Arsenal v Man Utd

2Slick · 01-19-2007, 07:50 PM

Emirates Stadium
Sunday, 21 January
Kick-off: 1600 GMT
Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on MOTD

Arsenal have doubts over Robin van Persie who has an ankle problem, while midfielder Gilberto Silva is suspended.

Emmanuel Adebayor and Mathieu Flamini are in line to deputise and Emmanuel Eboue is pressing hard for a recall. Johan Djourou has a hamstring strain.

Manchester United have no fresh injury worries for the trip south and defender Wes Brown is back from a virus.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is pushing for a start but Wayne Rooney and Henrik Larsson look set to lead the line.

News conference: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger

# Additional 1920s grid-style commentary for this match is available on Five Live Sports Extra and you can follow the BBC Interactive video scorecard featuring the grid, statistics and commentary on the BBC Sport Website (UK users only).

Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini, Rosicky, Henry, Van Persie, Almunia, Adebayor, Baptista, Diaby, Hoyte, Aliadiere.

Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Hleb, Fabregas, Flamini, Rosicky, Henry, Van Persie, Almunia, Adebayor, Baptista, Diaby, Djourou, Hoyte, Aliadiere.

Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Rooney, Larsson, Saha, Solskjaer, Park, Brown, Heinze, O'Shea, Fletcher.

BIG-MATCH FACTS

ARSENAL and Manchester United square up to each other for the 200th time in a competitive contest, in what's been billed many times as a "Battle of the Titans" and a title decider, but not this year. While the Red Devils are going all out for their first Premiership crown in four seasons, the Gunners are lagging some 15 points behind and battling to gain one of the two Champions League qualifying spots. They're yet to lose at the Emirates Stadium, and are vying for a 50th home League victory over their old adversaries.

Victory would give Arsenal exactly 800 Premiership points under Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman takes on Sir Alex Ferguson's charges for the 33rd time. Of the 32 previous encounters United have won 11, Arsenal 12 and nine draws. Of those nine draws, United won the 2003 Community Shield on penalties, and Arsenal the 2005 FA Cup final on penalties.

The Gunners ended their longest winless streak of eight matches against a single opponent under Wenger, when they won 1-0 at Old Trafford in September. But the Londoners have not beaten the Red Devils on home turf since a 3-1 triumph on 25 November 2001, when Thierry Henry got a brace and Fredrik Ljungberg the other. Wenger's side are vying for a third Premiership 'double' over United, and first since 2001-02.

MANCHESTER UNITED travel eager to avenge one of only two League defeats this season. The eight times Premiership champions are experiencing their best ever Premier League points haul. Never before have the Red Devils banked as many as 57 points from 23 games. It exceeds by one, the total at this same stage of the title winning campaign of 1993-94. But by the time this game kicks off, United's six point lead at the top of the table will have been reduced to three, if Chelsea beat Liverpool in the Saturday lunchtime fixture at Anfield.

The Old Trafford club have outshone the Gunners in so many ways this season. They have won 18 Premiership matches to the Londoners' 12, lost two to Arsenal's five, dropped just 12 points to the Gunners' 27. These are the two highest scoring clubs in the top division going into this round of matches, but while United have netted 52 goals, Arsenal have managed 43.

United have won one and drawn three of the last four League visits to Arsenal, but this is their first trip to the Emirates Stadium. They are in anger of being 'doubled' for only the eighth time in their Premiership history. Such a fate has befallen United on fewer occasions than any other club since this League began in 1992.

REFEREE

Mike Riley (Leeds, Yorkshire)

SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM

ARSENAL
Going into the weekend: 4th 42 points
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premiership fixtures)

1. Won the last four in all competitions, with an aggregate of 15-4.

2. Lost one of the 12 in all competitions.

3. Won four of the last five Premiership matches, including the last two.

4. Won all nine top tier games in which clean sheets have been kept.

5. One of three clubs with an unbeaten home Premiership record (won six, drawn five).

6. Undefeated in 18 home League games. Won 11 and drawn seven since a 2-3 defeat by West Ham on 1 February. It is the only defeat in 22 home League matches.

