The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the possible outcomes from Arsenal’s Saturday visit to Manchester United and the ramifications of each of them.
The Premier League’s return to action post-international break brings along with the return of club football, in Manchester United vs Arsenal, a mouth-watering matchup and an eagerly awaited contest. Manchester United, a club who has appointed the Special One but Mourinho, after a great start to his United career, is struggling to get the results despite a visible betterment in the club’s overall performance compared to the monstrosities of the previous few seasons.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are in menacing form and along with Liverpool, are one of the teams that have been tipped to be title contenders, owing to their great form. But, regardless of form, Wenger has failed to secure positive results at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Add to it the presence of Jose Mourinho, a manager who Wenger is yet to beat in the league and the odds look stacked against the Frenchman. The Hard Tackle looks at the three possible outcomes from Saturday’s fixture and the ramifications of those outcomes.
Manchester United secure another victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford
One would have to go way back to the 2006-07 Premier League campaign to find an Arsenal win at Old Trafford in the league, with Emmanuel Adebayor scoring the winning goal of the match. Also, Mourinho is yet to lose against Wenger in the league.
But United have been in search of momentum more than anything else, even more so since the derby defeat to Manchester City in the league earlier in the season. A victory against Arsenal could restore a feel of the old United, albeit only a little, which could go a long way in helping the Red Devils regain their confidence.
Mourinho, who has looked a distant shadow of his vocal self after being appointed as the United boss, is showing signs of his return to his old self with his public comments on player performances and tussles with the officials. There is speculation that Mourinho has lost his spark or desire to an extent, something which the Portuguese could regain with a victory against his favourite nemesis Wenger on Saturday at Old Trafford.
On the other hand, Arsenal are on an amazing run and there was talk of Wenger finally getting rid of the November curse – a month in which the club has averaged a dastardly 1.58 points per game.
A loss here would mean another defeat at Old Trafford and another loss to Mourinho for Wenger, while the defeat would also mean the return of the November curse.
Arsenal achieve first Premier League win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in over a decade
A win for Arsenal would rewrite history. A win over United at Old Trafford would mean Wenger’s first win over Mourinho, which would be the best way to respond to the Portuguese for calling the Frenchman ‘a specialist in failure’.
Arsenal have been in some form and a win here would throw further weight to the title credentials and lend credibility to their form. The victory would also complete the overhaul of Arsenal with Wenger already deploying a counter-attacking tactic. Not only would it serve as a redemption for previous defeats but it would also go a long way in shutting the “#WengerOut” crowd that has been vocal on social media platforms in the recent few years.
For United, though, it would plunge the club into more mid-table obscurity and for Mourinho, it could be the last straw in what is already proving to be a tougher task than the Portuguese would have imagined. A small section of the United fans have already started questioning Mourinho and his decisions. And this defeat could serve as an amplifier to those voices.
Manchester United and Arsenal share the spoils.
This would be perhaps the best result possible while also being one that leaves the debate wide open. But the ramifications for Arsenal would be more than United in this case.
A draw would halt Arsenal’s run while also highlighting, once again, the club’s inability to get maximum points at Old Trafford. It would also mean another winless outing for Wenger against Mourinho.
Whereas, for the hosts, a draw would maybe give more positive vibes than negative ones. The result would extend Mourinho’s unbeaten run against Wenger, which would prove, albeit only a little, that the Portuguese manager’s touch is still intact. If anything, any result except a loss could give Mourinho further gumption to be successful at Manchester United.
Conclusion
All in all, any result except an Arsenal win would be good for Manchester United but Mourinho and the United fans would be gunning for a win, especially considering the number of players out injured for Arsenal. On the other hand, one would say that it is almost imperative for Wenger and Arsenal to register a win at Old Trafford this time around if they want to be taken seriously as title contenders.
Whatever be the result, fixtures like these impact the clubs involved in a much larger way and it is set to be a similar case as Manchester United host Arsenal in an early Saturday kickoff. And rest assured, the world will be watching.
