Match Preview:
This is a match which couldn't have come at a worse time for us Arsenal fans. Our team have been crippled by injuries and we have subsequently lost our last two league matches. Add to it two players who have departed for the African Cup of Nations and we are without Arteta, Sagna, Jenkinson, Santos, Gibbs, Gervinho, Chamakh, Diaby, Coquelin, Wilshere and Thierry Henry for the game.
With so many injuries, we have had to play on the backfoot in recent games. The absence of all our regular fullbacks have forced us to make do with players players playing out of position in the full back areas and hence our game has lacked width which is such a vital aspect of our game to stretch the opposition. Add to it the absence of our most consistent midfielder this season in Mikel Arteta, we have really suffered in our possession play and his absence was clearly felt against Swansea where we were simply outpassed and the midfield overrun.
And I still remember not so fondly the last time we met those scums. Even though I would dearly love us to give them a thrashing, I don't see it happening but I hope we put in a much better performance than on that forgettable day. At this moment, even a draw would be a good result (though I'd hate to draw after being in a winning position!).
COME ON ARSENAL!
Team Line Ups:
Arsenal(4-3-3): Wojciech Szczesny, Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker, Johan Djourou, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Song, Tomas Rosicky, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott.
Substitutes: Manuel Almunia, Sebastian Squillaci, Ignasi Miquel, Nico Yennaris, Yossi Benyoun, Andrey Arshavin, Ju Young Park.
Manager: Arsene Wenger.
Manchester United(4-4-2): Anders Lindegaard, Patrice Evra, Johnny Evans, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Nani, Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick, Antonio Valencia, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck.
Substitutes: David De Gea, Fabio, Rafael, Paul Scholes, Ji Sung Park, Javier Hernandez, Dimitar Berbatov.
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson.
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