So the big day approaches as Arsenal prepare to take on Man United at Old Trafford tomorrow night. The Gunners have a dismal record against the Devils, in fact they have only won 17 League games up there in over 100 years of playing each other. The last time we won was in 2006, although we did knock them out of the FA Cup in 2015.
AS I listed yesterday morning, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has an extensive injury list and have hardly had the best start to the season, so for a change we are going into the game with a little more confidence than usual.
There have been some brilliant games between the two sides, especially in the Wenger v Fergie era when we were the top two teams in the country. Unai Emery has good memories of this classic fixture. “It’s an amazing moment, an amazing match between these two teams in the past, the present and the future,” the Gunners coach told SkySports. “Each match when I watched in Spain, Arsenal v Manchester United, Manchester United v Arsenal, was a special moment.
“I think Monday at eight o’clock, all around the world, if someone wants to watch a football match, it’s this one.
“We really want to play matches where we can do something important. We are preparing well. The players are wishing to play the next match – we know it’s a very big opportunity for us to get three points.”
It is good to hear that Emery thinks we have a good chance this season, but we always seem to play with an inferiority complex when we visit. Let’s hope we play to the best of our ability and come away with the points, but one thing I can be certain of is that it is going to be a cracking game!
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This game is perfectly set-up for a United win. Ole under pressure. Shocking form that has continued from the back end of last season. Lots of injuries, especially upfront. Unrest in the dressing room. No one is giving them a hope, but it’s a home fixture against Arsenal. An away game that we just cannot seem to win! Even with a bunch of kids, and reserve players, they beat us!
We’re huge favourites on paper, but that goes out the window in this fixture. We dominated them at Old Traffold last season, yet still couldn’t win. If Xhaka, and Luiz don’t play, I honestly think we can finally get a victory, but if those two play, which is very likely, forget about it! It’s about a dead heat between the two, as to which of them is our worst player. Expect more gifts for United players.
This is our best chance in years, but I can see a 2-1 win for United.
Sorry, put this in last article, meant for this one.
I completely agree, although i wish i didn’t 😩
What’s the betting Greenwood scores his first PL goal (s) tomorrow?
Now Granit has been announced as our permanent captain.. he’ll play every game.. saw a tweet saying the first time he captained us, was a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford!!!
Obviously IF we get a result, I’ll hold my hands up… but you can’t blame us for not feeling confident.. we’ve been in this position time and time again & still can’t win!! 13 years…what an atrocious record
13 years? I didn’t know it’s been that long, I can’t even remember the last time we draw them at home except for last season, this is not a dig at Wenger but how can you have a coach who failed to win not even draw at a stadium in 12 visits?
There were 2 other draws, during that period (1-1 & 0-0) still a terrible record, which needs to change!
Agree with you. We don’t want Luiz and
Xhaka and Socratis on the pitch.
Here is my line up
Leno
Bellerin Chambers Holding and Tierney
Cebalos Gundouzi Toreira
Pepe Aubameyang and Saka.
Hopefully we win at Old Trafford.
The current squad can win against any team with the right manager but this will be his line up
Leno
Maitland sokratis luiz kolasinac
Xhaka Matteo ceballos
Pepe auba sakha
At “Lock”…Looks like a winning combination to me but you know damned well Emery won`t agree. Xhaka has to be there for political reasons if nothing else, the other two are there as `fall guys` should we lose.
With your selection I would be more confident. I don`t see the Gunners winning, more like United losing (if that makes sense?)
hate to agree with you as well. I fully expect Greenwood to score tomorrow. Just like we expect Kane to score every time we face Spurs. It’s just so predictable and so Arsenal that we would screw up this coming game in some spectacularly impossible way. Arsenal hasn’t given us any reason to be positive about going forward under this manager. HE’s just biding his time and Aubameyang is been bailing him out of the horrendous performances we’ve had this season.
That’s right mate, no matter available players he Has, can’t get team right. More options means more confusions for him… The only way to be confident winning a game is to get rid of Emery!
What does he bring exactly? His defensive game has us conceid goals and scared as never before.
We can’t beat the last team in the League, got so lucky to not lose Spurs & Villa…
Yes, Man U misses rashford & Martial but what about Pogba, Maguire and rest of the team at Old trafford? Think they gonna watch us?
Heck no, they know team Emery will pick; the wrong one as always, a Swizz cheeze defense!
He wont pick this team for sure.
Martinez
Chambers – Mustafi – Holding – Kolas
Niles Willock Gendouzi
Nelson Auba Saka
(Martinelli)
Yet, looking at recent games Nelson and Saka as Martinelli deserve more than Pepe who has been average and mainly not defending at all. Bench his behind so he can see how Auba runs his off as everyone…That 80M Diva BS will stop right way.
