Manchester United vs Arsenal - 4 key battles to watch out for | Premier League 2021-22

Manchester United and Arsenal renew their historic rivalry at Old Trafford tonight in a blockbuster Premier League clash.

The Red Devils will look to end their three-game winless run in the league and pick up their first top-flight victory of the post-Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era. However, they haven't beaten the Gunners in their last six league meetings. They lost 1-0 to The Gunners last season, with the visitors now aiming for consecutive wins at the stadium.

Mikel Arteta's side have gathered momentum with a fairy-tale reversal of fortunes, having started their campaign with three defeats. In their last ten top-flight games, the London outfit have won seven times and lost just once. They sit in fifth place, five points clear of United.

Form generally goes out of the window in a top-billing fixture like this. But it nonetheless promises to be an enticing encounter between the two traditional rivals.

Ahead of the big game, here's a look at five key battles that could potentially determine its outcome:

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#4 Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal) vs Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United)

Smith Rowe's meteoric rise this season is highly talked about.

Emile Smith Rowe has been a revelation for Arsenal this season, rising to prominence with his eye-catching displays.

His meteoric rise even saw the youngster break into England's national set-up last month. Smith Rowe opened his international account with a goal against San Marino.

The 21-year-old is pacy, direct, clever in possession, and has a keen eye for goal, netting four times in the league. He could be a huge threat to Manchester United.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka will have the Herculean job of subduing his compatriot. While the right-back is excellent in 1v1 situations, he often struggles against quick and unpredictable players. It'll be interesting to see how he copes with Smith Rowe.

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#3 Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) vs Thomas Partey (Arsenal)

Manchester United's creative wizard

The Premier League is blessed with some of the most talented playmakers, but there have been very few like Bruno Fernandes. He has laid nine assists in all competitions already this season, including three in the league, where he has also created six big chances.

He offers incredible energy, flair, dynamism, athleticism and invention like no other United player. So Arsenal's Thomas Partey can expect a busy outing against him.

The Ghanian's passing, tackling, ball-winning ability and game-reading acumen are crucial to Arsenal's style of defending. He'll have to muster all his defensive nous to keep Fernandes at bay.

#2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) vs Harry Maguire (Manchester United)

Can Aubameyang add to his four-goal tally?

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been misfiring lately, but he's still Arsenal's joint-top scorer in the league this season, with four goals.

His movement and link-up play make him the single biggest threat from the visitors. So he will require utmost attention from Manchester United's Harry Maguire.

The Manchester United captain will return from a suspension and is likely to slot right back into the XI. But he must be in his elements.

Harry Maguire has become an internet meme for his series of defensive blunders this season. More such mistakes will be punished severely by the Gabonese hitman.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) vs Ben White (Arsenal)

Cristiano Ronaldo is aiming for his 800th career goal.

This will arguably be the toughest individual battle of the match, with Manchester United's unstoppable force meeting Arsenal's immovable object.

Cristiano Ronaldo's sensational return to Manchester United has yielded ten goals in all competitions so far. The prolific No.7 is now just one shy of a landmark 800 career goals.

He's no stranger to scoring against the Gunners, having tormented the side many times during his first stint at the club. The Portuguese star's movement, flair and athleticism could be a big test for Ben White.

Arsenal's £50 million summer acquisition faced plenty of questions at the start. But with impressive displays at the heart of their backline, he has silenced all his critics.

A ball-playing centre-back with good technical ability and impeccable tackling prowess, White has brought robustness to Arsenal's defence. He has played a key role in their mid-season revival.