Arsenal Aiming to Shake Old Trafford Hex

Arsenal Aiming to Shake Old Trafford Hex

16 May 2015

Two of the Barclays Premier League's traditional heavyweights meet this weekend in a fixture that has provided countless iconic moments over the years. Manchester United have the chance to leapfrog Arsenal into third place, while their visitors will hope to overturn a poor recent record at Old Trafford

The Reds returned to winning ways against Palace at Selhurst Park last weekend after a run of three consecutive defeats, thanks to goals from Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini. Louis van Gaal's men now have an opportunity to complete a Barclays Premier League double over Arsenal, following this season’s previous win at the Emirates Stadium in November. The Gunners suffered a shock defeat to Swansea City on Monday night but head north to Manchester with confidence, having beaten United in this season’s FA Cup sixth-round encounter at the Theatre of Dreams.

Arsenal are guaranteed a top-four finish once again, while only two defeats and an improbable goal-difference swing against them will deny United fourth place. Arsene Wenger's side, in third, have played a match fewer than second-placed Manchester City and United, a place back, but defeat would drop Wenger's men to fourth. Only the top three qualify automatically for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League and both Wenger and opposite number Louis van Gaal will be keen to avoid the prospect of a tricky play-off tie in Europe's premier competition early next season.

In the late 1990s and the early years of this century, Manchester United and Arsenal were often neck-and-neck in the battle for the title. But the Gunners have won none of the past seven Barclays Premier League meetings, losing five, and have a solitary win in the previous 12. Their last league success at Old Trafford came when Emmanuel Adebayor struck five minutes from time to seal a 1-0 victory in September 2006.

However, Gunners' skipper, Per Mertesacker reckons midfield will be the key battleground as third place and avoiding a Champions League playoff in August is up for grabs on Sunday.

Francis Coquelin's ability to stop Marouane Fellaini is the key to Arsenal beating Manchester United at Old Trafford for the second time this time, according to Mertesacker.

But instead of naming any of the Londoners’ multi-million pound forwards, captain Mertesacker reckoned French defensive midfielder Coquelin has the most important role in breaking up United’s build-up play.

Mertesacker, a World Cup winner with Germany last summer, said: “We won there once and it’s possible to do that twice per season. I think most important are the duels in midfield, around  Fellaini. Coquelin did really well last time. I think that is a major part of their game. We need to try to control this. It’s not going to be easy. “They obviously want to keep the ball as much as possible - Can we restrict it? Can we get the ball in their half and break? That is what we did last time and we did really well.”

Arsenal’s home loss to Swansea on Monday night ended a run of 11 games unbeaten –and means United can overtake them for the third spot, which gives automatic qualification for the Champions League group stage.

“When you don’t execute, you get punished,” Mertesacker admitted of Monday's defeat. “That was a good reminder how important it is to score, how important it is to get the opener when you have the opportunities. When you don’t do that in the Premier League, you are battling for fourth place, not second. How simple is that.”

Meanwhile, two players will be the talking point in the encounter, Danny Welbeck and Robin van Persie, both of who have switched allegiance.

Welbeck was a popular graduate of the United youth system, earning England honours after breaking into the first team during Ferguson's latter years at the club. But he moved to Arsenal in search of regular starts up front last August. The 24-year-old is a fitness doubt for this weekend due to a knee problem but he enjoyed a memorable return to Old Trafford in March, scoring as Arsenal won 2-1 in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Persie however famously moved in the opposite direction in 2012 after 96 goals in 194 league appearances for Arsenal. In his final season at Emirates Stadium he scored 30 times in 38 BPL matches and a 26-goal haul in 2012/13 fired United to the title.

Meanwhile, Luke Shaw and Wayne Rooney suffered injuries in the first half of United’s 2-1 win at Palace, but van Gaal has confirmed both should be fit to face Arsenal. Marcos Rojo is edging closer to a comeback, though it remains to be seen whether Angel Di Maria will return. Michael Carrick and Rafael are both out for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, Frank Lampard says he is looking forward to playing his penultimate game for City at one of his former clubs.

Lampard spent three months with Swansea during the 1995/96 campaign, making his league debut and scoring his first senior goal. After nine games in South Wales, he then returned to West Ham but has never forgotten his time with the Swans.

“I went there when they were fourth bottom of what is now League One and when I left, they were bottom so it’s not as though I took them to the moon or anything! We played at their old Stadium, Vetch Field, and it was an eye opener because it was my first experience of man’s football and was a character-building exercise.  I’ve always kept my out for their results ever since and it’s always good to go back.”

While Swansea boosted City’s hopes of finishing second this season with a 1-0 win at Arsenal on Monday, they could also dent the Blues’ aspirations at The Liberty Stadium on Sunday.

Lampard, enjoying his best run of starts for City with four in a row, is hoping to end his time with the Blues with six wins from six games, but expects the in-form Welsh side to start with their tails up.

“They’ll be confident, they’ll play good football and this is their last home game of the season so off the back of a very good season, they don’t have much to lose,” he said.

“They are still looking to finish as high as they can so it will be a tough game for us. I’ve a lot of respect for Garry Monk because it wasn’t an easy job to go into.

“Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup had done really before him and I suppose there was a feeling that maybe it would be difficult to continue that momentum. He’s a young manager and former player so a few people tipped them to struggle this year but if anything, they’ve kicked on again.

“Monk’s a confident man and Wilfried speaks very highly of him, respects him and likes him a lot and it’s good to see him doing so well. The people behind the scenes are brilliant and it’s a great, family club.”