End or the day, seing all these players perform lately, they must be picked over lazy and less performing ones who cost 30 millions and UP! Niles must play his position as every players, not use and ruin him as a RB…
COYG
Agree with you. We don’t want Luiz and
Xhaka and Socratis on the pitch.
Here is my line up
Leno
Bellerin Chambers Holding and Tierney
Cebalos Gundouzi Toreira
Pepe Aubameyang and Saka.
Hopefully we win at Old Trafford.
Bellerin played yesterday in u23 match. He won’t start
So did Tierny…
Tierny wasn’t in the squad, let alone play.
LDDWWW
I see a goal draw in this fixture unfortunately.
I doubt Emery will put out the best selection.
But this is football anything can happen, our attackers on their day can outscore most teams
SJ – it’s going to be difficult for Emery to put out his best selection as he doesn’t seem to know what that is.
Tomorrow’s is a game between two useless teams living on past glories and coached by clueless mid table managers.
When two useless over huped teams play, result can go either ways.
Clueless Emery, I find your assesment of our players (if that’s what you mean by useless teams) most puzzling.
We have two keepers, who could play in any top club – a set of young defenders in Bellerin-Chambers-Holding-Tieney (plus Saliba-Mav) who will be the backbone for many years to come -a talented group of youngsters in Guendozi-AMN-Willock-Martinellli-Torreira-Smith Rowe-Pepe-Saka-Nelson and some serious older talent in Auba-Lacs-Ozil-Kolasinac-not forgetting our club captain Xhaka.
Yes I know others will disagree with some of the names, but look at the overall picture.
Now, if a good coach/manager cannot get a squad of players with talent like that, who play good football on a regular basis, with sensible tactics that would see a top four finish as a minimum…then it’s the coach/manager who is over-hyped, not the team.
We leave manure far behind at present on a man to man basis, but UE just doesn’t seem to know how to use them – hope I’m wrong as I’ve predicted a 3-0 win for us, but only IF he selects an attacking formation.in my opinion.
It can be our best shot at a victory only if unai picks the right players.
Willock Torrera Gwendozi, is a must start. Gabriel as well.
COYG🤗
I’m expecting to see
Leno
Chambers, Holding, Luiz, Tierney
Torreira, Xhaka, Guendouzi
Pepe, Auba, Saka
(either 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1)
and about the only one I would replace is Xhaka for Willock or Ceballos and maybe Luiz for Mustafi, but to be honest any of Luiz, Mustafi and Sok are capable of monumental screw ups or playing a decent game 🤷♂️
I’m going to carry on being (probably foolishly) optimistic and think we can get a slim win here even with the above lineup…. IF the players turn up.
We will beat United tomorrow…….please leave the players alone ……sometimes the criticisms feels like you hate these players ….I’m sure you wouldn’t accept continued criticisms of you at work unfairly……football or sports is passion and addiction……everyone wants to win……support them before the match…….
……ok…..we will….. fingers crossed…….
It’s all in Emery’s team selection and the formation he decides to play tomorrow. If he uses the Forest game as his template going forward, we will start winning games authoritatively, or else we will flounder along, dropping points. That ManU is struggling with injuries and lack of form is well known, so going on the offensive from the word go is our only option.
Only one of Luiz/Sokratis should play.
Chambers, Holding & Tierney must start.
Only two of Torreira/Guendozi/Xhaka should play.
Two out of Ceballos/Willock/Ozil should play, to unlock their defence.
Auba & Pepe are automatic starters.
4-2-3-1 will be the ideal formation since Laca is absent.
Xhaka was arguably the best player on the pitch at old Trafford last season, Ramsey and himself played only one game together as a pair and they also bossed it that day. The type of game that utd will try to have it played, you ideally want fighters, your best ones. This is why Ozil rarely gets chosen away from home and why fans are hoping Ceballos can give us that grit and fire he gave us earlier in season. I’d be happy to go with Gunnnndzi – Torriera – Willock, but against a full set of utd players away from home then I would think utd might school them a little due to difference in maturity and experience. With the brakes off and just show us what you got, these lads have a lot underneath the bonnet, but not every game is ideal for that even our Ramsey had to rein himself in and learn another type of game and when to play it if he wanted to please the fans. Ramsey eventually learned that game better, after you know who joined ..and became captain.
Let’s keep hoping other players perform while benching a proven creative player. I’m sorry he doesn’t run around a lot because he keep looking to create openings.
Btw where is Ramsey now?
playing with Ronaldo and starting matches matches w/ one of Europes best teams. What are you getting at exactly?
Was your question to me, RSH?
I was being sarcastic in replying to BOT’s last line.
Put Ozil at the back of ceballos,aubameyang,pepe and we’re gonna shine,i don’t really care about the defence