Arsenal Needs Lady Luck To Be Smiling

Arsenal fans are no slouches. But they will certainly need to be at their very best again tonight to be the proverbial "12th" man for this titanic clash between the two English heavyweights.

Without Andrei Arsharvin in the lineup the spark was strangely missing in the first league tie at Old Trafford. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that it has been the diminutive Russian that has made Arsenal the Arsenal that the fans have come to known throughout recent years.

Tonight, the Russian will take his place in the stands again as he is cup-tied for the Champions League.

However, the Arsenal team is still overflowing with talent, with Van Persie making a welcome return back to the Arsenal starting line-up after injury. The regular key men, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Emmanuel Adebayor and Manuel Almunia need to be at their best again tonight in order for Arsenal to get anything out of this game.

Yet, Manchester United is no ordinary team.

There are not the champions for nothing. Any player in their line up can plunge a dagger into Arsenal’s Champions League final dream tonight. John O'Shea provided a painful reminder of this only one week ago.

This is where luck needs to come in.

Coupled with the vociferous Emirates crowd, this will be defining element that Arsenal needs.

I have to be honest and admit that without luck and the "12th" man, Arsenal will lose this match. Thank goodness the game tonight is at Emirates Stadium. And this is where it is evident that luck has swung favourably for the Gunners early on.

If the first league performance was anything to go by, Arsenal does not deserve a place in the finals. They were cowered by their opponents and gave them too much respect, save for Almunia.

Repeat that again tonight and Arsenal will finish a remarkable five years without a trophy.

Nevertheless, remember the earlier EPL match against Manchester United this season. Arsenal gave them a footballing lesson in front of their own fans. Samir Nasri was in his own element that afternoon. Without Arshavin tonight, this type of quality performance is necessary again.

Arsenal fans are eager for success and the Champions League final is 90 minutes away. It is time for this young team to show the world why Wenger places so much faith in them.

Manchester United can be stopped. Arsenal fans, grab your centurion caps and get ready to siege the Eternal City, because that will be where we are going after tonight.

There are just those pesky Manchurians in the way.