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Arsenal’s dream of grabbing an automatic place in next season’s Champions League group stages is well dead and gone, after the Gunners suffered a thumping 4-1 home defeat to Guus Hiddink’s infuriated Blues, Chelsea.
Arsenal have therefore nothing to play for but pride when they travel to Old Trafford to meet Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United on Saturday afternoon. As for the Red Devils, this game could define the end of the road for Liverpool who are desperate to tear the English Premiership Champions down and steal the title.
Amongst Manchester United’s few defeats this season was a 2-1 loss away to Arsenal at The Emirates back in 2008. Since then, the Red Devils have gone out to correct themselves against the Gunners; a 1-0 victory in the first leg of the Champions League semis, followed by an overwhelming 3-1 triumph in London means that Manchester United have managed to reclaim their might against Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal.
Manchester United look set to clinch their third consecutive English Premier League title especially after defeating local rivals Manchester City 2-0 last weekend. Failing to win against Arsenal at Old Trafford certainly wouldn’t mean the end of the world for the Red Devils, but an enormous step back as they still have to deal with Liverpool’s title aspirations.
It is clear that Ferguson’s men will go into Saturday’s encounter with nothing else in their mind but to win the game and possibly celebrate their 18th Premiership title in style to equal Liverpool’s all-time record.
The Red Devils look stronger than ever as the season is coming to an end, and it will need some miracle and smartness from Coach Arsene Wenger to keep Manchester United from partying sooner than later at the expense of his Arsenal squad.
But there is a sensation that the French man’s youthful lads have lost any kind of motivation. The Gunners will definitely end their season with no silverware for the fourth year running and this misery adds to the fact that a third-place finish in the league is now mathematically impossible to achieve.
Pride is something that Arsenal will hope to carry at the end of proceedings at Old Trafford this coming Saturday, but revenge is also another thing they might fight for.
The Gunners – who have let seven goals in two games – will try and recover from their defensive errors by forcing out the likes of in-form Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney or even Dimitar Berbatov. Certainly, lack of experience has cost this London club much of their failures but Arsenal also possess the power to stun teams when it is expected the least.
The Gunners go into the match with no pressure at all one hand – although it is true that they must try and appease their wounded supporters. All the same, the pressure factor could make Arsenal favorites to come out from Manchester with a good victory.
Either way, with Manchester United needing only four points from their remaining games to win the English Premiership title, failing to win at Old Trafford on Saturday may not appear to be so disastrous. Depending on if the win in midweek against Wingan, Manchester United will need only a draw to write off Liverpool’s title hopes by ultimately triumphing on the day.
Can Manchester United hand Arsenal their third defeat on the trot by beating them twice in a space of 11 eleven days?
This could mean “party-on” for the Red Devils who are looking to round up their dramatic English Premiership campaign in style.
Written by: Angela Asante