Expert Opinion
Arsenal versus Man Utd ain’t what it used to be
Not so long ago, any Arsenal clash with Manchester United came with a mandatory government health warning. Arsène Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson would demand their teams attack with verve and defend with pride, and the end result would invariably result in 90 minutes of full-blooded, ferocious football that had us all baying for more.
It wasn’t always pretty. It wasn’t always pleasant. But it was rarely dull and with the likes of Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane, Thierry Henry and Gary Neville, Martin Keown and Ruud van Nistelrooy locking horns for the two erstwhile heavyweights of the Premier League, we were rarely short-changed. We watched, we winced, but ultimately we all revelled in the glorious drama of it all.
Fast forward to 2012 and it’s impossible to describe the fixture in the same glowing terms.
I don’t say this because of the emergence of Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham, nor the perceived demise of Arsenal. Rather that Wenger and Ferguson have changed. Their hard men have gone. The warriors are no longer required.
Instead, the two old generals now opt to field distinctly more lightweight, fleet-footed armies with seemingly little interest in the battle. And with an admirable emphasis on pleasing patterns, clever combinations and fluid, forward-thinking football, Arsenal and Man Utd are both a joy to behold, capable of tearing any opponent apart on their day.
But what are they like when they don’t have the ball? What happens when it is not one of their better days?
The sobering truth is they are both a shadow of their former selves, which is why I believe both sides are unlikely to get their hands on any silverware this season.
Of course, with a 12-point advantage, a vastly superior goal difference and that 8-2 mauling still fresh in the memory, it’s fair to say that Manchester United are in better shape than the Gunners this term.
They do, however, suffer from many of the north Londoners’ problems, starting with major defensive instability. The loss of Nemanja Vidic, coupled with some uncharacteristically faltering performances from Rio Ferdinand, has left new boys Phil Jones and Chris Smalling exposed, especially when they have partnered with Jonny Evans, rapidly becoming the Achilles heel in the United line-up. The situation hasn’t been helped by United’s myopic failure to replace Gary Neville adequately, some five years since he was a regular in the side.
Arsenal too have rarely had the luxury of being able to field a first choice back four and it has showed. Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny have defended reasonably well, but injuries and the persistent need to reshuffle have prevented the pair from building a lasting understanding. At full-back it’s all been a bit shambolic and without the injured Bacary Sagna, the Gunners have looked vulnerable.
Ferguson and Wenger seem strangely blind to all of these issues and they no longer feel the need to form a protective barrier in front of their precarious and porous defences. While the likes of Alex Song and Mikel Arteta, Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs and now Paul Scholes still shine on the ‘good days’, it’s increasingly apparent that opposition teams fancy their chances of strolling through the two respective midfields and getting at the back four.
An over reliance on their talismanic strikers, the need to blood new, young goalkeepers and the scars of two humiliating losses only add weight to my theory that Arsenal and Manchester United’s seasons are eerily echoing one another.
However, when these two great clubs renew their old rivalry in the Emirates tunnel on Sunday afternoon, it’s Manchester United who will hold the psychological advantage.
The deficiencies that saw them thumped by Manchester City and Newcastle United haven’t yet derailed their title challenge, and when Ferguson tells them they are still top dogs they will believe him, albeit mistakenly. In sharp contrast, Wenger cannot deliver the same message with any conviction while the shadow of the team’s debacle at Old Trafford still looms large.
This is Arsenal versus Manchester United, so it should still be terrific entertainment, even if it is sterile in comparison to the contests of days gone by. But let’s face it – and this isn’t easy for me to concede – Sunday’s true heavyweight contest will take place at the Etihad Stadium two-and-a-half hours earlier.
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Hear more of Adrian’s incisive football opinions on Life’s A Pitch’s vodcasts, and on his own excellent Red White & Blue weekly podcast. Plus, you can follow him on Twitter @sms_adrian
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Watch Man Utd live on BT Vision:
Arsenal v Man Utd, live 3:30pm, 22 January, Sky Sports 1
Chelsea v Man Utd, live 3:30pm, 5 February, Sky Sports 1
Arsenal v Tottenham, live 1pm, 26 February, Sky Sports 1
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