Arsenal vs. Manchester United: How the Red Devils Should Line Up in EPL Game
Louis van Gaal will be sat in his chair in his Carrington office, debating on a daily basis why lady luck has abandoned Manchester United—leaving behind a cacophony of primal screams from his treatment room and a team ravaged by a multitude of injuries.
The Red Devils travel to Arsenal on Saturday for an evening kick-off which sees a win as vital for both clubs, as they chase Champions League qualification.
The Gunners will feel they can comfortably make the top four this season—with the inclusion of star buy Alexis Sanchez—but the Premier League is as competitive as ever, making a run of victories very difficult.
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Arsenal are locked with United with just four wins from their 11 Premier League games so far during this campaign, per BBC Sport, and neither team can afford to lose anymore ground before the Christmas rush kicks in.
On Thursday, Van Gaal confirmed Radamel Falcao will miss the tie as the Colombian is still two weeks away from full fitness, as reported by Mark Ogden of The Telegraph.
Here, we take a look at the team LvG might field at the Emirates and the reasons why:
Louis van Gaal To Use 4-3-3 Counter-Attack?
The injuries have been crippling since Louis van Gaal's arrival at Old Trafford, but he might just be able to play a formation that is close to his heart with his currently available personnel.
Mark Ogden of The Telegraph wrote Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Rafael have all trained at Carrington this week, putting them into contention for Saturday's match.
The return of Jones and Evans would be huge for United—two defenders with lots of experience and plenty of know-how.
However, even if just one of them can make the starting line-up—to partner either Chris Smalling or Paddy McNair—United's defence would be much stronger for it.
The fitness levels of both David De Gea and Luke Shaw are also in question, per Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail, but the pair have a chance of starting.
They both arguably are United's two most in-form players at present, and Van Gaal will hope they make the match. De Gea should be ready for the game but Shaw seems much more doubtful.
A toughened back line will allow LvG to focus on his true goal—scoring against, and beating, Arsene Wenger's team.
And with the Gunners' style of play, they are fresh for the picking on the counter-attack. Wenger is likely to set up with an attacking 4-2-3-1, with Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini doing the more defensive work in the middle.
But as it is commonly known, Ramsey will want to get forward and join the attack—and this will leave holes for United's attackers to exploit.
James Wilson and Marouane Fellaini To Be Van Gaal's Plan B
Much has been debated about Robin van Persie's recent form with many believing the former Arsenal captain has lost his edge.
Indeed, RvP only has three strikes from his 10 Premier League appearances this season, per WhoScored.com, which is below the goal contribution you expect from him.
But he will be motivated to perform at the Emirates against his old club and Van Gaal should stick with him—for now.
James Wilson has staked a claim for a first-team start in recent matches, coming on for Van Persie to add genuine pace to the attack.
Wilson is highly unlikely to start the game—due to his lack of experience—but he is the perfect Plan B for LvG if the manager wants a player who can scare Arsenal's centre-backs with sheer speed.
A 4-3-3 will suit Van Persie, with Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata joining the striker from the wide attacking channels as they move inside.
Marouane Fellaini has been excellent since returning to the United first team and he would be unlucky to miss out on Saturday, considering his improving form.
But United will need to play Michael Carrick in a screening role, allowing Ander Herrera and Angel Di Maria to break with speed from the middle.
Fellaini should be used if United need a more physical presence later in the match.
Angel Di Maria Needs To Play In Central Midfield
The focus on Angel Di Maria is intense and this is no surprise given his British record transfer fee from Real Madrid. He started his United career strongly, playing in central midfield and terrorising opponents with his dribbling and pace.
But in recent matches, ADM has moved out to the wing as Van Gaal looks to achieve more balance and protection for his crumbling defence.
However, this has seen the Argentine have the room he likes to operate in squeezed—and a dramatic loss of his effectiveness.
Of course, Di Maria is a good option as a winger because of his outstanding ability to cross the ball but full-backs in England tend to get much tighter than their European counterparts, and this makes ADM much less of a potent weapon.
If Di Maria can pick the ball up in the middle of the pitch, he is likely to have yards to run into—forcing Ramsey and Flamini on to the back foot.
His speed could potential destroy Arsenal if United play the odds correctly.
Ander Herrera and Juan Mata Deserve Their Chance
There is no doubting the obvious qualities of United's Spanish duo of Ander Herrera and Juan Mata. They have both featured heavily under Van Gaal but popular theory suggests they are not his kind of players, with the Dutch coach leaning towards the metronomic skills of Daley Blind, and pushing Rooney into a deeper role.
But with Blind out, there is room for Herrera to make his way back into the team after his recent rib injury. And Mata proved in United's last game—the 1-0 win at home to Crystal Palace—that he is sharp and motivated to nail down a spot in the starting XI.
In a 4-3-3, we could see the best of both individuals. Herrera is a buzz saw of a player, happy to work hard whilst not rejecting the benefits of flair and a forward pass. Before his injury, he looked impressive in his new surroundings and his energy will be needed against a highly active Arsenal midfield.
Mata failed to fully grab his opportunity during Rooney's recent ban, with the player slotting into his favoured role as a No. 10, but in a 4-3-3 he can come inside and link play—and do what comes most natural to him in the final third of the pitch.
The onus is on Arsenal to win this match. Wenger's team are much further along in their development than Van Gaal's and their expectations are to compete for the title.
United are the underdogs but this is a position they will be very comfortable to play. The injury list has more than confused LvG as he looks to find a settled formation and tactic, but he has found a good performance level from his team since their surprise thrashing by MK Dons, back in August.
Arsenal are always an attacking threat but they are still far too hollow defensively. The cliche of "defence is the best form of attack" in reality might be too simplistic—but United have a chance to outscore their opponents on this occasion, and take a shock win back to the north west.
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