7. The most resilient team in the top League. Come from behind seven times, and picked up 11 points from matches in which they were behind - won home to Blackburn and away to Charlton, and drawn home to Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Everton, Newcastle and Portsmouth.

8. Manchester United and Arsenal are the only clubs not to have been involved in a goalless draw in the Premiership so far this season, and the Gunners have a slightly superior record to the Red Devils in the second half of top flight matches this season.

9. Been awarded more penalties in Premiership matches than any other club (eight) and scored more than anyone else (seven).

10. After this, comes a trip to near nieghbours Tottenham in the first leg of the semi-finals of the Carling Cup. Then Bolton visit the Emirates in the fourth round of the FA Cup, before the second leg of the League Cup tie. Three Premiership fixtures are scheduled before the visit to PSV in the Champions League, away to Middlesbrough, and home to Wigan and Manchester City.

MANCHESTER UNITED
Going into the weekend: 1st 57 points
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premiership fixtures)

1. Undefeated in six. Won five and drawn one in League and Cup.

2. Unbeaten in five Premiership matches. Won four and drawn one (13 points out of 15), since losing 1-0 at West Ham on 17 December.

3. Lost one of the last 12 in all competitions.

4. The most winning club in this Premiership season (18), and the club with the strongest attack (52 in 23).

5. Lost only two matches in the top tier this term (0-1 home to Arsenal on 17 September, and 1-0 at Upton Park on 17 December).

6. Drawn fewer games in the highest League than any other club (three). One more stalemate will be their 200th in top flight football under Sir Alex Ferguson.

7. Scored the opening goal 17 times in the top division. Only Chelsea have done better - scoring first in 18.

8. United and Arsenal are the only clubs holding 100% records this season when clean sheets have been kept in the Premiership. Both have won all nine matches.

9. Boast an unequalled 14 different scorers in the uppermost echoleon.

10. Home to Portsmouth in the FA Cup next, before a home League clash with Watford, an away trip to Tottenham and home game with Charlton. All those matches precede a visit to Lille in the Champions League.

KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES

ARSENAL

Robin VAN PERSIE is Arsenal's top scorer with 12 goals - 10 in the Premiership.

Cesc FABREGAS is the only remaining player to have appeared for at least a part of every one of Arsenal's Premiership matches this term.

Suspended: Gilberto SILVA

MANCHESTER UNITED

Cristiano RONALDO is United's joint top scorer with 13 goals. They were all in the Premiership - making him the club's leading marksman in the League. He trails Chelsea's Didier Drogba by one in the race for the Barclays Golden Boot.

If he plays, Louis SAHA will be making his 150th career Premiership appearance (Newcastle, Fulham and Manchester United).

If he plays, Mikael SILVESTRE will be making his 350th appearance in Manchester United colours.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME

Arsenal 0-0 Manchester United
2 January 2006 - Ref: Graham Poll

THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE

Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal
17 September 2006 - Ref: Graham Poll
Arsenal scorer: Adebayor 86

HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS

Home and away
League: Arsenal 64 wins, Man United 71, Draws 40
Prem: Arsenal 7 wins, Man United 11, Draws 10

at Arsenal only
League: Arsenal 49 wins, Man United 22, Draws 16
Prem: Arsenal 5 wins, Man United 4, Draws 5

KronicalÃ‚â„¢ · 01-20-2007, 02:32 AM

The most mouthwatering fixture remaining in the current English Premier League season yes that's right, Arsenal vs. Man U > Chelsea vs. Man U.

Hopefully Eboue will be able to get a recall and into the side as well as Van Persie getting cleared to play and shaking off that injury.

I predict a draw though, 1-1.