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ArmageddonAsh
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    Man Utd vs Arsenal

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    Man Utd vs Arsenal - Page 2 Empty Man Utd vs Arsenal

    Post by Admin Sat Jan 30, 2010 4:20 pm

    First topic message reminder :

    Man Utd vs Arsenal - Page 2 Arsenal-logovsMan Utd vs Arsenal - Page 2 ManchesterUnitedlogo

    Stadium: The Emirates Stadium, London
    Day: Sunday, 31st January
    Time: 16:00 GMT
    Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four home Premier League games
    against United, whose last victory was in February 2005 when they won
    4-2 at Highbury. On Wednesday, they squandered the chance to return to
    the top of the Premier League when they were held to a 0-0 draw by
    Aston Villa. And they also lost Thomas Vermaelen, who left on crutches
    and could be replaced by Sol Campbell.



    United beat Hull 4-0 in their previous Premier League game, last
    Saturday, and on Wednesday they reached the Carling Cup final by
    beating Manchester City. Antonio Valencia and Dimitar Berbatov could
    return.

    FORM GUIDE

    Arsenal last 6 games


    Aston Villa - Arsenal 0 - 0

    Stoke - Arsenal 3 - 1

    Arsenal - Bolton 4 - 2

    Bolton - Arsenal 0 - 2

    Arsenal - Everton 2 - 2

    West Ham - Arsenal 1 - 2



    Manchester United last 6 games



    3 - 1 Man Utd - Man City

    4 - 0 Man Utd - Hull

    2 - 1 Man City - Man Utd

    3 - 0 Man Utd - Burnley

    1 - 1 Birmingham - Man Utd

    0 - 1 Man Utd - Leeds



    TEAM NEWS


    Arsenal

    Arsenal will welcome back Cameroon midfielder Alex Song from
    international duty for the visit of Manchester United to The Emirates
    on Sunday.

    Centre-back Thomas Vermaelen has a slight chance of featuring despite picking up a leg problem in midweek.

    Howeve, striker Eduardo (hamstring) and midfielder Abou Diaby (calf) are both out injured.

    Samir Nasri, who has been out with a hamstring problem, is also back in
    contention while Emmanuel Eboue has returned from the African Nations
    Cup.

    Robin van Persie (ankle), Kieran Gibbs (foot), and Johan Djourou (knee) are long-term absentees.

    Manchester United

    Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to recall Nemanja Vidic to his starting
    line-up for Sunday’s visit to the Emirates Stadium for what he
    describes as “the biggest game of the season”.

    Rio Ferdinand misses out as he starts a four-game suspension.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Key Players

    Despite the pools of talent in both squads, Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger still keep their fingers crossed that one player in each of their teams stays fit and on on form.

    For
    Arsenal it is the mercurial Cesc Fabregas who is at the heart of all
    things good for the Gunners. At Old Trafford it's Wayne Rooney, on whom
    United have relied heavily for goals this season.



    Man Utd vs Arsenal - Page 2 62760_hp
    Captain Fantastic
    | Arsenal need Fabregas on form

    Rooney has scored 19 out of the 48 Premier League
    goals his team have netted this year, while Fabregas is also his side's
    top scorer with 11, but the Gunners' goals are more evenly spread
    throughout the team.

    Added to that Fabregas is the league's top
    assistor and has been involved in more goals this season (22) by
    assisting and scoring than any other player in the top flight.

    Rooney, though, is on hot form with 12 league goals in his last ten games, and has now matched Cristiano Ronaldo's
    league total at the club of 84 - and done so in fewer games (179
    compared with Ronaldo's 196), largely without the boost of penalties
    and free-kicks.

    And if Wazza nets against Arsenal on Sunday it will be his 100th in the Premier League, with his first goal at the age of 16 coming against the Gunners also.

    But
    Rooney often lacks service, while Fabregas does it all himself, and if
    United's midfield have an off day, Rooney could find himself getting
    frustrated. Fabregas, on the other hand, makes Arsenal tick and doesn't
    have to rely on service for his goals - he is the service.


    Form

    This
    season the Gunners have been in unstoppable form at home, winning all
    but two of their 11 games at the Emirates, smashing in 34 goals, while
    the Red Devils have struggled on the road, suffering four of their five
    league defeats away from home.

    And Ferguson's side have a
    less-than-exemplary record in north London, with just one win and four
    defeats in their last nine league visits.

    Arsenal have lost just
    two of their last 23 Premier League games at home, both to Chelsea, and
    Gunners fans can expect to be out of their seats at least twice, as
    their side have scored exactly two goals in each of their three Premier
    League matches against United at the Emirates.


    Man Utd vs Arsenal - Page 2 54780_hp
    Rooney-que |
    Wayne is United's main goal threat

    Meanwhile, Man Utd have won just three of their last seven Premier League away games and kept just one clean sheet in that run.

    This
    will give Wenger a boost ahead of Sunday's big clash, which if his side
    wins will put them two points above United with the same number of
    games played.

    If Arsenal are to prove the only title
    challengers to Chelsea this season, they desperately need to take
    advantage of their good home record on Sunday - especially since, after
    United, they face an unforgiving February with trips to Chelsea and
    Stoke and a visit from Liverpool. If they can get through the month
    with nine points from their four games, they will fancy their chances
    in March against Premier League strugglers Burnley, Hull City and West Ham United.

    Manchester United have tricky trips to Aston Villa
    and Everton in February, where home wins are not against the odds. They
    will need to be at their best to grab maximum points and stay in touch
    with leaders Chelsea.

    The all-important run-in sees Arsenal at Blackburn Rovers
    before a visit from Fulham. Wenger will be confident of maximum points
    there. United' run-in is possibly even kinder with visits from Stoke
    City and Tottenham Hotspur and a trip to Sunderland, so if Wenger's men are to challenge they need a successful February.


    Injuries

    Arsene Wenger
    is never short of an excuse or two but he can reasonably claim to be
    unlucky with injuries. He lost Robin van Persie in November to a
    long-term injury just as the Dutchman was banging in the goals, and
    this left his team dangerously thin up top following the sale of
    Emmanuel Adebayor to Manchester City.

    Not
    even human placenta could help heal the Dutchman's ankle ligaments,
    injured on international duty in November. How Arsenal could do with
    his guile and confidence up front, as Wenger has searched in vain for a
    replacement; neither the returning Eduardo nor Andrey Arshavin have
    been able to fill his boots.

    Eduardo's return from injury was heralded as a 'new signing' but the Croatian has struggled to make an impact.

    Manchester United
    have also suffered with injuries, particularly at the back where over
    Christmas they had to call on the defensive skills of Michael Carrick
    and Darren Fletcher to get them through a thin patch.


    Man Utd vs Arsenal - Page 2 47028_hp
    Missing You |
    Arsenal need Van Persie's goals.

    And both teams have suffered as a result, at times goals have been
    hard to come by for Arsenal, failing to net against Sunderland,
    Olympiakos, Villa and Chelsea, while United's injury-hit spell saw them
    drop points to Birmingham, Fulham and also Villa.

    Van Persie,
    Eduardo and possibly Thomas Vermaelen are the only first-teamers
    expected to miss Sunday's clash for the home side, while United have John O'Shea, Nemanja Vidic and Owen Hargreaves out.

    Which means The Gunners will rely on their midfield for goals while United, also missing Rio Ferdinand
    because of suspension, will need a patch-up job at the back. If
    Arsenal's attack-loving midfielders are on form, they could make United
    pay.


    Experience

    It is widely
    documented that experience of having won titles is a huge advantage as
    the season enters the business stages. Arsenal's squad, although
    brimming with raw talent, is seriously lacking in experience of winning
    silverware.

    The only players in Arsenal's squad who have won a league title are Bacary Sagna, Thomas Vermaelen, William Gallas, Mikael Silvestre, Sol Campbell, Tomas Rosicky, Andrey Arshavin, Gael Clichy and Eduardo.

