Corporal Jenkinson could be our secret weapon at Old Trafford

Match Preview: Manchester United vs Arsenal - Premier League - 18.11.2016

So, another International break is over and thank god that’s the last one until March 2017 but there is a slight downside to the return to club football. What is it? Simple, Old Trafford, Manchester United, away and a lunchtime kick-off!

Now, some would say what’s the worry? The Gunners have been largely impressive away from home this season, the last league outing to Sunderland displayed just how devastating an inform Arsenal side can be, however, even the thought of facing a Mourinho side out of form or not makes the stomach turn a little.

It would be pretty fair to say the Manchester United of 2016 have not impressed many, whether it be the latter days of the van Gaal era or the apparent clean sweep approach of Mourinho since the summer, the truth is they are struggling and have been for a while, but that said games at home to Arsenal always seem to bring out a performance from The Red Devils, equally it seems to bring out the freeze frame version of Arsenal!

So how do we approach this game, well, burying the demons of the past in Chelsea, Swansea and Southampton already this season are good blueprints to defeat a side we have struggled against for the best part of a decade! A fit Alexis Sanchez, a composed and water tight back 4 and a Mesut Özil master class of passing will all be key however I can also see a whole new threat we can pose. The unlikely source? Carl Jenkinson. I can see Oliver Giroud coming in up top and Jenkinson using his X-Factor crossing ability to pick out the target man with quality crosses time and again to rock a shaking United back line.

The other area I see being key is the wide areas and use of the big pitch Old Trafford offers, Theo Walcott and the Alexis (if fit) could be vital in our approach play, stretching the likes of Ashley Young and Matteo Darmian could open the space required for Mesut to do his thing, or even Granit Xhaka to ping the killer ball through the middle from deeper areas.

Even with United’s seemingly erratic resent results they are not to be underestimated, my feeling is the lack of Zlatan Ibrahimović (suspended) will be a huge miss to them, but in turn will likely allow Marcus Rashford a starting berth up front and we all saw what his pace did to us last season. Koscielny and Mustafi will need to be extra vigilant when the Englishman attempts to break the lines, as well as keeping a close eye on the likes of Martial, Pogba and Mata, who all can be match winners on their day. A short side note as well, I have this nagging fear that Henrik Mkhitaryan will be unleashed at some point in the game and having seen plenty of him in his time elsewhere in Europe he could provide a moment of genius to decide a match… If allowed in the squad of course!

In conclusion, if Wenger’s men turn up with the right mind set and application we win, as simple as that. Attacking them rather than looking to soak up pressure for me is the way to go, put them on the back foot and exploit the already shaky confidence in their odious manager. I can see goals in this game, and you can get good odds on both teams to score with bethut's free bets, let’s just hope we bag the early ones and build on that to secure the 3 points we badly need to end our Old Trafford hoodoo! COYG!

LAST 3

• Man Utd 3-2 Arsenal (28.12.2016)
• Arsenal 3-0 Man Utd (04.10.2015)
• Man Utd 1-1 Arsenal (17.05.2015)

FACTFILE

• Arsenal are winless in their last nine Premier League games at Old Trafford, losing seven of those matches.
• United could draw a third successive home league game for the first time since a similar run between February and April 1992.
• Arsenal's only Premier League away defeat in 2016 came at Manchester United in February.
• A defeat would leave United on 18 points and equal their lowest tally after 12 matches of a Premier League season, set in 2004-05.
• Arsène Wenger's only win in 15 previous encounters as a manager in any competition against Jose Mourinho came in the 2015 Community Shield (D6, L8).
• Jose Mourinho has never lost a Premier League game against Arsenal, winning five and drawing six of his 11 previous meetings with the Gunners.
• Arsenal have lost just one of their last 21 top-flight matches.
• Wayne Rooney has scored 14 times in all competitions against Arsenal during his career. He only has a better record against Aston Villa, with 15 goals.
• The Gunners are one of two Premier League sides yet to concede in the opening 15 minutes this season, along with West Brom.
• Rooney scored his first Premier League goal against Arsenal, while his first league goal for United and his 100th Premier League goal also came versus the Gunners.

INJURIES

Bellerin is out for four weeks. Santi has no return date as of yet and Alexis faces a fitness test. Welbeck and Mertesacker are long-term injuries.

POSSIBLE STARTING XI

Cech, Jenkinson, Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal, Coquelin, Xhaka, Walcott, Özil, Alexis, Giroud.

GOONERSPHERE'S PREDICTION

Manchester United 1-3 Arsenal

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• Man Utd 3-2 Arsenal (28.12.2016)
• Arsenal 3-0 Man Utd (04.10.2015)
• Man Utd 1-1 Arsenal (17.05.2015)