Premier League 2020/21: Arsenal vs Man Utd Sat 30th Jan 17.30 KO

jsp

jsp

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2012
Messages
28,541
What used to be a happy hunting ground for Utd has recently turned into a bit of a place of misery both Ole's visits to the Emirates in the league have ended in defeat and even more frustrating is the last 3 at Old Trafford haven't resulted in a win so our results vs Arsenal in the last 5 home or away are 2 draws and 3 defeats.

Arsenal are hitting some good form they've dropped a lot of the senior players in favour of some talented youngsters who have given the team a new lease of life system wise they seem to switch between 3-4-3 and 4-2-3-1 the later has been more in favour recently. In terms of results for them in the league they're unbeaten in 5 with 4 wins and 1 draw.

For Utd the wind was obviously knocked from us on Wednesday with that horrible performance and result at home to Sheff Utd so it's important we bounce back and really the team should want to put right an equally bad performance in the home fixture against Arsenal.

Team news wise we were missing Bailly mid week through injury so it's fair to assume he won't be available but everyone else is fit and available.

Predicted XI

DDG

AWB Lindelof Maguire Shaw

McTominay Fred

Pogba Bruno Rashford

Cavani
 
I think we'll win, hoping our loss on Wednesday was a timely kick up the arse and the lads refocus and bounce back with a win. Our defending was very worrying on Wed, can't defend like that tomorrow. I'm going for a 2-1 United win, Cavani to get one of our goals :)
 
Agree with that line up jsp listed. McT and Fred to come back in as usual and I think that’ll give licence to the front four to run amok. Cavani is an absolute must, he has shown what a proper centre forward can do for us. Martial just isn’t cutting it, hope we made him walk home on Wednesday night!

Going to be a tough one as they are in good form but if there is a time to show our title mettle then this it. 3-1 win. :)
 
Yeah will be an interesting game will Arsenal look to come on to us and leave space or will they do what a lot of sides have done and try to sit off. Looking at their likely line up you'd assume they'll be coming on to us and leaving some gaps for our attackers to exploit and away from home we've been brilliant.

The big thing in a lot of games vs them is they've given us really stupid sloppy goals I don't feel like this Arsenal side has that in the locker as much as they did in the Wenger days. Felt like everytime we'd go to the Emirates they'd give us at least 1 goal by some sort of clown car defending.

Doesn't feel like this is a game where we can go behind and come back we all know these games between the top sides it's who score first wins normally.

I really want a win here I'm surrounded by Arsenal fans at work and amongst friends a win against them is overdue.
 
Ole won’t drop Martial in my opinion he will stick with him to give martial more confidence but with Cavani up front we would need fast wide players for the break and Pogba and Bruno hitting those through balls.
 
DDG

AWB Lindelof Maguire Shaw

McTominay Fred

Rashford Bruno Pogba

Cavani

Not a fan of Rashford on the right but seems like he’s the one getting stuck with that job most weeks now.
 
Was an excellent recovery challenge from Martinelli. Don't expect that from a young forward.
 
Why haven't we taken McT off yet?

Basically playing with 10 men.
 
Guess the drugs take time to kick in.

I guess McSauce has got the McRuns

Martial coming on so Pogba going into the middle need him fully focused.

Big chance for Martial to win back the fans.
 
Made a few chances and have clearly been on top. We are lacking some intensity but pretty confident for the second half. Arsenal looking a little lacklustre.
 
Looked better since the sub but overall bit of a nothing first half neither side getting anything going mainly half chances both teams looking cautious and playing for counters.

It does feel already like this is a half that dictates if we’ve got title winning credentials get the win and you’d say this lot have got the mental strength to be in a title race. Come away with a draw or defeat you have to question ifits got that killer edge required to keep fighting City.
 
For all the good that Fred does his passing really is poor for a footballer at this level.
 
Rashford is so frustrating, clearly got wonderful ability but the amount of times he overruns the ball or makes the wrong option is startling.
 
Just feels like the attacking players have all lost their mojo a bit maybe all the games catching up to them.

Rashford off for Greenwood.
 
It was almost there with Cavani tough chance but he almost got it.

Think their front 3 have worked a lot harder than ours certainly given our defence more problems.

Our forwards haven’t really been able create a decent chance and they’ve all been bettered by their opponent.
 
2 best chances of the game went to us.

The open three quarters of a goal Cavani misses from 3 yards is a shocker. Don't know how it was given as a corner.
 
Been another poor performance really, didn’t really play with any intensity, I think we had the mindset of we just didn’t want to lose again.

3 points behind City having played one more game.

Next up Southampton on Tuesday night.
 
Better than last match but still blunt. I wonder why Ole leaves his subs until so late, when it's obvious whatever the "plan" was is not working?
 
Think performances have been poor for a while but we were doing just enough to get by but now we are coming up a little bit short by not being ruthless.

Cavani takes that chance we probably take 3 points and the narrative changes around the performance.

We aren’t creating enough chances in games at the moment.
 
