The old rivalry will be reignited once again when Manchester United and Arsenal lock horns in the quarter finals of the FA Cup.
What's up for grabs?
A place in the Last four of the competition at Wembley!
Both the clubs are heading into this mouth watering fixture at the back of defeats. Where Manchester United were trounced by both Chelsea and Liverpool in the past week, Arsenal were made to run all around Camp Nou by a formidable Barcelona side in the 2nd leg of their Champions League encounter.
This fixture has gone down in the pecking order of the fiery clashes in recent seasons, especially since the emergence of a certain club called Chelsea.
Manchester United and Arsenal fixtures were arguably the title deciders in the late 1990's and early 2000's where one would witness a battle in midfield with Roy Keane and Patrick Viera snapping at the heels of one another. Both used to play with the intention of beating the hell out of one another, such was the intensity of this fixture. And not to forget the touchline spats between Fergie and Wenger that spiced up this duel ten fold!
In recent seasons, this battle has undergone a transformation. All the robust players like Viera, Parlour, Keane etc, have been replaced by technically skillful players like Fabregas, Nasri, Nani, Berbatov etc. This coupled with Arsenal's inability to compete for the title in recent seasons, is the main reason as to why this fixture has sobered down in the recent seasons.
However, there will be plenty of sparks flying this Saturday, you can be assured of that, as a place in the semis is what awaits the winner. Also being the sole contenders for the Premier League crown, it provides an extra impetus for both sides to knock a heavy psychological blow to the other's title aspirations.
Sir Alex and his boys will be looking to do just that as they seek to return to winning ways after a miserable week that saw them lose to both Chelsea and Liverpool. A lot of negativity surrounds Old Trafford at this moment of time especially after the losses and the entire media blackout making quite a few people doubt United's title credentials. Thus the onus on United to win is immense, also because of the fact that they are at home.
Manchester United have the best home form in all of England. After playing three away games on the bounce, United will be extremely glad of playing in front of their fans. The vociferous United fans have been the side's 12th man for the entire season and they will undoubtedly play a huge factor in boosting their team.
Another boost for the Red Devils will be the return of Nemanja Vidic from suspension. The Serb, who was sorely missed last weekend at Anfield, will line up at the heart of United's defense. No question that Fergie will be glad to have him back since talismanic mid-fielder Nani is out for 3 weeks. With key personnel still missing in certain areas, United will have to play well and focus on Arsenal, rather than Marseilles in the Champions League on Tuesday, if they want to proceed in the competition.
The Gunners themselves will be looking to hit the back of the net after they failed to muster even a single short on target in their Champions League encounter with Barcelona.
The Gunner's season has taken a nose dive in the past two weeks with their loss to Birmingham in the Carling Cup, followed by a dull draw against Sunderland and a Champions League exit. Barcelona exposed Arsenal's defensive frailties on Tuesday, something that Arsene Wenger has been overlooking since last two seasons, and if the Gunners don't defend well on Saturday, they could very well end up being humiliated.
Having aimed for the quadruple only a fortnight ago, Arsenal now find themselves left in just two competitions. While everyone is downbeat about the Cup exits, the Arsenal manager is optimistically looking at the glass as half full rather than half empty.
However to go further in the FA Cup, Wenger will have to get a result at Old Trafford without the services of captain Cesc Fabregas who had a recurrence of his hamstring on Tuesday and is out for 3-4 weeks. Dutch striker, Van Persie, is available though, after his controversial sending off at the Camp Nou. Manuel Almunia will start in goal as Sczneszy and Fabianski are out long term. Cameroon international Alex Song is also ruled out with a ligament tear.
A victory will be a huge boost for either side on Saturday as it might just provide them with the psychological edge for the rest of the season. With these two sides set to play each other again in a month's time, this weekend's victory might just play a huge role in deciding the outcome of both the titles, the FA Cup as well as the Premier League, just like the old days.
Probable Starting Line-Ups:
Manchester United: Van der Sar (Gk), Oshea, Vidic, Smalling, Evra, Fletcher, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Rooney, Berbatov
Arsenal: Almunia (Gk), Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy, Nasri, Wilshere, Diaby, Arshavin, Chamakh, Bendtner
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... go gunners n show man united that we are capable of winning trophies n we will win the fa cup n premier league .....!!! GO GUNNERS''!! |
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