EPL Special : Arsenal vs Manchester Utd

last SG · 2007-01-19T13:44:26+00:00

1st goal: wayne rooney's header if arsenal loses cos of that unawarded penalty.. the referee's gonna hv a hard time.

anhydrouscoppersulphate SG

both sides are now strong. will be a good game

zocoss SG

Gunners to blow title race open

TIPPING an Arsenal win against Manchester United at any time is a recipe for disaster. Its based largely on egg most of it ending, like pizza sometimes, all over your face. Prior to their unlikely 1-0 victory at Old Trafford earlier in the season, the last time the Gunners had managed to take all three Premiership points was when Sylvain Wiltord scored the title-clincher back in May 2002.

That, though, was followed by an eight-game run spread over four seasons which saw United win four and draw the rest. At the time, Alex Ferguson had the Indian sign over Arsene Wenger and both clubs knew it. But Arsenals victory on September 17 broke the stranglehold.

It was a strange result with United top of the table after four straight wins and the Gunners down near the bottom with just two points from three games, including a 1-0 defeat at Manchester City. Yet there was nothing fortunate about Arsenals win. They passed United to death and could have scored three or four.

Four months later, the two old leviathans meet again at The Emirates on Sunday in a fixture that could have a seismic effect on the championship. Twenty-four hours earlier, Liverpool have another grudge meeting with Chelsea at Anfield. As weekends go, they dont come much bigger.

As an adventurous though, no doubt, foolhardy punter, Im going for a London double that will cut Uniteds lead over Chelsea to just three points. While few will argue with Jose Mourinhos team getting a result on Merseyside, siding with Arsenal is fraught with danger.

Yes, the patient has perked up in spectacular style recently but there are still obvious weaknesses for a United side, wonderfully quick and inventive on the break, to work on. While Emmanuel Eboue is a fabulous full-back going forward, he does have certain defensive liabilities.

And no one will exploit them more than Ryan Giggs, a key omission from the United side beaten by Arsenal at Old Trafford. Then there is Philippe Senderos. Such is his fallibility on the ground especially on his left Wenger would surely be better going with Johan Djourou against the pace of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Louis Saha.

You also wonder about an Arsenal midfield lacking the suspended Gilberto. The Brazilian, man of the match in Manchester, has long been the defensive shield that gives Cesc Fabregas the freedom to launch his deadly arrows.

The Spaniard played a pivotal role at Old Trafford. But that was against a misfiring United midfield that included Darren Fletcher and John OShea.

Since then Paul Scholes has reinvented himself and his battle with Fabregas will be the highlight of an enthralling afternoon. If there is one player who has hijacked the old Muhammad Ali ability to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, its Ronaldo.

Well, apart from Thierry Henry. Another notable absentee from Old Trafford, the Frenchman has returned from his time-out with legs and lungs replenished. So there we have it. Uniteds first trip to The Emirates on the stand-out weekend of the season.

Im still backing Arsenal. Crucially, unlike United, they have nothing to lose. Theres no better environment for a team that can play football to perform in.

Bontakun SG

I suspect a draw. 2 - 2!

But odds are of Asnl winning more than Manu winning......

used SG

who can replace gilberto?? flamini not experienced enough and manu will look to use this as an advantage unless wenger use farbregas and bastista in the middle

windjammer SG

go for a MU win

Laughing

sand king SG

man u win, 3-2 Laughing

zocoss SG

Clichy: Thierry will down United

GAEL CLICHY reckons Arsenal are unbeatable with Thierry Henry leading the attack.

The Gunners host Premiership leaders Manchester United on Sunday. And Arsene Wenger's men should give United a stern test in their first visit to the Emirates Stadium.

Clichy said: "Thierry is just showing everyone again that he is the number one striker in the world. "All the efforts he made against Blackburn when we had only 10 men, there are not a lot of players who could have done that through to the end of the game.

"When Arsenal have got Thierry in this form, then nothing can stop us." "If the defence can stay strong, then we will not be losing many games. "With the quality players we have got up front, you know we are going to score. "We just have to do the job at the back and they will do their job in attack."

Arsenal have hit 15 goals in their last four games - and conceded at an average of just one per match.

