Arsenal vs. Manchester United is the rivalry that made the Premier League. That is not to trivialize the intensity or significance of many of the other traditional contests in the English football with roots of enmity deep in the collective psyche of a football-crazy nation, but since the current incarnation of the Premier League broke away from the old First Division and started its opulent journey, the bitterly fought battles between these two dominant teams in the Premier League’s earlier days provided a perfect spectacle to showcase the quality and intensity of English football, and helped turn it into a near religious phenomenon followed across the globe. The relationship between the two respective managers – each irreplaceable and peerless legends in their clubs – as it traced a sinuous trajectory through time supplied a fascinating sub-plot to that contest.
Things have changed lately – neither of these two clubs are serious title contenders, and haven’t been for a while. Arsène Wenger and Alex Ferguson have both left their managerial roles and an openly expressed mutual respect now has made the memories of the thorniness of the old feud faded a bit. Both clubs are in some stage or other of the much-discussed rebuilding phases. Neither has the old verve and swagger in their performances on the field, and treble or invincible seasons have now taken on mythic dimensions in the memories of the suffering fans.
But to this Arsenal supporter matches against the old enemy are still the most eagerly anticipated dates in the league calendar. Even though our league record away at Old Trafford is possibly the poorest compared to any other ground, and some of the recent matches there had both the teams playing pedestrian football, it is still an occasion I cherish. Maybe simply because the memories associated with it, and maybe even in a hope (a hope so irrational that I am not even willing to admit it to myself) to recapture the romance of those spurring days.
Our last away win at Manchester United was in March 2015 in the FA Cup quarter-final, en route to lifting our 12th FA Cup. We had won 2-1, Nacho Monreal scoring early only to see Rooney, the eternal thorn in our side, equalize soon after. Danny Welbeck – ex-Mancunian who had enjoyed popularity at both clubs because of his professionalism and no-nonsense personality – scored the winning goal for us late in the second half, pouncing on a mistake by his ex-teammates.
Since Premier League started we have won away in League at Manchester United only three times: 1-0 wins all. Two of those concurred with our League and FA cup doubles – Overmars and Wiltord as the scorers in 1998 and 2002. The most recent of those three 1-0 away wins was in the early days of the 2006-2007 when a somewhat makeshift Arsenal team played incisively and a young Togolese striker deputizing for Henry scored a goal towards the end. While Adebayor got the headlines, to me the match was most memorable for the performance of another newcomer in that side: Tomáš Rosický – one of my favorite players of the Emirates era.
So, in last 14 years we haven’t won away at Old Trafford in league. We didn’t win when we played well, we didn’t win when we played very well, a few times we played poorly and escaped with a draw, a few times we played very poorly and paid the price. And there have been a few “controversial” refereeing decisions but always favoring the opposition (so much for the mistakes averaging out).
This Sunday seems to be the perfect time to end that wretched run. Last season they had finished 5 positions and 10 points ahead of us as we landed with a mighty thud to our lowest league position in last 25 seasons. However, we had defeated them quite comfortably at home in the first month of our new manager’s time (and hopefully beginning of a new era), and in an empty stadium without the home fan advantage there is no reason we cannot replicate the guile and efficiency of that performance. We had scored two first half goals – a typical left-foot finish by Pépé and a well-timed header by Sokratis – on that day and then saw out the match easily in the second half.
Manchester United had a late season surge earlier this year after the league resumed following the hiatus, a run of form and some handy penalty decisions rocketing them up the league table, and this season they started with sufficient attacking verve to demand nothing but the very best from us. But their defense has been questioned, and we should not only continue the questioning but take it to the interrogation room and really turn the screw. We should have the necessary firepower, even though a little damp the powder has been recently.
Arteta, and I believe quite rightly, has prioritized organizational solidity and tactical maturity, in these early days of his tenure. He is trying to build a mental habit of resilience and defensive self-confidence that sustain all the best teams as they go through a season of relative ups and downs. As a result, in the balance of attack and defense we have noticeably erred on the side of conservative approach and haven’t yet built any sustained attacking momentum. The fact that we also do not have many – or for that matter, any – established creative midfielders who can see a run and consistently thread a ball through defensive blocks contributed to our somewhat pedestrian attacks that relied primarily on highly orchestrated training ground moves built around our talismanic captain’s goalscoring abilities. When that orchestration worked – victorious FA cup run, a few league matches – it looked wonderful. But when it didn’t the lack of spontaneous creativity and unpredictability in the attack held us back. And pragmatically speaking that is an area which we will most likely need much of this season – and a signing or two in the winter transfer window – to learn to excel consistently.
