English Premier League: Arsenal vs Manchester United Preview

Arsenal will face their old rivals Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the 4th of October.

This clash is one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures in the English Premier League calendar. Although the spice and verve of the yester era is gone from this encounter, there is still enough drama to make it interesting. There is no Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira or Martin Keown to entertain the audience with sub plots, but the context and competition still make this fixture worth watching.

The Gunners are currently just three points behind leaders United and a win will be a huge boost to their title credentials. Hailed as the pre-season favorites, Arsenal managed to slip into mediocrity and frustrate their own fans. However, staying just three points behind leaders after seven games is a respectable start.

The decision to leave Petr Cech on the bench for the Olympiacos game in Champions League turned into a nightmare. David Ospina blundered his way to Arsenal defeat. The swords are back gunning for Arsene Wenger and another loss to his old enemy will further strengthen his critics.

The stunning form of Alexis Sanchez is a welcome boost for Wenger who is facing the dilemma of choosing Theo Walcott or Olivier Giroud. Walcott has shown enough signs of brilliance to warrant another start as a forward.

United, on the other hand, haven’t been any better. Their roller coaster ride bears the uncanny ability of Louis van Gaal to grind results. Their midweek win against Wolfsburg in the Champions League was again a mix of brilliance and good luck but Van Gaal will be happy to be at the top of the table in Premier League.

October is a crucial month for United with tough fixtures in the wait, starting with the Gunners. The jury is still out on Van Gaal and his side but the Dutch tactician would be very eager to continue the good form.

For the visitors, the form of Juan Mata and the brilliance of Anthony Martial could just be the key. They were able to mask the poor form of club captain Wayne Rooney and the loss of crucial defenders to injury.

Surprisingly, both the sides look very similar. Both are loaded with creative midfielders but have many defensive patches that can sink their own ship. This makes it very interesting for a neutral supporter and we could witness a scoring draw at odds of $3.50 at Sportsbet.