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One of Premier League’s most enthralling rivalries will be re-ignited on Saturday when Arsenal face Manchester United at the Emirates. Perhaps the intensity of this particular fixture has come down a little in recent years due to the irreplaceable void left behind by some of the biggest names in world football.
Despite both teams playing catch up to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for the majority of the season, this fixture will be all about Arsene Wenger and his nemesis Jose Mourinho. Wenger has not had a sound relationship with Mourinho ever since the latter stepped on English soil and tempers are expected to flare as two of the Premier League’s all-time heavyweights go head to head on Saturday.
A win could lift the hosts to within a point of the Red Devils while United need to get all three points to keep up the pressure on their noisy neighbours. The outcome of the match could come down to where the game is won and lost on the pitch and here we take a look at the 5 key personal battles to keep an eye out for during the game:
#5 Ashley Young vs Hector Bellerin
Ashley Young has been one of United’s stand out players in recent weeks and proved yet again that he is all but finished when he netted a brace in a 4-2 win over Watford at Vicarage road during midweek. Often deployed as a wing-back by Mourinho, the England international is slowly cementing his name on the team-sheet with every passing week.
Young will be looking to go forward at every opportunity and will come up against one of the league’s fastest defenders in the form of Hector Bellerin on Arsenal’s right flank. The Spaniard is known for his electrifying runs and this battle will be nothing short of intriguing, to say the least.
#4 Mesut Ozil vs Nemanja Matic
With all the talk about Mesut Ozil’s future doing the rounds in the back pages of every popular English tabloid, the German has responded by putting in some stellar performances for the Gunners in recent weeks. Ozil backed up his man of the match performance in the North London Derby by netting a goal and laying out 2 assists against Huddersfield in their last outing.
However, the game against United will be a different task altogether and with his reputation of going missing in crucial games for the club still intact, Ozil will be looking to go out and get the better of his opponents.
On the other hand, United’s summer signing Nemanja Matic, who has played every single minute of the Premier League season so far, will be assigned with the task of keeping Ozil away from serious involvement on the ball. The Serbian has been quite a revelation since his move from Chelsea in the summer and has the ability to close down opponents at will.
This battle will be a highly contested one in midfield considering the form and talent possessed by both players.
#3 Paul Pogba vs Aaron Ramsey
Paul Pogba has undoubtedly been United’s X-factor this season. The Frenchman is benefitting from the freedom that he enjoys while playing with Matic and has been a key element in the Red Devils’ winning formula so far.
Pogba was dearly missed when he had that lengthy injury lay-off and the results were starting to show for it as United grew unbalanced. However, since his return, the midfielder has looked sharp and continued his good run of form that United enjoyed so much in the beginning of the season.
On Saturday he will come up against a man who has somewhat shown his true potential in recent weeks. Aaron Ramsey clearly had it in him all along but stringing together a few good performances on the spin has been the problem. The Welshman produced one of his best performances for the Gunners during midweek and it almost felt as if he was flawless in midfield, hardly putting a wrong foot.
Both of these players know how much it means to put on their respective side’s shirts and has worked their way through everything for occasions like these, it is as clear as daylight that they will try to outshine each other.
#2 Alexis Sanchez vs Antonio Valencia
Sanchez has turned a corner ever since that derby win over Tottenham and has managed to get on the scoresheet in his last 3 appearances for the club including a 93rd-minute winner against Burnley from the spot.
With Alexandre Lacazette set to miss out on the clash against United due to a groin injury, the onus will be on the Chilean to deliver in one of their biggest games of the season at a crucial time for both him and the club. It seems as if Sanchez has already made up his mind and probably knows where he is heading after his contract with Arsenal runs out in the summer.
However, it will be in his best interests to keep up this good run of form at least until any move away from the Emirates is officially clear and sanctioned.
Sanchez will not have it easy when he comes up against United’s Antonio Valencia, who has been a rock at the back for them this season. The Ecuadorian has been one of United’s best defenders so far, thanks to his blistering pace and physicality. There are very few players who can give him a real run for his money in the league and Sanchez could easily be on top of that list.
This South-American battle on the flanks will be heated and is definitely one to keep an eye out for.
#1 Jose Mourinho vs Arsene Wenger
Yes, you guessed it right! What more can you ask for on a Saturday night? It’s the ‘Special One’ against ‘Le Professeur’, arguably the most iconic managerial showdown in the Premier League at the moment. Both these men have a famous history of going at each other be it verbal or like how they took it into their own hands on the touchline at Stamford Bridge back in 2014.
However, the magnitude of this fixture can’t be any higher as United are searching for their first league title since 2012-13 despite spending a fortune in search of it after Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down. On the other hand, in recent years, Arsenal have been dethroned from elite status within their own city due to the rise of new powers like Chelsea and Tottenham.
Mourinho has lost just once against Wenger in the league and that came courtesy of a 2-0 win at the Emirates when both sides met back in May.
