Manchester United v Arsenal: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream & TV Info
Arsene Wenger brings his Arsenal side to Old Trafford, wanting to ensure he does not lose ground to Louis van Gaal's Manchester United in the race for third place.
It is a race in which Arsenal have a substantial advantage, given they will ensure victory should they beat Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion at home in the matches which follow this regardless of this result. However, if Van Gaal and United can find a victory here, it will see them go above the Gunners for the time being.
Given that Arsenal's attention may be distracted by the looming FA Cup final, it is possible they could slip up and concede third to United. It is a prize worth fighting for, too, given that it comes with a guarantee of group-stage football in next season's Champions League.
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Admittedly, scrapping over third place is somewhat unedifying for two clubs whose rivalry used to be focused on the battle for silverware, but even so, a win here comes with more than just bragging rights.
Date: Sunday, 16 May 2015
Time: 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. EDT
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
TV Info: Sky Sports 1 (UK Only)/NBCSN (US Only)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK Only)/NBC Sports Live Extra (US only)
Form Lines
Manchester United: WLLLW
Arsenal: WWDWL
Team News
Van Gaal told MUTV on Friday (h/t the club's official website, per Mark Froggatt and Gemma Thompson) that Wayne Rooney—so often the scourge of Arsenal—will be unavailable. Former Gunner Robin van Persie is available. Given how enthusiastically he celebrated his goal in last season's 1-1 Old Trafford draw between the two sides, and given his recent indifferent form, he would surely love to score here.
Van Gaal confirmed Marcos Rojo and Angel Di Maria are fit to play, but Luke Shaw is unavailable.
Arsenal's official website quotes Wenger as saying Aaron Ramsey should be available, but Danny Welbeck, Mathieu Debuchy and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all still unfit for selection.
Predicted Line-Ups
There does not seem much reason for Wenger to change the team who lost against Swansea City. In spite of that loss, they created plenty of chances, and it is a side which can either damage United on the counter through the pace of Alexis Sanchez or look to match them for possession.
Van Gaal has some intriguing selection dilemmas, particularly whether to find a place in the side for Angel Di Maria. Perhaps, given Arsenal's historic vulnerability to United's counter-attacking, he could look to include Di Maria in Juan Mata's place on the right wing of United's attack.
Players to Watch
This game is littered with players who, on their day, can turn a game. Santi Cazorla has been in superb form for Arsenal lately and gets the nod here as the creative midfielder to look out for.
United do not really have an attacking player in good form—Ashley Young is probably the closest to that, following his star turn against Crystal Palace. Without Rooney, United will be looking to Van Persie to haunt his old side, rather than relying on the Liverpudlian's tremendous record against the Gunners.
Key Battle
It will be intriguing to see how Wenger and Van Gaal set up their sides against each other. Their two clashes so far this season have had very different patterns of play. At the Emirates in the league, United sat back and sucker-punched Arsenal with breakaway goals, as Sir Alex Ferguson's sides had done so often.
At Old Trafford in the FA Cup, it was the other way round, as United dominated possession only to fall foul of Arsenal's incisive counter-attacking—and some key defensive errors.
The battles between Francis Coquelin and United's attacking midfielders and between Daley Blind and Arsenal's attacking midfielders could be absolutely key, given they may define how much time and space each side gets on the ball.
It is the battle between the two managers, though, that is the most intriguing.
Odds
The odds for the game, at the time of writing, per Odds Shark are:
Manchester United Win: +158
Draw: +250
Arsenal Win: +193