Manchester United will definitely not sit back in two banks of defensive fours at home. To begin with they are much better on the business end of the pitch with the talents of Martial, Rashford and their new old man Cavani (who before moving to PSG from Napoli was for a while linked with us) capable of troubling any defense and in Matic, Pogba and Fernandes they have an experienced midfield with quality players capable of influencing the game.
It will be fascinating to see how we set up. Will Mikel try the defend, defend, defend and then counter-attack approach with Aubameyang running inside from outside left? Or turn it up from the beginning and aggressively hound their defense with incessant pressing? Will the midfield be used to rotate and keep possession or provide defensive solidity and then quick transition? The best teams become comfortable with playing in all of these different modes in the same match and switch between them instinctively as required. We are as a collective still in the infancy of forming that kind of tactical muscle memory and we will definitely hear Arteta’s relentless direction from the sidelines to influence as much as he can.
I myself think that we should try to exploit their defensive vulnerability as much as we can and not let them have too much time on the ball. My preferred line-up will be a 4-3-3 with the following personnel:
Leno
Bellerin – Mustafi – Gabriel – Tierney
Willian – Ceballos – Partey
Pépé – Aubameyang – Saka
With Saka and Willian switching roles now and then, and the front three too becoming more fluid in possession with Auba drifting wide sometimes and Saka and Pépé switching sides. I like Ceballos more in the deeper “6” role and his close control in tight space can be very helpful with Partey providing a dual role of tackling in the deep and surging vertically once possession is won back.
However, I think Mikel will continue with the 3-4-3 to provide better defensive protection, and his line-up will most likely be:
Leno
Mustafi – Gabriel – Tierney
Bellerin – Partey – Xhaka – Saka
Willian – Lacazette – Aubameyang
The result of this match is hard to predict as both of these teams have players capable of producing brilliant moments but neither are as teams quite consistent across all areas of the pitch. I will make a somewhat ambitious prediction of a 2-1 away victory with Auba rediscovering the scoring form in the league and Willian scoring his first goal for Arsenal.
Come on Arsenal!
Thanks for the preview. Personally I would play Pepe wide and Auba up top, but who knows…
I heard a whisper today that Jack Wilshere’s being chased by a non league club from Lincolnshire. He’d be mad but it’s never going to happen.
Dr.F
Thankyou for a very comprehensive and interesting preview.
This is a fixture which I hate simply because they are the luckiest side on earth and definitely get big favours from the officials . And tomorrow they have the execrable Mike Dean. The Holic pound ought to be placed on when ( not if) they get their penalty !
I also think we will go 3-4-3 . Xhaka will definitely play and Saka might edge out AMN at left-wing back because Ainslie played on Thursday . I think Auba will play through the middle and I’d love us to get some sort of result. But given the history I don’t expect us to.
There will be few, if any, better set-ups for tomorrow’s game in the digital or print universe than yours Dr F. Nice job.
Either of your teams are possible. I’ve been thinking all week that we’ll go with 4-3-3. I’d change your predicted team a little and play Ceballos-Partey-Saka in the middle with Willian-Aubamayang-Nelson up front.
A 2-1 away win sounds good, if challenging. Enjoy.
An excellent, detailed and optimistic preview Dr F. I like your team but expect the one you suggest MA8 would choose. Like TTG, I hate this fixture and expect nothing from it as both Lady Luck and virtually whichever referee is chosen conspire against us and favour the home team. However, thanks to a Manc financial advisor, I was at that FA Cup QF you cite (where young Oliver resisted the local pressure), sitting behind enemy lines along with Bathlet Number One and a completely pissed tabs whom Bathlet Number One had to restrain when Danny scored but who later tried to take on a Steward, and enjoyed a front row view of that famous victory. It would be nice to repeat that spirited performance.
Go win, Arsenal.
The Tierney-Saka-Nelson interchanges on the left could provide some tasty morsels if given a chance to percolate sufficiently. Big chance to shine for our Partey man as the focus of attention, but leaving room for our other midfielders to up their output as well. Mike Dean may have his own agenda but at least on this occasion will not have 80,000 urging him on to victory. 3-2 on the scoresheet to the good guys, with a 5-0 tally of injuries to the bad guys. Cheers, Dr. F., and thanks for the preview. 👍🏼
Great job Dr F. Always one of the most nerve wracking games of the year.
