Ahead of the all-important clash at Old Trafford, the Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin has warned his side not to underestimate struggling and injury-hit Manchester United as the clubs prepare for battle on Sunday, with the Gunners aiming to continue their surge towards the Premier League title.
Speaking to the club’s official website, the Frenchman said: ” I think it’s been a difficult (season) for Man United but in big games like this, we know that they’re going to turn up, because everyone loves these kind of matches. It would be a massive win for them to beat us. But we’re going to be ready. Man United are always going to be a great team. Even if they had a bad spell, they still have a strong squad.”
With respect to history, the Red Devils have been Arsenal’s most formidable opponent, especially at Old Trafford where the Gunners last won a Premier League game way back in 2006. As we saw in the season before last, no matter how disjointed and jaded United seem to be, they always step up when it’s time to face Arsenal.
Now although Arsene Wenger’s side cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over the Manchester side at the Emirates earlier in the season, conquering Old Trafford still remains a daunting challenge. Considering the Gunners’ history at Old Trafford, it is certainly difficult to be fully confident of a win, despite the lacklustre form and all the injury problems that the record champions have.
So with that being said, I completely agree with Coquelin, Arsenal simply cannot afford to take Manchester United lightly. If Louis van Gaal’s side are going to step up against anyone, it is definitely going to be Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal. In the Gunners’ quest for the Premier League title, perhaps the first step is to end the decade-long nightmare at the Theatre of Dreams.
Anurag