BoyU v Arsenal

[Karl]

Man Utd v Arsenal

Page last updated at 11:43 GMT, Friday, 26 August 2011 12:43 UK



By Guy Mowbray
BBC Match of the Day commentator Barclays Premier League

• Venue: Old Trafford
• Date: Sunday, 28 August
• Kick-off: 1600 BST
• Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 1 and highlights on Match of the Day; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles

TEAM NEWS

Manchester United are hopeful that Rio Ferdinand will be fit to play following a hamstring injury.



Darren Fletcher stepped up his comeback from a virus and played 90 minutes for the reserves, but Nemanja Vidic and Rafael da Silva are definitely out.

Arsenal's Jack Wilshere faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines as the club fear his ankle injury could develop into a stress fracture.
Defenders Laurent Koscielny and Kieran Gibbs will also be missing.
MATCH PREVIEW

It's remarkable to think that Arsenal's only win in their last nine league games came when these two met at the Emirates Stadium on May Day.
An appropriate date too, with distress calls being pretty much all we've heard from Gunners supporters since.

Wednesday's gutsy win in Udine must have lifted the mood in the Arsenal camp considerably however, if not quite raising the expectation levels for this fixture to what they always were in the past.

One of the Premier League's most tempestuous matches historically just hasn't got the pulse racing quite so quickly this time. Until Sunday morning of course!

Continue reading the main story

United are unbeaten the last seven times they've hosted Arsenal, winning six

With new signings still settling in, we don't yet know whether United were at their best in the second half against Spurs on Monday - but they can't have been far off. We just took off" was how Sir Alex Ferguson put it and that's a lovely description.



It was all over the field too, with the defending of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling and the mature midfield display of Tom Cleverley just as impressive as Danny Welbeck, Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young going forward. Six of the best for England at Euro 2012?

United are unbeaten in the last seven times they've hosted Arsenal, winning six. They've won all their last 16 home Premier League games against anyone and haven't lost in 22. Normally I'd side with those who'd say that all means nothing on the day, but this time I have to go with the numbers and fancy a home win.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• This is the 214th meeting between the sides. Manchester United have won 88 times, Arsenal 79 and there have been 46 draws.
• Manchester United had won their last seven matches against Arsenal before they suffered a 1-0 defeat at the Emirates in May.
• This will be the 46th time Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have faced each other. Ferguson has won 20 times to Wenger's 16, with 9 draws.

Manchester United

• Danny Welbeck's last five Premier League goals have been headers.
• Man Utd have scored 20 headed goals in the league since the start of the 2010-11 season, five more than any other club.
• They won 18 of their 19 league games at Old Trafford last term, equalling the Premier League record for most points won at home.
• Manchester United's substitutes scored 11 league goals in 2010-11, more than any other team.
• They have won their last seven Premier League matches at Old Trafford against opposition from London and 10 of their last 11.
• Their starting line-up against Tottenham had an average age of 23 years and 191 days, the second youngest the Red Devils have fielded in the Premier League. Their youngest averaged 14 days per man younger - in a 1-0 win at Hull City on May 24, 2009.

Arsenal

• If the Premier League had started on 26 February (Carling Cup final weekend), Arsenal would be 15th after 13 games.
• The last time that Arsenal failed to score in their first two league games of the season was 42 years ago, back in 1969/70.
• Arsenal's Premier League win percentage with Samir Nasri in the starting line-up of 49% is well below their 62% win rate in his absence

[Karl]

Arsenal's tough start continues

Arsenal's tough start continues

Published: Friday | August 26, 2011


Stoke City's Trinidad and Tobago international, Kenwyne Jones (second left), rises to score against Norwich City during the English Premier League match at Carrow Road, Norwich, England, last Sunday. The game ended 1-1.AP

LONDON (AP):
Arsenal follow their most important match of the season with what could be their toughest match of the season - a visit to defending Premier League champions Manchester United.

The Gunners improved on their poor start to the domestic campaign to qualify for the Champions League with Wednesday's 2-1 win at Udinese, but Sunday's game at Old Trafford will require yet another improvement in quality.

Criticism of Arsenal and manager Arsene Wenger by fans and commentators started over the offseason with the sale of Cesc Fabregas and failure to strengthen the squad.

It intensified with a start to the season that featured a 0-0 draw with Newcastle, a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool and two red cards, but reaching the lucrative Champions League should have at least bought a little breathing space.

"Some people questioned our mental strength, but if you look at the game that's what we showed," Arsenal captain Robin van Persie said. "Now it's up to us to show that every three or four days. We have to do that over and over again, that's just football.

"We can't live off this night for the rest of the month or the rest of the year. Now I'm looking forward to Manchester United."

But Arsenal have lost seven and drawn one of their last eight visits to United, who are in form and share the early season lead after Monday's 3-0 dismantling of Tottenham.

Co-leaders Manchester City are at Tottenham in another of Sunday's four games, while tomorrow's programme includes Chelsea vs Norwich and Liverpool vs Bolton.

Under pressure
Arsenal's poor start threatened to become truly calamitous when Antonio Di Natale's first-half header pulled Udinese level on aggregate in the Champions League playoff. But Van Persie and Theo Walcott scored and Wojciech Szczesny saved a penalty to take Arsenal through.

"We have been a little bit under pressure and for us not to play the Champions League and with the players who left, that pressure would've increased, understandably," Wenger said. "Since the beginning of the season, I feel a very strong, determined attitude within the team."

That attitude will be needed against United. Arsenal have regularly dominated the teams' meetings in recent seasons before failing to take advantage of possession and opportunities against the older, more experienced United side.

But with Paul Scholes retired and other players injured, United have relied on youth so far this season.

Striker Danny Welbeck, midfielder Tom Cleverley and defender Phil Jones all played against Spurs. The trio has an average age of 20 and could keep their places against the Gunners.

Arsenal will be without Samir Nasri after selling him to City, and the France midfielder could make his debut against Tottenham.

Nasri scored 15 goals last season, including four in three games against Tottenham.


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