Definitely lack the intensity of a title winning team unfortunately, Carragher and Keane spot on in their analysis, this is our chance this season, grasp the nettle don't be saying "oh maybe next year" that's for losers with no balls.
 
It's gotta be time to move away from the McTominay Fred CM Axis in these games in the league. Can't be too harsh today because McTominay looked injured but we looked much better in the system with him off. You've got to trust Pogba in the two. I'd personally probably play Pogba and McTominay just because Fred is too loose with the ball.

Yes we are more defensively sound with them it.

However I believe it's 6 games Vs the big 6 this season. 1 goal. It's not working. 5 points from these games? We are better off losing 4 winning 2 than playing to avoid defeat.

Also Rashford. Play him left wing. Stop moving him about to shoehorn others in to the side. There are a few obvious fixtures in the team at the moment. De Gea, Shaw, AWB, Maguire, Fernandes, Pogba and Rashford. Play all of them in their best positions and plug the gaps.
 
IDFD said:
It's gotta be time to move away from the McTominay Fred CM Axis in these games in the league. Can't be too harsh today because McTominay looked injured but we looked much better in the system with him off. You've got to trust Pogba in the two. I'd personally probably play Pogba and McTominay just because Fred is too lose with the ball.

Yes we are more defensively sound with them it.

However I believe it's 6 games Vs the big 6 this season. 1 goal. It's not working. 5 points from these games? We are better off losing 4 winning 2 than playing to avoid defeat.

Also Rashford. Play him left wing. Stop moving him about to shoehorn others in to the side. There are a few obvious fixtures in the team at the moment. De Gea, Shaw, AWB, Maguire, Fernandes, Pogba and Rashford. Play all of them in their best positions and plug the gaps.
Click to expand...
Agreed, Rashford and Bruno cannot be moved they're our game winners. And I'm done with Martial tbh, all the talent in the world but the guy plays like he hasn't got a heart beat, 33 yr old Cavani has shown him up this season.
 
IDFD said:
It's gotta be time to move away from the McTominay Fred CM Axis in these games in the league. Can't be too harsh today because McTominay looked injured but we looked much better in the system with him off. You've got to trust Pogba in the two. I'd personally probably play Pogba and McTominay just because Fred is too loose with the ball.

Yes we are more defensively sound with them it.

However I believe it's 6 games Vs the big 6 this season. 1 goal. It's not working. 5 points from these games? We are better off losing 4 winning 2 than playing to avoid defeat.

Also Rashford. Play him left wing. Stop moving him about to shoehorn others in to the side. There are a few obvious fixtures in the team at the moment. De Gea, Shaw, AWB, Maguire, Fernandes, Pogba and Rashford. Play all of them in their best positions and plug the gaps.
Click to expand...
This is a very good point and should be stressed more. Playing for a draw will kill us. I blame the 4231 that is in vogue, but with the personnel we have surely there is another way to play.
 
IDFD said:
It's gotta be time to move away from the McTominay Fred CM Axis in these games in the league. Can't be too harsh today because McTominay looked injured but we looked much better in the system with him off. You've got to trust Pogba in the two. I'd personally probably play Pogba and McTominay just because Fred is too loose with the ball.

Yes we are more defensively sound with them it.

However I believe it's 6 games Vs the big 6 this season. 1 goal. It's not working. 5 points from these games? We are better off losing 4 winning 2 than playing to avoid defeat.

Also Rashford. Play him left wing. Stop moving him about to shoehorn others in to the side. There are a few obvious fixtures in the team at the moment. De Gea, Shaw, AWB, Maguire, Fernandes, Pogba and Rashford. Play all of them in their best positions and plug the gaps.
Click to expand...

Think that battering vs Spurs has dictated the way we’re playing in these games we are afraid to open up because of what happened that day but I agree this tactic is killing us going forward in these games. Is he afraid about exposing that defence by having a more open midfield?

I think it’s highlighted to me is if Pogba goes in the summer we need 2 top CM signings if he stays we need 1 top CM signing this summer. I like Fred and McTominay but feel both are squad player standard not starting quality for the very top sides. Matic I think is done at this level you can stick him in for the odd game here and there but he will never be a regular starter again.

Rashford is bang on he shouldn’t be dumped on the right at the expense of others it obviously doesn’t work he needs to play left side and someone else can graft on the right until a solution is found let’s hope Diallo is ready soon.
 
Gotta agree I don't think McTominay or Fred are ever going to be starters in title winning squads.
 
I think McTominay is getting better all the time but can he get to the very top levels I’m not sure.

It’s fair to say Fred won’t ever be a top player. he's busy and a bit of a nuisance when we don’t have the ball but his passing is poor think it’s maybe as bad as Schniederlin who I think was the worst centre mid we’ve had in the last decade.
 
I think McTominay has improved and will continue to improve, with him hitting his peak in the next 3 years (around 26/27). He has played under two very different managers and only recently been playing in a side that likes quick football. I think his passing is underrated too.
 

Login or Register

Forgot your password?
or Log in using
Don't have an account? Register now
Back
Top