Manchester United entertain Arsenal at Old Trafford in a much-anticipated Premier League fixture on Sunday.
The Red Devils are enduring a torrid campaign, currently lying in the bottom half of the table and eliminated from the domestic cup competitions. They were held to a 1-1 draw by Real Sociedad in San Sebastian in the first leg of the Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday evening.
As for the Gunners, they have fallen 16 points behind runaway league leaders Liverpool after dropping points in consecutive games against West Ham United and Nottingham Forest, albeit Mikel Arteta’s side have two games in hand. However, the North Londoners were at their ruthless best in midweek when they smashed PSV Eindhoven 7-1 in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie.
Without further ado, let us delve deep and take a look at the key battles that could define the outcome of this league game.
#Martin Odegaard vs Casemiro
Martin Odegaard has been a crucial cog in Arsenal’s midfield for the last few seasons now, acting as a creative outlet but also putting hard work off the ball when required. He is their skipper, and while the Norwegian has not been consistent this season, the playmaker makes the Gunners tick around.
A certain starter, Odegaard will try to get into pockets of spaces and use his vision to split open the Man United defence. Casemiro must take the responsibility of stopping the Arsenal captain from influencing the play in the final third. The Brazilian was solid in the 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad, and with Manuel Ugarte doubtful due to a minor injury, Casemiro will get a chance to build on that performance on Sunday.
If Casemiro manages to keep Odegaard quiet, Man United’s chances of getting a positive result against Arsenal will grow higher.
#Bruno Fernandes vs Declan Rice
From one captain to another, Bruno Fernandes should lead Man United out on Sunday. When players around him have picked up injuries or endured fitness issues, the 30-year-old has reliably served the club. Due to lack of options, Fernandes may again be forced to play in a deeper role alongside Casemiro.
The Portuguese playing deeper hurts Man United’s creativity but it at least allows them some semblance of control in the middle of the park. The home side have to win the midfield battles if they intend to beat Arsenal, whose engine room general Declan Rice will hope to enjoy a strong performance at Old Trafford.
One of the best midfielders in the Premier League, Rice will be trying to dictate the pace of the game and creating chances for the forwards. The England international must also shoulder the responsibility of keeping Fernandes under the wraps. The United skipper will try to get the better of Rice and unlock a rigid Arsenal rearguard.
All in all, whoever wins this battle will have a huge say in the outcome of this contest.
#Ethan Nwaneri vs Diogo Dalot
Ethan Nwaneri looks a proper talent emerging from the Arsenal academy, undoubtedly the best since Bukayo Saka broke into the first team. In his fellow Hale End graduate’s injury absence, Nwaneri has enjoyed regular game time on the right flank and he has grabbed the opportunities with both hands.
The teenager has already scored eight goals and supplied an assist this season. He was brilliant in Arsenal’s demolition job of PSV, so Nwaneri will back himself to cause problems for the shaky United backline.
With Patrick Dorgu set to serve the second of his three-game ban, Diogo Dalot is likely to operate from the left wing-back position for Man United. By the standards he set last season, Dalot has been poor and made sloppy errors—with and without the ball. He has not looked at home in the wing-back position in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, something Nwaneri will look to take advantage of.
Given the contrasting forms of both players, Nwaneri appears to have the edge of winning this battle.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
