Arsenal’s loss to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane last week threw a major spanner in the works o the Gunners ambitions this season, as Arsene Wenger’s side now face a huge battle to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Whilst Arsenal could benefit from having games in-hand, with one in comparison to Manchester City and two on Liverpool, the Gunners are now relying on their rivals to drop points if they’re to seal their spot in Europe’s elite competition next term.
Should Arsenal win their games in hand, they’ll find themselves three points behind Manchester City and three points behind Liverpool as things stand, with very few weekends remaining to close the gap on their rivals.
Arsenal face another stern test on Sunday where they host Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium and the result is crucial for the Gunners, as a defeat would likely bring an end to their chances of finishing in the top-four.
A draw may also not be enough for Arsene Wenger’s side, so Arsenal need to go all-out to secure all three points this weekend and need to take advantage of any tiredness in United’s ranks, as they tackle Celta Vigo tonight in the Europa League.
It certainly won’t be easy for the Gunners, as United are enjoying an incredible unbeaten run in their league campaign this season, so Arsenal will need to ensure they’re playing at their best and their team selection needs to be spot on.
Arsenal may elect to utilise a three-man defence once again, with Nacho Monreal and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain playing as wing-backs, but a standard four-man defence may be the best approach for this clash.
Adopting a more familiar formation would allow Arsenal to be more attacking with three supporting players behind the striker, likely to be Alexis Sanchez, which could see Arsenal utilise Mesut Ozil, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Danny Welbeck.
That selection would give Arsenal superb attacking threat and an abundance of pace, which will be crucial to breaking down a Manchester United defence that stands as one of the most resilient in the Premier League so far this season.
The Gunners will also need to be strong defensively to deal with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Arsenal cannot afford to make any silly mistakes, which is why a more familiar set-up this weekend could be the most beneficial.
Whilst Arsenal have shown promise playing with a three-man defence, where the most impressive performance came in the FA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City, the Gunners don’t have too much experience playing in this set-up.
There’s been enough in their performances to suggest it could be the way forward next season but Arsenal cannot afford to take risks this weekend as there is so much on the line and a victory on Sunday could kickstart a strong run-in to the Premier League campaign that sees the Gunners turn things around.