Arsenal will be travelling to Old Trafford this weekend, a place where they have had very little joy in the last 10 years. This game means a lot to both sets of fans and players. The last time when Arsenal visited the Theatre of Dreams, they knocked the hosts out of the FA Cup with a goal from Danny Welbeck, a player who was let go last summer because Van Gaal thought he lacked in quality. This game is a final with both teams trying to grab the last automatic Champions League qualification spot. Wenger’s men have a game in hand, but a defeat will put a lot of pressure on them going into the final three games, whereas Van Gaal would like to finish the season on a high winning the remaining 9 points on offer.
Undoubtedly, Arsene Wenger will be making a few changes to the squad. His team lost 1-0 vs Swansea at the Emirates, bringing their 10 match winning streak to an end. There were many lessons to learn from that game. Arsenal’s attack lacked penetration and were caught out by a counter attack late in the game. They dominated the play, but had little to show for it. Swansea successfully checked the 4-2-3-1 formation Wenger employed on the night. When he takes his squad to Old Trafford he needs to make sure he tweaks a few things.
1. Recovering the ball
Louis Van Gaal’s philosophy has transformed United into a ball hogging machine. United have enjoyed more than 65% possession in their last 5 games. They even managed to keep that kind of possession against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal need to find a way to break their play and not let the home team enjoy possession for a long period of the game. Francis Coquelin did it effectively the other night against Swansea and he will have to be at the top of his game yet again. He has to win his midfield battles and start counter attacks, feeding the pace of Alexis Sanchez and the creativity of Mesut Ozil. While he will have the pressure burdening him, Coquelin should not give away clumsy fouls in sensitive areas. A lot rides on the young defensive midfielder’s shoulders.