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Mark Lawrenson
<SPAN class=byd>BBC Sport football expert </SPAN>
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Technically, these are the two best teams in the country and hopefully from that point of view, it will be a good spectacle.
As good a football team as Arsenal are, Manchester United have been the best team, head and shoulders above everyone else this season.
Going to the Emirates Stadium is a big ask for United, but you always feel these two clubs cancel each other out, and Arsenal's win at Old Trafford earlier this season will spur United on.
That Gunners' win this season was superbly planned, they played 4-5-1 and did it extremely well.
All the players they had in midfield were comfortable with being given the ball in tight areas. They drew Man Utd in in the midfield area and made it very difficult for them.
At home it might be a bit different, as Arsenal will be expected to push on a bit and dictate the pace and United have the players in Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs to attack at pace and hit them on the break.
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I don't think United will go gung-ho. They will look to take them on the break and do to Arsenal what Arsenal did to them at old Trafford.
Gilberto Silva is suspended for Arsenal but Mathieu Flamini has been a more than able deputy.
United are equipped for what Arsenal will throw at them. They have pace at the back to combat the likes of Henry, and Vidic and Ferdinand are beginning to look a very good combination.
Thierry Henry has been bang in form since his return, and for that you have to thank not only at Arsene Wenger, but also at Emanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie.
Adebayor and van Persie came of age and played really well in Henry's absence and it's often the case that when somebody has been used to being king of the castle at his club, he sits on the sidelines and sees the young pretenders shine.
Henry would have seen that and would have been keen to reinstate himself, and Arsene Wenger has been cute in spotting that and just leaving Henry out for a couple of weeks.
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<SPAN class=byd>BBC Sport football expert </SPAN>
[/B]<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=203 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><DIV>
</DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> Technically, these are the two best teams in the country and hopefully from that point of view, it will be a good spectacle. As good a football team as Arsenal are, Manchester United have been the best team, head and shoulders above everyone else this season.
Going to the Emirates Stadium is a big ask for United, but you always feel these two clubs cancel each other out, and Arsenal's win at Old Trafford earlier this season will spur United on.
That Gunners' win this season was superbly planned, they played 4-5-1 and did it extremely well.
All the players they had in midfield were comfortable with being given the ball in tight areas. They drew Man Utd in in the midfield area and made it very difficult for them.
At home it might be a bit different, as Arsenal will be expected to push on a bit and dictate the pace and United have the players in Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs to attack at pace and hit them on the break.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=5>
</TD><TD class=sibStdQuote><DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV id=q1></DIV>United are equipped for what Arsenal will throw at them, they have pace at the back <DIV id=q2></DIV><BR clear=all></DIV></DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=mva></DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>I don't think United will go gung-ho. They will look to take them on the break and do to Arsenal what Arsenal did to them at old Trafford.
Gilberto Silva is suspended for Arsenal but Mathieu Flamini has been a more than able deputy.
United are equipped for what Arsenal will throw at them. They have pace at the back to combat the likes of Henry, and Vidic and Ferdinand are beginning to look a very good combination.
Thierry Henry has been bang in form since his return, and for that you have to thank not only at Arsene Wenger, but also at Emanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie.
Adebayor and van Persie came of age and played really well in Henry's absence and it's often the case that when somebody has been used to being king of the castle at his club, he sits on the sidelines and sees the young pretenders shine.
Henry would have seen that and would have been keen to reinstate himself, and Arsene Wenger has been cute in spotting that and just leaving Henry out for a couple of weeks.
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