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After Arsenal's defeat to Chelsea at home last night, the Emirates Stadium will next host the clash between the Gunners and Manchester United on New Year's Day. The Red Devils have climbed their way back into contention for a spot in the top four with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer leading his team to three victories in the last five games.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta is yet to win a game since taking charge of Arsenal, and this leaves the north London club just six points above the relegation zone. The odds are against the home team, who might fall to their second straight defeat in the upcoming match and soon find themselves falling further down the table standings.
On that note, here are five players who have the potential to be game-changers in the fixture.
#5 Paul Pogba
In Solskjaer's recent press conference, he hinted that Paul Pogba will return to the squad after missing out on Manchester United's victory over Burnley on Saturday. The Frenchman has just made a comeback after missing close to three months of action due to an ankle injury.
Previously, Pogba had appeared as a substitute in the matches against Watford and Newcastle United where he played 26 and 45 minutes respectively. The last time he played the full 90 minutes in the Premier League was in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford.
If the 26-year-old starts in this upcoming fixture, he will surely be a man to watch. After all, Solskjaer has hailed him as the best midfielder in the world. Pogba is extremely good with his through balls and is an accurate finisher in the final third. His expected return to the starting line-up will be extremely beneficial for Solskajer's team.
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#4 Daniel James
Assists have been coming in fast and furious from Daniel James, who scored three goals in his first four Premier League games for Manchester United. Then, he turned into a provider. Since providing his first assist against Liverpool in October, the Welsh international has gone on to lay a total of six assists in the league.
The 22-year-old is proving to fans and critics that he was a right buy for the Red Devils over the summer. It is just his first season playing in the top tier of English football but James is already showing everyone how well he can adapt, the pace he has got, and that he is a vital contributor to the team.
James makes an average of 1.2 key passes per game which is a better record than his team-mate Anthony Martial (0.9). Both are expected to start in the New Year's Day fixture and their good form could overwhelm Arsenal's full-backs.
#3 Marcus Rashford
12 goals in 20 Premier League appearances so far for Marcus Rashford. This is the best record he has ever achieved and it seems like he is beginning to live up to his true potential. Last season, the England international netted only 10 leagues goals in 33 games and two seasons back, he scored just seven league goals in 35 matches.
With his improved goalscoring record, Rashford is surely a player to look out for. In the eight Premier League games he has played against the Gunners, the Manchester United forward has won three, scoring two goals. Those two goals came when he made his Premier League debut in the 2015-16 season. Since then, he has not scored against the north London side.
History aside, Rashford is a dangerous forward in the final third. His quick movements and neat footwork could cause plenty of problems for Arsenal's slow centre-backs.
#2 Mesut Ozil
From Arteta's first two games in charge, it is evident that when Arsenal have possession, the team try to find Mesut Ozil so that he can create something. Although he has not scored or provided any assists, the German's body language and involvement in the game is a stark contrast from the days Unai Emery was the club's manager.
Similar to the last two matches, the Gunners will try their best to dominate possession and allow Ozil to have the ball. It is only when Arsenal have possession, then the midfielder can do his job and create chances for his team.
In the defeat to Chelsea, the north London team were stifled of possession in the second half. Ultimately, that cost them because all the attackers were busy defending and none of them had the opportunity to go upfront.
#1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has continued his goalscoring form and added another goal to his tally during the defeat against Chelsea. However, the problem with Arsenal is that they seem to be over-reliant on their Gabonese striker. Other than him, the Gunners have no other striker to count on.
Since Arteta took over, Alexandre Lacazette has been poor, Nicolas Pepe is often left on the bench and Gabriel Martinelli is out with a hamstring injury. With that, the Arsenal captain has no choice but to bear the brunt of all the goalscoring duties.
The 30-year-old will be a vital player for the home team when they face Manchester United. In his last two appearances against the Red Devils, Aubameyang has scored in each of them. His confidence in front of the goal will surely boost Arsenal's chances of getting an early goal in the clash.
Also Read: Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea: 3 reasons why Arsenal lost | Premier League 2019-20
