PL: Manchester Utd vs Arsenal |Monday 30th September | KO 20:00 | Sky Sports

[Makingtrax]

As long as we have Luiz and Sokratis together at CB and a Xhaka-Guendouzi midfield axis, I’m going to say nothing is certain, regardless of the opposition

Yep. That game at the Emirates where we were battering them, 33 shots on goal, xG through the roof, but Mustafi gives the ball the Lingard on the edge of our box followed by a catalogue of mistakes at the back and we lose 1-3.

Nothing’s changed.

 

[say yes]

We’re better than them and I desperately want a win here but I just can’t be confident about Old Trafford.

They’ve been awful since Fergie left and we still haven’t won there in the league since 2006 ffs.

 

[kraphtous]

They have a worse squad than us, they have a worse manager than us and are plagued by important players missing this fixture.

I wonder how we mess this up.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

You just know we will line up Guendouzi and Xhaka and they will be chasing shadows for the whole game in the midfield.

We will start Chambers after few good games at RB and he will have one of those moments where he just can't defend against pacey winger and he will make James look like world class player.

Sokratis and Luiz and Leno haven't play for week and they will be eager to make some mistakes in the defense like before.

Lingaard will then be the icing on the cake, moon walking past Kolasinac on constant basis.

 

[MikeVinna]

They have a worse squad than us, they have a worse manager than us and are plagued by important players missing this fixture.

I wonder how we mess this up.

Should be a pretty intense game regardless of form/managers/players. So I could see any of our clowns (Xhaka, Luiz, Papa) bag a red card.

I just hope we keep our cool and manage to beat them at their turf for once while they’re in this dire state (yet again).

 

[Sanchez11]

No martial, rashford and possibly pogba. No excuses at all.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

Charity FC will be out in full force. That's the only certainty about this match for me.

 

[2Smokeyy]

Watford had 31 shots against us. I have no faith in us getting 3 points here.

This game should be a stroll especially with their injuries but Emery’s selection and cautious approach will cost us once again. A manager should always select players on form.

The error prone bunch of Xhaka, Kolasinac, one of Luiz/Sokratis, AMN do not warrant a starting position.

 

[UpTheGunnerz]

4-0 to the Arsenal, MOTM to be split between Guendouzi, Xhaka, Chambers, Luiz, Sokratis, Leno and Kolasinac. We go.

 

[#254]

**** it, time to write off our wrongs and make a huge statement. The kind that we ought to have made by humilating Sp**s and Watford.

I say we make em pay for the embarassing 8-2! I want a repeat of the Forest performance at the very least. 6-0 to us.
COYG

 

[Tir Na Nog]

The one thing you can say, is that we HAVE to win at OT at some stage. Like it's gone on far too long, in the league anyways. Another thing is that most of these players aren't the same ones who've suffered defeats at OT down the years. Auba, Pepe, Guendouzi and the likes won't be overawed based on previous experiences, same with a few of the young lads (though I think of few may have played in the one where Fellaini scored a late winner).

 

[rich 1990]

Since i've supported Arsenal, we've scored 2 at old Trafford 5 times, 2 in the FA Cup and one in the 8-2.Not sure why people are putting 4 + to us. I don't care what the teams look like, tbh, that won't happen.

 

[drippin]

The one thing you can say, is that we HAVE to win at OT at some stage. Like it's gone on far too long, in the league anyways. Another thing is that most of these players aren't the same ones who've suffered defeats at OT down the years. Auba, Pepe, Guendouzi and the likes won't be overawed based on previous experiences, same with a few of the young lads (though I think of few may have played in the one where Fellaini scored a late winner).

But, in 13 years at any point they cannot all be same players. That is a long time. So why no win, that logic doesn't hold.

I agree that we will win there at some point, and would not be too surprised if it is now.

 

[RacingPhoton]

They have a worse squad than us, they have a worse manager than us and are plagued by important players missing this fixture.

I wonder how we mess this up.

It has been the case for the past three years we played there. We always managed to **** up. Rashford owes his entire career to us.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

But, in 13 years at any point they cannot all be same players. That is a long time. So why no win, that logic doesn't hold.

I agree that we will win there at some point, and would not be too surprised if it is now.

But I think we were close at times between 07-11. We lost 2-1, drew 0-0, lost 2-1 and then 1-0. So it's not as if we were battered. I put those few years as separate tho it did seem to become a mental barrier. I think tho certainly since the 8-2 it's been a real mental block for our players. Koscielny, Ramsey and Walcott all played that day. As did Jenkinson, Rosicky and Coquelin all played who'd be at the club for several years afterward. In the years that followed I think our games at OT was more mental than anything else since that day. When key players like Koscielny and Ramsey are scarred from that day, maybe even Coq if we're talking about the spine of the team. Now we've got no one left from that game and there's been so much change in a very short space of time. I also left out someone like Ceballos who just came in, Tierney if he starts, Luiz has won there with Chelsea, Sokratis (I hope he doesn't start but point still stands), Holding even hasn't experienced it too much. Saka if he starts. Torreira too. Leno and even Xhaka. These are all players who've not experienced losing at Old Trafford or if they have it wasn't exactly at battering or losing in embarrassing circumstances.

I think with this current group of players there's no reason to fear Old Trafford, even Özil has rose to the occasion a few times, almost like he relishing the occasion. Emery hasn't even tasted defeat at Old Trafford yet and his assistant Ljungberg won a title there. I think it's about approaching the game with the right attitude and with confidence that even with the game, the circumstances, the opposition and the crowd we can focus and get the result.

I do think United will raise their game for this one in saying all this. They've been timid so far but this is a big game for them and I can see them being really fired up for it. It's not a local derby but it's probably the biggest game in premier league over the last 27 years.

 

[lamby22]

No Tierney or Holding so I wonder if they start at Old Trafford

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Since i've supported Arsenal, we've scored 2 at old Trafford 5 times, 2 in the FA Cup and one in the 8-2.Not sure why people are putting 4 + to us. I don't care what the teams look like, tbh, that won't happen.

It happens all the time and people never learn. In these big games expecting trashings is just so unrealistic it's ridiculous. I don't care about our quality and how poor United have been, this'll be a tough game. A 1-0 or 2-1 victory for us would be a massive result and it's one I'd take now.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

No Tierney or Holding so I wonder if they start at Old Trafford

I think Tierney showed enough to earn him a start. I hope Holding starts but you just don't know. Emery could come up with a number of reasons as to why he doesn't but for me Sokratis has to be dropped, especially if we're putting a huge emphasis on playing out from the back Holding, while not exceptional at it, is a lot more comfortable with the ball at his feet. He's also less prone to making rash decisions like going for a ball he's never going to win or stepping up too quickly/hanging back too much which Sokratis does a lot.

 

[Ricardinho]

Last season's away game was a Monday night wasn't it?

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Last season's away game was a Monday night wasn't it?

Mid week I think. The NLD 4-2 was on the Sunday then we played United on the Wednesday I think.