Bath I was also at OT when Danny won us the game but I was amongst 9000 away Gooners. A great night and we floated back to London. It was made all the sweeter by listening to a clearly gutted Andy Goldstein on the radio.
The journey back from OT that night was an absolute nightmare involving one detour after another due to closed motorway after closed motorway. I’m glad you floated back. I think it was after 4 in the morning when I drove back to Bath.
Curious. Getting out of Manchester took an hour (as usual) but once we hit the motorways it was easy. Got home about 2am.
Coming from the NorthWest I quite often cut across from M6 to the M1 (A50 I think). Avoids any trouble around Birmingham.
Another excellent preview, Dr F. I think Arteta will go with ten of the 11 you expect him to start, with Ceballos in for Saka, but lining them up in a 4-3-3.
I’d take a 2-1 win in a heartbeat. It is a six pointer, so any win will do. If we lose, we’ll have nine points from seven games, drop to 13th or 14th in the table, and will have lost four of our last five league games. That starts to look like a hole that will take some digging out of.
Thanks everyone.
A win will really give us a boost at this time of the season. Ned — your suggested alteration I think may be attractive to Mikel if he wants 4-3-3. I just hope to see Saka, Pépé , Auba and Willian playing together.
Countryman/Bath, I miss all those excellent away day reports from you, Clive, Delia, et al.
Thanks Dr F, an excellent and
upbeat preview. Manure annoy
the shit out of me and any win
will do though I’m expecting a
tense 1-1 draw. Dean will no
doubt do something stupid and
I only hope it’s in our favour.
Ned @ 10
A scary thought although with the way the fixture list started out I always thought points would be hard earned early on. I didn’t think we’d lose to Lesta so we’d better not to Utd. as well. 0-0 for me and move on to some hopefully lower fruit.
UTA
After United, November brings Villa (H), Leeds (A) and Wolves (H). Ten points for the month is the minimum acceptable if we are to escape being mired in mid-table with almost every game becoming a six-pointer.
Can this Arsenal team raise their game the way Manure, no matter how miserably they have been performing, always seem to do when we turn up at the Old Toilet? We lost our last two league games by a single goal – a fine margin but in both cases we failed to take our chances. We simply must rectify that and take our chances today if we are to take something from this game.
Under three hours to kick off. Tension rising.
Emi Martinez concedes another four ( at home) . Maybe the Villa bubble has burst .
I foresee a carpeting tomorrow in TTG’s office as he has been my Fantasy League keeper all season . It may be a bit crowded in there but we will attempt social distancing .
Cheers Dr F!
Awaiting Esso with the team news in 4,3,2 ….
Holding starts!
Arsenal
@Arsenal
·
3m
🚨 Three changes from last Sunday…
➡️ Holding, Elneny, Willian
⬅️ David Luiz, Xhaka, Ceballos
Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Saka, Partey, Elneny, Willian, Aubameyang, Lacazette
Subs: Runarsson, Mustafi, Xhaka, Maitland-Niles, Ceballos, Pepe, Nketiah
Looks like the hybrid 3 / 4 at the back for me.
Man Utd: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, McTominay, Fred, Pogba, Fernandes, Greenwood, Rashford
I wish MA played Willock or Nelson today. I am afraid we will have a lack of creativity again today. Hope to be wrong. COYG!!!
No Nelson or Willock in the squad?
What’s Fred’s last name? Could be a clue to figuring out the opposition.
Frederico Rodrigues de Paula Santos.
Try fitting that on the back of a shirt.
bt8@26: Who would you have kicked off the bench to fit them in? It would have to have been Pepe for Nelson, which I would argue would have been the wrong call, and one of Ceballos, Xhaka or AMN for Willock, again far from a clear-cut call. But this is why Arteta gets the big bucks, and we don’t.
That should have been bt8@25.
bt8 @26, Flintstone? He plays like it.
Big stat – first time two clubs have played each other, whilst both in bottom half of the table since, 1936!
COYG! 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻
Good point @24 Bosnian.
COYG!
Go win!
Loving the physicality in the first 15
Auba sporting Samir Nasri style under pants there.
Flinstone got booked
C100 @35, Can we keep it up though?
Notice the greater speed in moving the ball in midfield without YKW.
Loving Partey but not loving Willian
Should’ve been bt8 @33 too.
Holding needs to be careful now
Dean gives Holding a yellow for good defending
Gabriel booked now
Both centre halves on yellows now. Red card incoming.
Partey is so damn good
Willian has been so damn bad.
Willian not on his best form
Can we PLEASE finish one of these chances? PLEASE!
Far the better team. I hope we don’t rue spurning those chances.
Great chance for Saka. We were clearly the better team there – but we didn’t score or even force a save. Willian hitting the bar was the closest we came
Should be two-nil up ( at least). You can so see what Arteta has done with this team but nobody upfront is in goalscoring form
We played well but it is still 0-0 at half time.
Very good first half yet again we weren’t able to score and had decent chances…
That’s as dominant a half as I’ve seen us play at the Old Toilet. Go finish the job in the second half, Arsenal!
Looks like Arteta did his homework.
Such an “Arsenal” first half. Played well, battled and pressured well. We have looked the better side. But despite all the good stuff, we’ve still not had a shot on target and two centre backs have picked up silly and unnecessary bookings.
Let’s make it count second half and get what we deserve.
Played pretty well for me so far
Willian struggling, Partey is class his little flicks and change in direction.
I thought when Saka got the ball back just in front their penalty area on the left Auba didn’t run into space to get at the end of a possible cross, I thought he would at least have a go, seemed a tad lazy to me.
I just hope this doesn’t turn into another Leicester performance.
ATG, there is sadly a huge risk of the very same outcome.
Red card and a Dean inspired penalty my worries
Lets hope we have learnt a lesson there Bath
Tierney miss read that pass come in Arsenal
Giving the ball away way to easy
Stupid from Hector. Almost cost a goal
Auba needs to score from there it was a very lazy attempt i thought some power could be helpful there.
Decent try from Partey more of the same please Arsenal…
Auba scores!!!!!
Penalty
auba!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get in Auba
Now CONCENTRATE!
Gabriel very very fortunate. I thought a second yellow there.
Nketiah on for Laca.
Lucky that Elneny’s block hit the post and did not go in.
Mustafi on for Auba which is a bit strange. All out defence is a bit dicey.
Aubameyang being replaced by Mustafi
Now there’s a sentence I’d never thought I would ever need.
Bellerin just can’t manage a legal throw. Third time in recent games he has been called for foul throw.
Yesss
First win at old toilet in 14 years. Great work.
Everyone played well but Elneny, Tierney deserve special mention. Everyone put in a shift.
A good performance and a well deserved win, but I hated that last ten minutes, which said everything about Arteta as a coach. Why go so defensive when we had the game under control anyway? Just invited them to come on to us and if they hadn’t been so inept we might have paid for it.
Silly.
Really good win though.
Mike Dean penalty for us at OT and a win there. Must be end times.
Amazing fact: we have the best defensive record in the league. 7 games played, 7 conceded.
One nil to the Arsenal👏👏👏👏👏👏
Scholes saying Arsenal were very good is accurate but surprising.
Very proud of the team. A super effort .
Props to everyone but especially Partey, Elneny , Holding and Gabriel.
Arteta has done a superb job with this team .
And I will say —it we were so much better without Xhaka .
Cynic
Arteta coached OGS’s arse off . Give him credit.
I was as nervous as a kitten in the last ten minutes but if we’d bombed forward and given up a goal you would have been the first to criticise him
Still very much a work in progress, but an excellent win. 1 point off of second at this stage of the season having played away at ManUre, Citeh and Diverpool. Not that bad a start.
Gabriel and Thomas both excellent. A few more quality additions and we won’t be far off.
COME ON STEVE! Give Elneny a shout!
We shouldn’t have been bombing forward but when you’re controlling the game anyway, why pack the defensive third late in the game? If we’d conceded, I doubt anyone would have thought Arteta out coached anyone but himself. But we didn’t, so he got away with it.
In the wider context, considering the talk in previous days/weeks about how Arteta is not exactly an expansive tactician, it’s a concern. For me anyway.
Still, three points is all that matters.
I thought Tierney had few chances today to feed Saka instead he hesitated and played it safe.
