cope with and I think that has to be the blueprint for Arsenal at Old Trafford. Their confidence will be shaky at best and so a fast start by the Gunners should put us on the front foot and allow us to do what Ozil suggests and show our quality.
Will we see the best of Arsenal tomorrow?
Playing United at Old Trafford is always tough but I think despite them getting Pogba, Mktharyan and Ibrahimovic, we are overall a more consistent side than them. They are beatable (as we are) but if we play our best and work hard for 90+ mins we got a great chance of winning.
As long as ramsey is on the bench I think we’ll win. Coq and xhaka in the middle, walcott and iwobi either side of ozil and alexis up front. This is a team game, the other players must show up also. Who do we want in rb then? Maitland-Niles? Or debuchy?!
(Just kidding)
You bring up a good point, pressing brought about our che result, it brought che’s utd result, I think Mour will be aware of that. He may instruct his defenders to not hesitate in going long if things begin to look shaky for them. Che gave us allot of space that day to play in, utd gave che too much time on the ball too. I can’t see mour trying to outplay Arsenal the way Conte tried to do at the Emirates.
Conte was in a different system than when he played Arsenal and the Chelsea we played earlier on the season isn’t the same Chelsea that destroyed United.
Wegner won’t go for the same press Conte did because that’s a part of Chelsea’s system and is achieved by their formation more easily. Arsenal don’t employ that tactic first and foremost as our pressing is more of a perfunctory press that happens in certain zones, secondly it will be more or less a formation going against the same one. We won’t go to Old Trafford and try to press Unit’s into mistakes because that isn’t an Arsenal thing .