Arsenal vs Manchester United – Match Preview
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This weekend’s Premier League action sees the best saved until last, as Arsenal play host to Manchester United at the Emirates and whatever the outcome, it will certainly have serious ramifications in the race for finishing in the top four at the end of the season.
Both clubs were in European action in midweek and it was French opposition that Arsenal and United had to deal with, although it must be noted that there were mixed fortunes as fair as results were concerned.
For Arsenal it was a woeful performance in the Europa League Round of 16 first leg tie against Rennes and after suffering a 3-1 defeat away from home, Unai Emery’s men now have it all to do in the return.
While for United, it was a historic night in the French capital that saw them progress to the Champions League Quarter-finals. After a 2-0 first leg defeat to PSG, many felt that the runaway Ligue 1 leaders would then ease to the next phase of the competition.
Especially with the Red Devils making the trip to Paris with such a depleted first team squad, a whole host of injuries meant that a difficult task for them to achieve, now looked all but impossible for them to compete.
Although this is a United side that has rediscovered its swagger under interim manager Solskjaer and right now you get the feeling that under the stewardship of the former Norwegian international, nothing is impossible.
That certainly would have been the case when Marcus Rashford netted home from the penalty spot in the 94th minute of the game, a display of ice cool nerve which meant that he and his teammates now find themselves in the last eight of this season’s Champions League.
Now though the focus switches back to domestic matters and the aforementioned battle to earn a place in next season’s Champions League and what makes it all the more interesting is the fact that even a fourth place finish might not be enough to warrant entry next season.
We could well see a scenario where Arsenal finish fourth, Manchester United finish fifth while winning the Champions League and Chelsea finish sixth while going onto win the Europa League at the end of the season.
That means the latter two clubs would earn automatic entry to the Champions League and because a maximum of five berths are available from the Premier League, one club would have to miss out and that club in the above scenario would be Arsenal.
Therefore, Arsenal will be hoping in a sense that their compatriots Manchester United, don’t actually go on to conquer this Europe this season and also finish outside the top four, otherwise it could have serious repercussions for the North Londoners.
This encounter always lends itself to being a highly entertaining one, while United will look to repeat the F.A Cup win that they had at the Emirates earlier in the season and in the form that they are in right now, you would not bet against them picking up all three points on Sunday.
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