Arsenal Vs Manchester United: End Of Arsenal's League Or Kick-Start They Need?

Arsenal versus Manchester United, are these games ever dull on or off the field?

While the games may not have the intensity of years gone by, they are still right up there in importance for the fans, clubs, managers, players and media alike.

Arsenal head into this match following a mediocre start to the League season. The last week has seen them lose to Stoke and draw with Fenerbahce in the Champions League.

While the majority of Gooners are not wholly statisified with their team losing to Hull, Fulham and Stoke and drawing with Spurs, a minority have taken things to extremes; booing the team on Wednesday evening and calling for a change in manager.

Tomorrow offers a chance for the team to regain some much needed confidence—what better way than to take all three points off the Red Devils?

Manchester United also need a win tomorrow to keep pace with the league leaders, Chelsea and Liverpool, despite having a game in hand.

As it stands Chelsea and Liverpool are on 26 points, Manchester United are on 21 points and Arsenal are on 20 points.

With Liverpool at home to West Bromwich Albion tomorrow and Chelsea away to Blackburn on Sunday, Arsenal know that a win is needed as a draw would would see them leapfrogged by Aston Villa in the table should they beat Middlesbrough. Arsenal have to keep in touch with the three ahead while keeping an ever improving Aston Villa at bay.

So it is Wenger vs Ferguson as third take on fourth at the Emirates Stadium. Once again I catch up with the Arsenal Community Leader Shyam to discuss events leading up the match and the game itself.

Games in the Past Week

The past week and a half have not been kind to Arsenal. Although not in any way a crisis, snatching a draw from the jaws of victory at home to Spurs and a defeat away to Stoke is not the kind of form any team would like to take into a game against Manchester United.

The loss to Stoke was perhaps surprising but didn't come as a complete shock. A point Shyam agrees with:

The Stoke match was an accident waiting to happen—I don't think that the Britannia Stadium is going to be an easy place for any team to go, let alone a deflated Arsenal side which conceded 2 goals in the last 4 minutes against Tottenham. Remember, Stoke did manage to get a point from their game against Liverpool at Anfield—so they were always going to be a difficult side to beat.

There is indeed truth in Shyam's argument. The two promoted sides that were meant to struggle—Hull and Stoke—have been showing no signs of nerves and have been giving as good as they get from the more established teams in the top level of English football.

However, while the defeat to Stoke was a setback the manner of defeat was most disappointing as Shyam points out:

The team looked off colour. The players seemed to lose belief in their abilities and their team mates as well. I don't think that this team is the best place to be—but there will be times like this and Arsenal football club will have to ride this storm out.

Teams go through stages of losing belief and confidence and the best way to regain this is with a solid showing and preferably a victory. Wednesday night was a start to this. Although the game ended in a draw and the performance was rather flat, chances were created and most importantly the defence looked more solid than the recent past.

Yes, United are a far more potent opposition with Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez and Berbatov attacking you from all angles but Wednesday was a good starting point with Silvestre and Djourou looking confident at the back.

Unfortunately, it seems that this defensive duo may not be fielded as Silvestre is rated 50:50 as he suffers from a broken nose picked up in the match against Fenerbahce.

Wenger's "Moan"

If we are all been honest, we'd admit that Semih's tackle on Silvestre looked intentional, his elbow catching the former United man on the nose.

However, I am an Arsenal fan so it follows that I am "moaning" and "whinging" about a common aspect of the game of football.

In the last week Arsene Wenger has once again to put up with accusations that his team lack "spine", an accusation thrown at the Gunners from Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen.

While Arsenal may lack the physicality they had in the era of Vieria, Keown and Adams—to say a team lack a "spine" is quite the accusation. I wonder would Sorensen be so brave if it were indeed the likes of Vieira, Keown and Adams he was facing?

However, Sorensen has a right to state things as he sees it. Yet, the English media being what they are have once again twisted the statement to suit their own ends.

