May 18, 2024

Arsenal will be hoping to make it two wins in a row on Saturday when they host Manchester United at the Emirates.

The Gunners ended a three-match losing run in midweek with a superb 4-2 win away at Chelsea.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss at Liverpool which shows how far they’ve fallen.

An invigorated Arsenal will fancy their chances against arguably one of the worst United sides in recent years.

Mikel Arteta employed a hybrid three/four at the back against Chelsea, which worked a treat.

However, there are some good arguments in favor of switching to a conventional back four again.

Ben White’s ability to bring the ball out of defense could be key in helping to win the midfield battle.

Takehiro Tomiyasu is also closing in on a return to fitness, but Arteta might be hesitant to start him.

The Arsenal boss rushed him back into the Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool.

Tomiyasu had a poor game and worsened his injury, so he may not want to take the risk.

Cedric Soares had a poor game against Brighton last week.

However, we feel the 30-year-old could be given a chance to redeem himself on Saturday.

Nuno Tavares and Gabriel Magalhaes would likely remain, which means Rob Holding would have to make way.

Arteta appeared to drop a hint that Mohamed Elneny – who shone against Chelsea – could start against the Red Devils.

Though Albert Sambi Lokonga would be a good shout for his progressive passing, we reckon Elneny will stay put.

Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard will also probably keep their places as they were superb in midweek.

And upfront, it would be surprising was Eddie Nketiah dropped back to the bench.

He delivered a masterclass at Stamford Bridge, with his composure in front of goal, link-up and hold-up play all superb.

Bukayo Saka is one of the first names on Arteta’s team sheet so he’ll stay, and Emile Smith Rowe is also impressed.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *