Premier League - Preview: Manchester United versus Arsenal
Manchester United and Arsenal are set to play out a fixture that captures the imagination of all football fans, a spectacle of pure football few others can match, a match that sees blatant rivalry transcend into football of the highest calibre. Arsenal and
Manchester United were to contest the match as league leaders and second placed respectively, but Manchester City have gate crashed those standings as they have gone joint top with Arsenal after their victory over West Ham.
Arsene Wenger has been the advocate of pure, free flowing attacking football, a strong believer in possession play and it is no secret that no other team in the league can keep the ball as well as Arsenal. And Wenger will stick to his guns as always and
set out to attack United. Sir Alex Ferguson, on the other hand, likes to mix things up and isn't afraid to get down and dirty if that's what the game begs for, and his results have taught us not to question him, for his haul to United's trophy cabinet surpasses
another, a remarkable feat unlikely to ever be achieved by anyone else, anywhere in the world.
Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex's rivalry over the past was as fierce as any you're ever likely to see, stuff the press would feed off of. And that rivalry boiled down to the players who would then put on a spectacle which would almost certainly include a brawl
with Roy Keane and Patrick Viera the most likely culprits. But over the years, due to Chelsea's emergence and Arsenal's subsequent period of transition, the feistiness of the rivalry the two managers once enjoyed has now simmered down. Down to a point where
the two now even respect each other.
But that has not made these games any less of an attractive exhibition. These two always manage to conjure up something special, something which has evolved from flying fists to magical footballing moments. Over the years, these games have seen some of the
finest footballers pitted against each other, from Cantona, Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Giggs, Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo to Tony Adams, Patrick Viera, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Ray Parlour and Robert Pires.
This season sees United's unbeaten run in this year's Premier League go up against Arsenal's impeccable away form, which is also the best in the league, in a titanic clash at Old Trafford. And you feel like something’s got to give. Both teams will be desperate
for the three points for the sole reason of league superiority.
Arsenal currently lead the pack with 32 points, but United are a close third with 31 points and a game in hand. So, Arsenal really need to win this game to consolidate their position at the top and make sure that the game in hand does not rob them of top
spot. United, on the other hand, will feel that with winning this match they will have a big advantage at the top. And by winning their game in hand they could go four points clear.
Tags: