Premier League: Old Rivalry Has a New Meaning in 2022

Arsenal vs Manchester United

In days gone by, the clash between Arsenal and Manchester United was THE date in the English football calendar, when Arsene Wengers’ Gunners pushed Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils during a glorious decade of North/South rivalry. 

While the Manchester club won more Premier League titles, Arsenal had the season to remember when they became the unbeaten Invincibles in the 2003/04 campaign.

But times have changed.

Here and now, Arsenal vs Manchester United brings together two teams with top-four ambitions at best; both have taken a slap over the past few days and it will be fascinating to see how they react. 

Ralf Rangnick has a four-day rebuilding job to do after his Manchester United team was humiliated by Liverpool in a 4-0 thrashing at Anfield on Tuesday, while Arsenal’s Champions League hopes took a hefty blow when they lost away to out-of-form Southampton last week.

The Gunners also have a London derby with Chelsea to contend with before the visit of Manchester United, so this is a huge week for Mikel Arteta’s team.    

Talking Points

Arteta relying on his young guns  

A trip to Chelsea on Wednesday night is a big enough test for Arteta’s young players, but to follow that up with a fierce battle for Europe will really show how good they can be. Having lost three games on the bounce, Arsenal would have drifted out of contention were it not for Spurs’ shock home defeat to Brighton on Saturday.

The Premier League 2022 betting odds back a Gunners win in this clash but without some key senior players, it will be difficult. Striker Alexandre Lacazette missed the defeat to the Saints after he tested positive for COVID, and he is likely to be unavailable, along with long-term absentees Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey.

While Partey is a big miss in front of the defence, it is the loss of Tierney which hurts the Gunners the most. The Scottish wing-back has leadership skills to add to his defensive nous and dangerous attacking instinct.

In the absence of these three players, midfield general Granit Xhaka must lead the team and keep his cool. Meanwhile Arteta can rely on the youngsters Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka, who have nine goals each, to stretch the Manchester United defence. We have also seen some glimpses of just how good attacking midfielder Gabriel Martinelli can be, with his electric turn of speed and quick feet.

Red Devils looked completely lost at Anfield

This time last year, under the guidance of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Red Devils were second in the league table with 67 points, 13 more than they have this time around. And that is a terrible statistic for United fans who were hoping to see some continued progress.

With the appointment of Erik Ten Hag inching ever closer, there may be some stability returning to Old Trafford, but he is inheriting a squad of players which has suffered some poor Premier League 2022 results and looked totally bereft of any spark or purpose as the Reds dismantled them at will.

The loss of defensive leader Raphael Varane has left a big gap in the Red Devils’ defence and Liverpool cut through with ease. With five at the back and four in midfield, the lack of solidity was bewildering, while it was virtually impossible to see how United could score, with Marcus Rashford hopelessly out of form.  

Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes, the most productive Manchester player on the pitch with nine goals and six assists this season, lost his cool late in the game and picked up a yellow card for a late challenge.

Meanwhile, Paul Pogba limped off early in the match so, like Arsenal, the Red Devils are short of experience for this huge game. Nemanja Matic is set to leave the club in the Summer and he owes the team a big performance which he is well capable of producing.

Red Devils legend Gary Neville said the 9-0 aggregate loss to Liverpool was the low point in his 42-year association with the club he loves, and now Neville and whole of the Red half of Manchester, deserve a reaction.

History

With 32 victories to 20, the Red Devils have had the better of the head to head results in the Premier League era, and they won the return fixture 3-2 in December as Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace. CR7’s tragic family news kept him out of the Liverpool game and he is unlikely to feature against Arsenal.

Manchester United have failed to win on their last three visits to the Emirates, taking home a 0-0 draw last season and two 2-0 defeats before that.

Betting Tip

With The Red Devils available at SBOTOP odds of 2.74 and Arsenal at 2.25 all three results are well in play, which makes this a difficult match to call.

For an alternative bet, Over 2.75 goals is priced at 2.12, but I’m going for a draw, which will be little use for either team, unless Spurs implode in the coming weeks.     

 

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