Wenger’s old nemesis gears up to take on the Professor but this time as the manager of Manchester United, which raises the stakes a lot higher. Wenger will surely be up against it, with his woeful record against the self-anointed Special One coupled with Arsenal’s sketchy record against the Red Devils.
But it is not all doom and gloom for them as form wise and standing wise, the Gunners are comfortably better off than Jose’s men. Arsenal have performed as was expected of them. Wenger finally decided to move to bolster his defence, midfield and attack in the summer.
These new additions, along with the fairly settled squad have been solid and they have displayed a sense of urgency and the desire to win which has been traditionally lacking in them for the last few years.
Meanwhile, Mourinho is having issues juggling the superstars in his team and is yet to zero in on the perfect combination for his troops. It is widely believed Mourinho might resort to stopping Arsenal play their natural game rather than trying to outplay the Gunners themselves.
Wenger has been hit with a blow ahead of the match with Bellerin ruled out for 4 weeks and this might indeed turn out to be a deciding factor with enforced changes to a settled and winning team.
T40’S PREDICTED ARSENAL LINE-UP VS MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1)
DEFENCE
Petr Cech will be in goal and it will be interesting to see who out of De Gea and Cech comes out with top marks from the fixture. Bellerin’s injury blow puts the settled backline in a spot of bother and it is likely that Jenkinson will be stepping in for the Spaniard. Laurent Koscielny and Mustafi will be looking to dominate the United attackers, keeping in tune with their form this season. Nacho Monreal will be at left-back.
MIDFIELD
With Santi Cazorla still nursing his injury, it is likely that Granit Xhaka and Coquelin will be partnered in the double pivot once again. Their defensive solidity will come in handy against Paul Pogba and the likes. But Arsenal might miss Cazorla’s ability to recycle possession. Ozil will be stationed in the No.10 and will look to orchestrate the play from there.
ATTACK
Alex Iwobi has been starting regularly and has been substituted on a regular basis. If Wenger decides to shuffle the pack, Ramsey and Chamberlain offer alternatives. Walcott is likely to start on the right-wing. And the indomitable spirit, Sanchez, will spearhead the attack once more.