    And only Campbell, Clichy and Gallas out of that list have won the Premier League trophy. Clichy became the youngest ever winner in 2004, at 18 years and 294 days.

    But does that mean the young Guns will be striving to get their young hands on their first piece of silverware, more so than a Manchester United side who have all been there, and are still wearing the t-shirts?

    Only Michael Owen, Antonio Valencia and the squad's fringe players haven't won the Premier League at United as they swept aside all before them in the last few years.

    Sir Alex
    famously defied Alan Hansen's assertion that 'you will never win
    anything with kids' but over the past three years it is Wenger who
    seems the most determined to find success with a young outfit as he
    continues to favour talented youth over rigid experience.

    The recent re-aquisition of Sol Campbell was only Wenger's third signing over 30 in seven years.

    The last time Wenger got his hands on the Premiership trophy his team included ageing stars like Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp, Kanu and Ray Parlour. Now the average age of the team is 23.59.


    Man Utd vs Arsenal - Page 2 61451_hp
    The kids are alright |
    Wenger puts faith in youth

    Also his youth policy has come under scrutiny. When are we going to get to see the Theo Walcott we were promised? When will Carlos Vela turn into the superstar he is supposed to be?

    Manchester United's
    squad by contrast has an average age of 26.14, and the first-team still
    boasts a number of players over 30, including Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes
    and Edwin van der Sar. And in the big games, you need your big names,
    and Ferguson can rest assured the likes of Giggs and Scholes will step
    up to the plate, like they have done hundreds of times before.

    Can Wenger be so sure about the Denilsons and Arshavins of his team?

    Arsenal's
    young stars have time and time again stuttered when it matters. In 2008
    Wenger's teenagers blew aside some teams with ease, especially in
    Europe, as they rocketed up the Premier League, but often took their eye off the ball losing to Hull, Fulham and Stoke. It is those games where titles are won and lost.

    As
    the season enters the final furlong, Ferguson will be far more
    confident his experienced stars will be able to replicate title-winning
    form and give Chelsea a real challenge.

    And although Wenger's
    youthful team are hungry for glory it is hard to see beyond the older,
    more experienced, title-winning squad at Manchester United when it comes to what Fergie calls 'squeaky-bum time'.


    Last edited by Cool3atool on Sun Jan 31, 2010 6:27 pm; edited 1 time in total
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    Man Utd vs Arsenal - Page 2 Empty Re: Man Utd vs Arsenal

    Post by Hagibest Fri Feb 05, 2010 3:00 am

    I absolutely hate Ballack and Terry but Essien and Lampard are great, Cole's on my OK list.
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    Man Utd vs Arsenal - Page 2 Empty Re: Man Utd vs Arsenal

    Post by Quiver Fri Feb 05, 2010 2:27 pm

    Essien is great? are you kidding me?

    I have seen him tackling players like no one before. It could have ended their careers. I remember it was Hamann once. Essien is a dirty player.
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    Man Utd vs Arsenal - Page 2 Empty Re: Man Utd vs Arsenal

    Post by Hagibest Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:06 am

    Ha! Cmon, who cares if he can't tackle, he surely knows how to use the ball very well! I hope you've been watching last season's UCL and even this season's UCL and EPL, he's amazing and I love his skills. Maybe he's not the best at tackling, but he definitely owns a lot of players in midfield and attack and all that, even if he is normally a defender/midfielder. Very Happy
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    Man Utd vs Arsenal - Page 2 Empty Re: Man Utd vs Arsenal

    Post by Quiver Sat Feb 06, 2010 1:44 pm

    For me, i rate the player based on his overall performance, how he plays the game, his other personal characteristics.

    I am not totally skill based as you are to rate/like players.
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    Man Utd vs Arsenal - Page 2 Empty Re: Man Utd vs Arsenal

    Post by Hagibest Sun Feb 07, 2010 1:49 am

    Well not many players are OK on your list then I'm assuming, we all have our weaknesses Laughing

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