Flying Dutchman: Edwin van der Sar
Don't underestimate how
important Edwin van der Sar is to
United.
It's not only his saves and experience, but his distribution. He's
like another outfield player, a sweeper-keeper. You forget how
quickly he passes the ball out, either left or right and with both
feet.
He will start so many United forward
thrusts, sometimes with an instant pass the way he is facing and
others when he reverses the ball by opening his body. He is very
comfortable with the ball at his feet, like an 11th outfield
player.
Ben Foster, who will grow into being
an excellent goalkeeper, just seems happy with clearing his lines
and sending the ball away from his goal, without the same control
on his distribution.
It's not unexpected, because it's
hard place to be trying to establish yourself as No 1. This is the
sort of game when he will get the chance to show how he is
progressing.
CAN UNITED KEEP A CLEAN SHEET?
I fancy
Arsenal to score.
Rio Ferdinand is a huge loss to the home side, who miss his pace. I
can't emphasise enough how often it rescues United and, in
particular, helps on the cover with Nemanja Vidic.
Eduardo, maybe later in the game as
a substitute, will test that with his movement.
Lone ranger: Wayne Rooney needs help with the
goal-scoring duties
MIDFIELD NEED TO HELP ROONEY
Wayne has started the season well.
He looks to me like he loves being the main man and is the one
player not missing Cristiano Ronaldo. He is rising to the
challenge, now his team-mates need to help him too.
United need a midfield player to
chip in with 10 goals this season. In fact, make that two midfield
players.
Can any of Darren Fletcher, Ryan
Giggs, Anderson, Michael Carrick, Antonio Valencia, Park Ji-sung or
Nani achieve that? I don't think so. Rooney can't expect to take
the load alone.
United haven't settled on a midfield
pairing yet and the manager is rotating; not because of the usual
reasons, but because they haven't hit their form, they haven't
clicked.
How they deal with the Arsenal
central midfielders could define the game.
At least Rooney is sparkling and is
their most likely match-winner, but they need others to step
forward.
Bubbling back: Dimitar Berbatov
GENIUS BERBATOV?
He just showed signs of bubbling
back into form in the second half against Wigan. Berbatov must show
more of that, more urgency, more damage.
I'm telling you, he is quick, once
he opens his legs and accelerates. He looks slow, but he's sharp
and bright and now needs to be more of a penalty box
spearhead.
Running around a bit more would
convince the fans of his desire. He can be the match-winner, but he
needs to be on his game.
ARSENALS KEY AREAS
ALEX SONG IN THE ANCHOR ROLE Last season, there were two
Arsenal teams. With the ball, they were awesome, without the ball,
they were awful.
They didn't have an established
holding midfielder and, in a 4-4-2 formation, they were often
caught on the break (remember Crisitano Ronaldo's runaway goal in
the Champions league semi final, second leg at the
Emirates?).
They didn't have enough people
wanting to do the dirty work. Song is an underestimated player, but
he has been their unsung hero this season - tidy, efficient, he
breaks up the play and passes the ball simply.
Unsung hero: Alex Song
Alongside Denilson, they give Arsene
Wenger's team a platform to break quickly.
Communication from behind will be
critical here, with the central defenders shouting when there is
danger around as Wayne Rooney looks to get into that pocket between
defence and midfield.
Song will need to have eyes in the
back of his head. It's his biggest test.
SCINTILLATING COUNTER
ATTACK
We have seen Arsenal break at speed,
but not like this. I don't think we have seen another team
counter-attacking so smoothly.
United, at their best, could play
this way, but Arsenal seem very confident in their
tactics.
Perhaps it comes from knowing the
door behind them is closed with Song and co, as well as their new
central defender Thomas Vermaelen, who looks like he cherishes a
clean sheet and loves to defend.
Arsenal haven't had a centre-half
like that since Tony Adams and Martin Keown, who were a menace to
play against.
Confident: Andrei
Arshavin
CAN ARSHAVIN PLAY AWAY?
So far, I've been impressed with the
Russian playmaker. He clearly talks a good game, you see that
confidence coming through in every interview.
I suspect he thinks he can play at a
higher level, such as Barcelona, but for me he still needs to
perform more consistently on his travels.
I know he scored four at Liverpool
last season, so that may seem crazy, but he tends to drift out of
games when Arsenal don't have the ball.
This is a big game for him,
especially with Cesc Fabregas absent.
BENDTNER v EVRA
There is a massive height advantage
for Arsenal here - 6ft 2in plays 5ft 8in - and if they look to hit
diagonal balls from left to right, Bendtner will trouble
Evra.
Wenger has shown great faith in him
and has readjusted his role in the team.
Bendtner has great faith in himself,
but the jury is still out. He needs to be more clinical and
consistent.
