Premier League – Manchester United Vs Arsenal: Here we come!

This is it, the one true test for Manchester United. There is one slight discrepancy though, United the home team will not be the league leader as has been the case for the last six to eight years – it is Arsenal that is in pole position and sitting 8 points clear of United. This does not really happened before – this unfamiliar positioning of these two teams. But fact is Arsenal who is flying high, still has the same manager in Arsene Wenger while United under David Moyes is still searching for its footing after the end of Sir Alex Ferguson’s successful era.After a shocking home defeat to Aston Villa on the opening day, things just get better and better for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. They broke their transfer record to sign Mesut Ozil -  the German international playmaker, and it seems to has galvanize the team because Arsenal has been unbeaten since in the Premier League. This is the same Ozil that was reportedly linked to Manchester United on dateline day. The fact that Arsenal is doing well could be down to internal stability with Wenger now the longest serving manager in Premier League.

 

Manchester United’s only summer signing Marouane Fellaini however is still on the question mark stage – unconvincing performance (and red carded in Champions League game against Real Sociedad) did not help his cause. It seems David Moyes is still uncertain on how to get the best out of this highly rated Belgian – in fact Moyes is still uncertain on his best starting XI!

 

But no doubt this is the biggest game for David Moyes this season. Early bad results can be pointed to the transition factor but after three months into the job there can be no more excuses. A result like Chelsea’s visit early in the season (a goalless draw) will not be acceptable. This will be the true test because Arsenal is the league leader and 8 points clear on top and unbeaten since the opening day.

 

This game will also be seen as a case where David Moyes has finally shown sign of a more settled starting XI. Michael Carrick at this point is still doubtful but Phil Jones has shown his abilities to step in while Marouane Fellaini has yet to feature prominently in Carrick’s role since his arrival in the summer. Shinji Kagawa has shown too that he performed better in the No 10 role but the question for Manchester United’s supporters will be if Moyes dares to upset the ‘sensitive’ Wayne Rooney by playing him (Rooney) out of position. Moyes too, has so far shown unwillingness to change United’s traditional 4-4-2 formation to accommodate the likes of Robin Van Persie, Rooney and Kagawa in a three-prong attack.

 

With Arsenal David Moyes must take the risk early on the game and put Arsene Wenger’s team under pressure from the start. This game must have the intensity of those from Roy Keane-Patrick Viera era and it is up to Moyes to recreate that through his team.