Will Mourinho Unleash Pogba Against Arsenal or Shut Up the Man Utd Shop?
Following a monotonous international break, even a mundane slate of domestic football is enough to get fans of football excited. The games don't have to be good. They just need to be contested by two club sides.
But the Premier League fixture computer has thrown us a great, juicy bone upon our latest return from FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifying: Manchester United vs. Arsenal. It's a classic matchup, a staple of the season, and this one promises to be no different—even if half the players are seemingly injured.
Arsene Wenger vs. Jose Mourinho is a storied rivalry whether either manager likes it or not. The fact the Frenchman has never beaten his opposite number in the league is a stick often used to beat him with (he's only managed to triumph over him in the Community Shield), while Mourinho's perceived recent demise is a topic of much chatter no matter the week.
Many will feel this is Wenger's biggest chance ever to finally get one over Mourinho, but given Arsenal have won just three times at Old Trafford since the Premier League's inception in 1992, there are others who will fear the bogey ground that never yields joy for the Gunners.
Manchester United Team News
Mourinho's in a bit of a bind this week with issues plaguing almost every area of the pitch. Injuries and suspensions have conspired to give him a limited list of players to pick from.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a big miss due to the accumulation of five yellow cards. He played superbly against Swansea City just before the international break and ended his goal drought. To be without him for this one is rough. Marcus Rashford will probably deputise, though, pleasing the terraces.
Wayne Rooney has been passed fit, per Simon Johnson of the Evening Standard, and could continue on the left flank—a position he played well in against the Swans. Ander Herrera is available again after his red card against Burnley and will likely re-enter the team. Juan Mata's fit, but Mourinho doesn't tend to start him in "big" games.
The big issue, though, is the defence. It's an area that has been ransacked by injuries. The back line of Ashley Young, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Matteo Darmian held up surprisingly well in south Wales, but you'd expect perhaps Daley Blind to come back in on the left and Darmian to move to the right. Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly and Antonio Valencia are all out.
Arsenal Team News
Arsene Wenger is missing fewer players en masse than Mourinho, but there are issues with key men all the same.
Hector Bellerin will sit out the rest of November due to injury—a major blow to Arsenal's right side—and it seems as though Carl Jenkinson will step in. That will be the only change to a very sturdy back four (or five, inclusive of Petr Cech).
Santi Cazorla will miss the game, per Jim Van Wijk of Press Association Sport (h/t the Daily Mail), but Alexis Sanchez could well be fit. The club are set to assess him, but the Chilean has already declared himself able to play, according to the Independent's Mark Critchley. He starred for Chile against Uruguay earlier this week and will train and depart for Manchester on Friday with the rest of the squad.
Cazorla's absence means Francis Coquelin and Granit Xhaka are likely to continue in central midfield as a pairing, but Aaron Ramsey is fit again and will be pushing for one of five midfield spots.
Pressure point 1: Unleashing Paul Pogba?
Manchester United's victory over Swansea City ahead of the international break could represent a watershed moment in Mourinho's Red Devils career. OK, it wasn't the most thrilling of encounters and the opposition weren't great, but there was a notable tactical alteration that could change the club's fortunes.
For the first time in the league this season, United moved to a 4-1-4-1 (4-3-3) shape, utilising Pogba as a roaming No. 8. With Michael Carrick at the base of midfield, controlling matters, the Frenchman was able to shuttle up and down to great effect.
It's about time.
Pogba's struggles early on at United have been intrinsically linked to the fact he's been ritually played out of position. Playing as a No. 6 just in front of the defence never suited him as he's not defensively strong and wasn't able to push forward (Euro 2016 showed us that). And playing as a No. 10 revealed he struggles in tight spaces—partially due to his long, loping legs.
But against Swansea, he was set free, able to start from deeper but dribble forward and beat players. He worked the channels and the edge of the box brilliantly, scored a cracker and generally tormented Bob Bradley's men.
The big question is: Will Mourinho play the same system against Arsenal? Without Zlatan's link-up ability at the tip of the formation, the Portuguese manager might legitimately be worried about a disconnect emerging between the striker and the midfield line. If so, Pogba might be moved back into the No. 10 space in an attempt to sew it together—even though his performances this season suggest he's not capable of that.
It feels as though Mourinho's turning to Carrick has been a little reluctant, and given he's a manager who tends to grind big games out, it might be that he's not willing to play him at the base alone. There's also the looming spectre of Marouane Fellaini to consider.
Mourinho stumbled upon the right formula against Swansea. The shape got the best from Pogba and the others followed suit. Will he be brave enough to replicate this without Zlatan against a much stronger team?
Pressure point 2: Walcott's work rate more important than ever
The hallmark of Theo Walcott's game throughout his career has been speed: outright, fearsome speed. While he's never been the greatest decision-maker and his finishing blows hot and cold, he has had the ability to burn defenders all his career. That's been his calling card.
But this season, he's developed a new, very welcome hallmark: work rate. Fans who get frustrated with Walcott are often justified, but in 2016-17, he's elicited very few grumbles because he's supplementing attacking play with gritty, determined off-the-ball yards.
This new trait will rarely be more key to a game than on Saturday, when a Bellerin-less Gunners side take on United. It's likely to be Jenkinson who sits in for the Spaniard, and he's played very little football of late, making that flank an obvious area to target for Mourinho.
While Rooney doesn't strike fear into opponents any longer, his performance from that flank against Swansea was genuinely very good. He was incisive, instinctive, dug out dangerous shots and was heavily involved in the buildup to goals. If Anthony Martial gets the nod instead, or even Ashley Young, their speed and directness will be a nightmare to deal with one-on-one.
Whatever help Walcott can offer going backward on that flank, Arsenal's stand-in right-back will graciously accept.
.jpg?w=600 "Full Eagles-Cowboys Trade 🤝")
.jpg?w=600 "Fans React to Simpson Pick 😱")
.jpg?w=600 "Brady Reacts to Mendoza Pick")
