Preview: Meeting at the Emirates is highly important for both clubs
Frustration and disbelief are perfect words to describe Arsenal and Manchester United's results at the weekend. Now they will both try to bounce back after dropping points.
Arsenal's heavy defeat at Anfield at the hands of an inspired Liverpool side raised a lot of concerns. Sloppy passing and not a lot of movement was Arsenal's downfall, which led to four goals in the opening 20 minutes. They will have a chance to sort things out Wednesday night in front of their fans.
For quite some time, football analysts and fans have been patiently waiting for the Gunners to crash and burn. It has happened far too often over the years, but this season Arsene Wenger's squad has managed to hold on tight.
After their 5-1 defeat against Liverpool, Wenger's squad will once again have to try and silence their many critics.
"Every defeat creates a difficult moment, but it could have been worst," the Arsenal manager told the club's official website.
"After Aston Villa, no one would have put us in the position we are in today. So we have to believe that not everything is perfect - because no, it's not. But we also have to put everything in perspective. After a big disappointment like that, you always sit there thinking, 'Do I make five or six changes or do I give them a chance to show that it was just an accident?' And most of the time you give the players a chance, especially if they have done well before."
The Gunners will not only have a chance to prove that the result at Anfield was a fluke, but they can also jump back into first place. Just two points separate them from Chelsea who drew on Tuesday night, so even after a heavy defeat, Arsenal could find themselves as leaders once again after Wednesday's match.
Arsenal will be up against a Manchester United side that thought they had guaranteed three points in their last match.
David Moyes' squad drilled 81 crosses into the box against Fulham on Sunday, and after bouncing back from a 0-1 deficit, a late goal spoiled the party. Just when Old Trafford was confident that the match would end with a 2-1 victory for the hosts, Darren Bent popped up and sent the United fans into shock.
They now find themselves seventh in the Premier League, with 14 points separating them from Arsenal. When was the last time Arsene Wenger had such a comfortable lead on the Red Devils?
Moyes has been struggling to get his side to perform consistently, which makes Wednesday's match so important for both sides.
Arsenal need the three points to prove that they can bounce back from Saturday's heavy defeat, meanwhile for United, another defeat would really add more pressure on the Scottish manager.
For the hosts, they have no fresh injuries in the squad. Yaya Sanogo will return after missing five months with a back injury.
As for David Moyes, Fellaini remains out, as well as Jonny Evans and Phil Jones who are suffering with a calf injury.
Where To Watch The Match - Live Stream, Start Time, TV Channels, Live Scores
Watch Arsenal vs Manchester United live on Wednesday, February 12, 2014:
In Canada at 14:45 ET on: RDS 2, TSN, TalkSport Radio
In the UK at 19:45 GMT on: Arsenal Player, BT Sport 1, BBC Manchester, MUTV Online, BBC One
In the USA at 14:45 ET on: NBC Sports Live Extra, NBCSN, Mun2, SiriusXM FC, TalkSport Radio
This is a match you will not want to miss. So if you are outside of the viewing areas mentioned above, visit the Arsenal vs Manchester United match page for full TV listings.
