Despite their investment during this summer, Arsenal and Manchester United have not managed to give their fans something to make them proud. Sure, The Gunners hired Alexis Sanchez and the Red Devils went on a shopping spree, but that's about it for two of the most important teams in the Premier League. Here's a statistical analysis about why this teams have not been able to perform correctly.
1. Arsenal's "Alexis-dependence"
The Gunners' super transfer of the summer has really paid off, but the rest of the team has not backed the Chilean so far. Sanchez is at the top of the scoring table with eight goals, surpassed only by Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero, but the closest player to Sanchez in Arsenal's squad is Aaron Ramsey...with TWO goals. If Wenger's men want to improve their current sixth place in the table, they should pitch in more often to help the South American player.
2. Manchester's lack of leading scorer
Perhaps variety is good for every team, but Manchester United surely did not pay to watch four players scoring the same amount of goals. Louis Van Gaal's team has lacked that imposing presence in the rival's penalty box, since Robin Van Persie has struggled all season with injuries and Wayne Rooney being banned for three games. Angel Di María has been forced to score goals himself, but that's not why he arrived to Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Radamel Falcao has only been able to score once in five games, a rather disappointing number for a player of his quality.
3. Arsenal's taste for a draw
Maybe tying a game in the final seconds is quite an accomplishment, but when you make an habit out of it, then you might get in trouble. Arsenal are quickly earning a Masters degree in this category, drawing five games out of eleven this season. The hardest part for them is that three of those games have been tied at Emirates Stadium, all of them in the final seconds. So, their fans have to be a little disappointed about paying their hard earned money to see their team barely earning one point.
4. Manchester are not that good playing away games
If you want to be Premier League champion, or at least be among the top five, the you have to win away games. While their performance at home hasn't been all that bad -with the exception of their first game against Swansea, Manchester United have not won a single match while playing away from their turf, tying three and losing two games. Their dominance has faded away, and if they want to start turning things around, this is a golden opportunity for them to do so.
5. Arsenal's 13 goals allowed
One of the most complicated issues for Arsene Wenger this season has been putting up a solid defensive unit. As we mentioned above, the Gunners have struggled winning games at home, and their defensive misfortunes have complicated rather easy games for them. No matter how great their offense is, if Arsenal can't correct their flagrant mistakes in the back, they might have a hard time stopping United's attackers.
6. United's poor defending
Louis Van Gaal has always been considered a strategic maestro. Even after adding Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw, the Red Devils have complicated things while playing away. The best example available is without a doubt, the game against Leicester City. United were winning 3-1 after 57 minutes, but their poor defending allowed four goals in thirty minutes, giving the home team an epic tale to tell their young kids. If Leicester could pull a stunt like that on United, what can Alexis Sanchez be able to do against the same defenders?
7. The Gunners' "hospital"
Not everything has been Arsene Wenger's fault. Sometimes things don't go the way they are planned, and that "X factor" shifts the game either way. Arsenal have dealt with a series of injuries to key players such as Mesut Ozil, who will be out of commission until January, and Olivier Giroud, who might be coming back against the Red Devils. Added to Ozil's absence, Laureny Koscielny and Mathieu Debuchy won't be able to play for Le Prof's crew.
8. Manchester's ER is FULL
Louis Van Gaal may well be a magician, but he is not a medical man. He can't put together a squad that has eleven players unavailable because of injuries, and this has affected the team in almost every game. Right now, United have seven players ruled out of Saturday's big game, while they await the results on David De Gea, Angel Di Maria, Luke Shaw and Michael Carrick. It would take a miracle to have all four available, which will make the Dutch manager break his head to balance his team yet again.
9. Unbeatable at Emirates Stadium
Perhaps the only positive thing for Arsenal these days may be that the game will be held at their home turf. While they have struggled to win this season at Emirates Stadium, the Gunners have not lost a single match at home in their last 23 outings. Above all, this game could prove a huge boost for Wenger's crew if they want to re-ignite their championship hopes.
10. Manchester United's streak vs Arsenal
If there is a team that can break Arsenal's unbeaten run at home, that may be the Red Devils. Arsenal have not been able to win against Manchester United in the last six games, counting every competition. As we mentioned above, Van Gaal's team may settle for a draw taking into account all those injured players, but they have proven before they have the antidote to Arsenal's tactics, and they will surely want to make it seven games without being defeated by Wenger's crew.