In a press conference they questioned Wenger over the Stoke's keepers comment that Arsenal were "cowards". Wait, I thought he said "spine" but who am I to question the media?

Wenger replied in the only way he knows how—in protection of his team stating that he believes the real cowards are those that trip and injure players—not his brave players who try to play football. He was then asked to give examples of this, which he duly did citing injuries to Eduardo, Rosicky, Adebayor and Walcott.

Now while he may have gone slightly over the top in his response, he did not initate the conversation and what manager would react kindly to his team being called "cowards" or lacking "spine"?

As the leader of the Arsenal community states:

Arsene Wenger is a man who protects his team—make no mistake about it. I don't think that it was his intention to go into the press conference thinking that he will have a go at Stoke. But, when the reporter asked him about the criticism leveled against his team in the press—he said that some of it was right and some of it was wrong. Then he went on to Sorensen's comments about Arsenal being spineless."

Even if Arsenal were spineless—why on earth would Wenger confess it right there? He defended his team and called them "courageous" and implied that Stoke were cowards. Whether the examples of the tackles he gave were right or not is purely subjective but I don't see what was wrong in his comments to which most people have taken such objection."

The problem seems to be that he is Arsene Wenger and as he has whinged in the past, he must be whinging now. Like him or not, I ask you to remember that Wenger congratulated the Stoke team after the game and this occured three days after the match following comments from the opposition.

I guess some people don't want to see the whole context and will take from events those bits that suit them.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been known as a whinger for many a year but it seems the media have laid off him somewhat over the last year or two—I wonder has it anything to do with his decision not to talk with those that do not print stories to his liking?

Manchester United in Town

Speaking of Sir Alex, back to the matter in hand.

Tomorrow is a big game for both sides but could be the game that all but ends Arsenal's league campaign or else be the one that gives them the kick start they want and need.

Arsenal seem to be the underdogs going into this game, judging on form and the odds at the bookies.

However, sometimes this can suit Arsenal who have shocked United in the past when the Gunners haven't been at full strength, as Shyam points out:

It's quite interesting because I remember that we were in a similar situation a couple of seasons ago when Emmanuel Adebayor (un fancied at the time) scored in the 86th minute at Old Trafford to give Arsenal three very unexpected points. There were injuries and suspensions but that Arsenal team won "against the odds."

Be in no doubt that this is a hugely weakened Arsenal team. Added to the long-term casulaties of Rosicky and Eduardo are Adebayor and Eboue while Robin van Persie is suspended.

On the 50:50 list is Walcott, Almunia, Sagna and Silvestre so a lot will depend on tomorrow's fitness tests.

Should the above four be fit, Wenger still has some selection headaches.

Shyam suggests that he may choose to, "put out the 4-4-1-1 (revolving door) formation—where the link player will rotate between Fabregas, Denilson, Diaby and Nasri."

Expect a team along the lines of Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Djourou, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Denilson, Nasri, Diaby and Bendtner.

It is highly unlightly that he will go with Carlos Vela and Nicklas Bendtner up front, although Vela will most likely have a part to play tomorrow.

Johan Djourou should keep his place as he looks more comfortable in the air—something that will be paramount tomorrow as Vidic and Ferdinand threaten from set pieces.

The probable starting 11 means that Wenger is not left with too many choices on the bench. However, watch out for a certain Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere. This Gooner has a sneaking feeling that one of these two may come off the bench tomorrow and do to Manchester United what a certain Wayne Rooney did to Arsenal when he was wearing the blue of Everton.

Hey, its Arsenal versus Manchester United—the form book goes out the window.

This match could just be the kick up the Arsenal the team need!

Last word to Shyam:

Apparently Arsene Wenger once said, "It is very easy to lose confidence, but gaining it is that much more difficult." Well, we are a team short of confidence and desperately need to get a result— and I don't think that tomorrow would be a bad place to start.