798 SG

arsenal will beat manu tis sunday.

3-0!

zocoss SG

Henrik back to haunt Wenger

ARSENE WENGER is still haunted by Henrik Larsson as he prepares to face up to old ghosts tomorrow. The Arsenal boss has not forgotten how Larsson helped put last seasons Champions League final out of the Gunners grasp. He thought he had seen the last of the Swede . . . until he signed for Manchester United in a loan deal from Helsingborgs.

Now he wants his revenge on the striker who set up both Barcelona goals in the Spaniards dramatic 2-1 victory in Paris last May. Wenger said: I dont have bad memories of Larsson... I have nightmares!

He said he would never come back after leaving Barcelona in the summer and, frankly, I thought his time was over. But he is a player I admire so much because of his intelligence and his team attitude. To still play up front at 35 is amazing.

Fourth-placed Gunners go into tomorrows clash 15 points adrift of the leaders. Wenger admits he almost misses his bust-ups with Alex Ferguson and pines for the days when Arsenal and United went to war.

The Frenchman added: Until two years ago Arsenal against United was the match no-one could afford to lose. I liked that intensity but lets say my relationship with Alex Ferguson has been worse in the past.

The fact is that Chelsea have come in and taken the focus off this game. And Liverpool have also joined in. Even if we win on Sunday most people will still think we have no chance. But in our minds this is a game we want to win. We want to reduce the gap with United and continue our good run.

zocoss SG

Arsenal v Manchester United
Ch 23 - 12:00 am - (Live)

Arsenal will be without suspended midfielder Gilberto Silva, while forward Robin van Persie is struggling with an ankle injury.

Mathieu Flamini and Emmanuel Adebayor are in line to deputise while Emmanuel Eboue is pressing hard for a recall.

Robin VAN PERSIE is Arsenal's top scorer with 12 goals - 10 in the Premiership.

Cesc FABREGAS is the only remaining player to have appeared for at least a part of every one of Arsenal's Premiership matches this term.

Suspended: Gilberto SILVA

Manchester United have no fresh injury worries for the trip south and defender Wes Brown is back from a virus.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is pushing for a start but Wayne Rooney and Henrik Larsson look set to lead the line.

Cristiano RONALDO is United's joint top scorer with 13 goals. They were all in the Premiership - making him the club's leading marksman in the League. He trails Chelsea's Didier Drogba by one in the race for the Barclays Golden Boot.

If he plays, Louis SAHA will be making his 150th career Premiership appearance (Newcastle, Fulham and Manchester United).

If he plays, Mikael SILVESTRE will be making his 350th appearance in Manchester United colours

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arsenal : Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini, Rosicky, Henry, Van Persie, Almunia, Adebayor, Baptista, Diaby, Djourou, Hoyte, Aliadiere.

Manchester United : Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Rooney, Larsson, Saha, Solskjaer, Park, Brown, Heinze, O'Shea, Fletcher.

REFEREE
Mike Riley (Leeds, Yorkshire)

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Arsenal 0-0 Manchester United
2 January 2006 - Ref: Graham Poll

THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE
Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal
17 September 2006 - Ref: Graham Poll
Arsenal scorer: Adebayor 86

zocoss SG

Van Persie is fit... he is on the bench. Neutral

Gackt247 SG

Kns.. Rooney so off form.. i’ll personally go for larrson n saha..

used SG

adebayor rebond his hair sia Laughing

gigabyte14 SG

although i man u fan, i suspect 1-1 or 0-0.

both teams are good in def and atk though. Very Happy

henry's heading was toooo soft!

OO_OO_OO SG

that was clearly arsenal’s penalty..

Gackt247 SG

Another reason to push FIFA to intro technology to the game. Look at tennis.. they use computers to check legitimacy of the point.

used SG

flamini is clearly showing his inexperience

T.Ryousuke SG

Still remember the 49 ended by referee in this way, arsenal always the victim.

ghimpheng SG

Thanks To lemon Arsenal survive

great goalkeeping by lemon

T.Ryousuke SG

That’s why I really hate ManU cause they always have 12 vs 11.Sux.

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