Manchester United vs. Arsenal: Key Battles on the Pitch

Where will the game be won and lost as a depleted Manchester United take on Premier League title-chasing Arsenal?

In the absence of a fierce Roy Keane vs. Patrick Vieira clash, Manchester United vs. Arsenal promises to be a more technical and tactical affair, with a number of key battles across the pitch.

United’s extraordinary injury list means manager Louis van Gaal will have no choice but to pick a number of young and inexperienced players. Arsenal, by contrast, are close to full strength. It’s therefore highly likely that United will be on the back foot from the start.

Van Gaal will have to come up with a clever game plan to quell Arsenal’s threat. In order to do that, the Dutchman will need his defensive players to step up.

Here we take a look at the key battles.

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Chris Smalling/Michael Carrick vs. Olivier Giroud:

If Smalling doesn’t recover in time for the game, Carrick will continue in central defence. However, regardless of who lines up alongside Daley Blind, dealing with Giroud will prove to be a big challenge. The Arsenal striker is not without his critics, but he does a tremendous job of bringing team-mates into play. His knockdown for Theo Walcott’s opener vs. Leicester City highlighted how important he is to Arsenal. For Smalling or Carrick, stopping Giroud in his tracks will go a long way to stopping Arsenal altogether.

Guillermo Varela vs. Alexis Sanchez:

At the Emirates during the reverse fixture, Sanchez tore Matteo Darmian to shreds. The Italian, who is currently injured, was substituted at half-time and hasn’t really looked the same since. Varela, though, has looked impressive since the turn of the year and shone vs. Derby County and FC Midtjylland. Arsenal represent a whole new challenge for the young Uruguayan and stopping Sanchez is an unenviable task.

Morgan Schneiderlin vs. Mesut Ozil:

For reasons unknown, Van Gaal left Schneiderlin – one of the Premier League’s best defensive midfielders – out of the side when United visited Arsenal last October. This time, the Frenchman will definitely play, and he will be the man tasked with tracking Ozil. The German has enjoyed a fine season and, given space, will run riot. Schneiderlin must sit deep, stop passes being played around United’s penalty area and win the ball back as quickly as possible. If United are to have a chance, Schneiderlin will be key.

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Anthony Martial/Marcus Rashford vs. Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker:

In the likely event that Martial doesn’t recover in time from a hamstring injury, Rashford – the two-goal debutant – will continue in his absence. With United expected to field a severely weakened side, Rashford may find himself isolated for long spells in the game. He must be smart in the runs he makes in order to conserve energy. He will also need to be the focal point in attack for United by staying in central areas. And, of course, when he gets a chance to score, he must take it, because United aren’t likely to create much.

It’s telling that the key battles listed above include three defensive players on United’s side. With so many injuries, ‘makeshift’ doesn’t really do justice for the team that Van Gaal will be forced to pick.

If United can stay compact and not press crazily high up the pitch, which is what they did in the reverse fixture, they will have a chance on the counter-attack.

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But, more importantly than that, they will need their defenders – and David De Gea or Sergio Romero – to have good games.