Elneny a work horse had a brilliant game, Gabriel, Holding solid at the back. Partey still adjusting but had some great touches and tested their keeper from a distance. Bellerin did well too especially for the penalty. Willian was off his game again.
Other than that is exactly what the doctor ordered. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I thought Partey ran the midfield.
Cynic
I accept your point but I thought Arteta really thought that game through very well. It’s hard to play too aggressively in the last ten at Old Trafford . I think Pepe would have been a good addition earlier
just 3 points but a big 3 points.
Relieved 😅.
Let’s enjoy the moment we should have been away by more goals but we got there in the end, an improvement and an important win at OT.
Good result Arsenal. Great performance Elneny.
Haven’t been watching any post
game punditry – anyone pointing
out Gabriel staying on as a big
decision in our favour?
The game was won in midfield and Partey clearly demonstrated why we paid the big bucks for him. He was immense in the middle of the park and his gliding movement up towards the opposition box was a sight to behold. Elneny too was very good in midfield. He was mobile, took very good positions and also carried the ball very well. He was an unexpected choice ahead of Ceballos & Xhaka and a great call from Arteta. The width that the wing backs gave outdid their diamond completely in the first half and we really should have been up by atleast one goal at half time.
Overall a fantastic away performance. We needed this win just to get the monkey off our back about not having won away against the big six since 2015. That along with the fact that our two central defenders were on a yellow would explain the protective mindset in the last 10minutes. Even though we sat deep, we didn’t concede any major chances except the Elneny-Leno double deflection on to the post. Arteta certainly outwitted Ole and it was fantastic to see us control the game for such long periods. I was worried about the threat of Rashford & Greenwood’s pace on the counter but that threat never materialized and full credit to the team and the way Arteta set them up. Our defenders were really aggressive against their front two and if they hadn’t been booked so eary we would have controlled the game even more.
We need to go on a run of a few consecutive wins now and that could see us move up the table quickly in what is turning out to be a topsy turvy league season. To be where we are after having played probably our three toughest away games is indeed very promising.
Anyway, Manure flushed in
toilet turdmoil 😃
Well done us
The fact that we have lost three of the last four league games could be another reason for Arteta’s ultra defensive approach towards the end of the match. We just couldn’t afford to lose/draw another one. It paid off today but even I wouldn’t want to see Mustafi coming on for Auba in the coming games.
Matt @ 94, yes, me @ 71
Great post @95, desi.
Like Cynic, I was worried by the substitution of Auba by Mustafi. I already thought we were sitting too deep. I thought fielding AMN for Willian was sensible shoring up and adding fresh legs for a player coming back from injury but I would have replaced Auba with Pepe and had him run the legs off the Manure defenders or at least stretch them. What do I know? A masterclass of game management by MA8 deserves no armchair quarterback retrospectoscopy. Well done. Heroes all.
C100 @ 98, I don’t think that tackle was a second yellow. That would have been nonsense.
oops!
Bath he pulled him back by his shirt and then fouled his ankles. It’s an automatic yellow. We got very lucky. About time up there.
OK. I didn’t see the shirt. The hack on the ankles on its own would have been a very harsh yellow. As you say we’re due a bit of luck at OT. Thought we got it with Leno’s deft header onto the post from Elneny’s deflection. 😅
But how cool was Auba standing over that penalty?
Bath@99 thanks. Agree with your point about Pepe coming on towards the end and giving a real scare to their not so quick defenders. Having said that, the logic behind bringing on Mustafi must have been the fact that we were restricting them to playing crosses into the box from wide areas with our low block.
Mike Dean owes us about a hundred favours, so it makes a change.
Bath. I love Elneny, for his attitude alone. I think as a player, he is limited. But he is a good honest pro. Always gives 100%. His chasing down of untold Mancs in the 92nd minute epitomises what he is about, and should be a major lesson to those who want to claim a place next to Partey.
C100 @104, only outcooled by AMN.
Good call Steve @107.
Desi @105, I suspect Pepe is too prone to turnovers and that’s just not what MA8 wanted with tired legs holding on to his 1-0 lead and as you say he wanted to stiffen the aerial resistance.
Cynic @106, indeed he does!
I am still glowing from the win. No small part of that glow is the fact that Mike Dean had to give us a pen and make a tricky call in our favour. 😎😎
I think he’s star struck by Arteta’s hair. 😁😁
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>