Arsenal v United: Game On, Voyeur

By: Taylor Rockwell | May 5th, 2009

Injury Report:
United: As previously reported, the defense will receive a significant boost with the return of Rio Ferdinand. Patrice Evra will also feature in the starting lineup, although whether or not that’s a good thing (given his recent performances) remains to be seen. Gary Neville is fit, although the odds on favorite to start opposite Evra is first leg winner John O’Shea.

Arsenal: The Gooners get a major injection of attacking prowess as Robin Van Persie returns to the starting lineup. Although Fabregas did his best RVP impersonation in the first leg, only a true master can pull off such a staggering performance with such regularity. With Eduardo out and Arshavin cup tied, Wenger will most likely run RVP and Adebayor up top tonight.

Points to Ponder:

Fergie isn’t playing defensive anymore. The United manager publicly stated his desire to stay defensive and earn a clean sheet in the first leg. Well now the oft-angry Scot has changed his tune dramatically, stating in a pre-match interview that, “We have to go there with the intent of trying to score. The important thing is to have a threat and hopefully we manage it.” He then paused, pretended like his entire game plan wasn’t predicated on United scoring one, and then added, “If we got the away goal then Arsenal have got to score three and that is an advantage. But it will be a tight game. It will be very close.”

The United players seem to be taking Fergie’s desire for the all important away goal to heart. I think Evra summed it up rather well when he declared, “We want to win. This is Manchester United and we can go anywhere and win. This is why I am very confident. We can score anywhere. We can score in Portugal, in Japan, in Korea – anywhere!” Well said there Patrice!

We’ve reached a statistical breaking point. Arsenal have not conceded a home goal in five Champions League matches this season. Additionally, the have not lost at home for 24 Champions League matches since Chelsea won 2-1 at Highbury in 2004. However, the Gooners have never beaten an English side in European competition. Compounding their misery is the fact that 1) United have scored on all three occasions they have played at the Emirates, and 2) it has been seven seasons since Arsenal have beaten United at home with a result good enough to send them through.

Fergie is either insanely arrogant, insanely wise, or a combination thereof. Given the strong result in the first leg, the manager is tipped to start essentially the same squad this evening. Arsenal, in contrast, will most likely take a more attacking approach and attempt to utilize their speed to throw United off balance. Enter Fergie. While most managers would be scrambling to counter these tactics, Fergie seems content to trust experience. “If we were playing Barcelona we would have been very careful in our preparation and watching them rigidly to make sure everything we wanted to do was right. With Arsenal we see them every week and compete against them every season. It is not the same meticulous planning because the players know each other so well.There is nothing I don’t know about Arsenal and there is nothing they don’t know. With video analysis, there is nothing you can hide.”

Taylor is either insanely arrogant, overly confident, or a happy with his team’s situation. I know that this is going to come off as a jinx, so I will do everything possible to counteract such a curse… pauses to knock on wood, avoid all ladders, step away from the poorly hung mirror, and murders all black cats so as not to cross them… but I really can’t see United slipping up today. One goal away goal forces the Gooners to score three, and I certainly don’t fancy them to do that. As far as the strategy goes, I’m less concerned with Adebayor and RVP than I am with that Arsenal midfield. Fabregas, Nasri, and Walcott all possess the lethal combination of speed and finishing prowess that keeps an opponent awake at night, and it will be United’s main challenge to contain them and really prevent them from settling. If United come out and play with the aggressive style that we saw last week, I could see an early goal pushing this one to new levels. Although, I would be supremely satisfied with a 1-1 draw. Your thoughts?