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CHRIS SUTTON’S BIG GAME PREVIEW: Arsenal are under pressure to show their ambitions against a Big Six rival … and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must decide whether Edinson Cavani or Mason Greenwood team up with the man of the moment Marcus Rashford
- Manchester United host Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday
- Mikel Arteta must see the ambition on their side as they have a miserable record
- They lose and will go 30 league games without winning against the Big Six
- For Manchester United, the key question is who accompanies Marcus Rashford to the top
If Arsenal don’t beat Manchester United on Sunday, they will have gone 30 league games without beating a Big Six team on the road.
Looking at their results this season, you could accuse Mikel Arteta’s team of being flat-court bullies. They beat Fulham, Sheffield United and West Ham, but lost to Liverpool, Manchester City and Leicester.
This is a great opportunity for Arteta. It is time for Arsenal to show its ambitions.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang needs to change his form heading to Old Trafford on Sunday
He is likely to be chained by Aaron Wan-Bissaka (left), who thrives in one-on-one matches.
With attackers like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka and Willian, it is to be expected that they will pepper the opponents’ goals with effort. But we haven’t seen it.
Aubameyang signed his new contract on September 15 and has not scored in the league since.
On Sunday he could face Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has been outstanding lately.
Mikel Arteta’s team must show ambition despite their miserable road record against Big Six rivals
There are countless right-backs vying for a place on Gareth Southgate’s England team for the Euro, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker, but Wan-Bissaka is the best at defending one-on-one situations.
Neymar couldn’t beat him for PSG last week, and he was also excellent against RB Leipzig. Arteta could move Aubameyang to the right if the 31-year-old doesn’t have joy on the left, and that’s where United seem vulnerable.
Alex Telles has tested positive for Covid so he won’t play and Luke Shaw is unconvincing at times and could be a target.
The Manchester United BAM attack of Bruno Fernandes, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford looks like their best combination.
Solskjaer’s rotation has worked well these last few games. But when those three were on the field together against Leipzig on Wednesday, United’s game turned up a notch.
Bruno Fernandes (left) must return from the start as he brilliantly teams up with Marcus Rashford
Fernandes excels at the tip of the diamond behind those split forwards. His first deep pass for the first of Rashford’s three goals was proof of his ability to see the big picture. But Martial is not available on Sunday, so if Solskjaer maintains his 4-1-2-1-2 setup, he has to choose between Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani along with Rashford.
I am sure that by putting pen to paper, Cavani received assurances that he would not simply be a replacement for United, as Odion Ighalo has become.
Someone of Cavani’s stature surely wouldn’t sign to warm up the bench. But Greenwood and Rashford, as two willing running backs, could work well against an Arsenal backline that will be missing a key figure in David Luiz.
Arteta has shown that he is prepared to change between a three and a four behind. But his defense was exposed against Leicester last weekend when Luiz was replaced by Shkodran Mustafi, with Jamie Vardy unmarked to return home the winner.
You can’t fall asleep at work on Sunday, otherwise someone like Rashford can make you pay. Ask the Government …
The big question is whether Edinson Cavani (left) starts alongside Rashford in attack.
