Where Arsenal Can Hurt Manchester United

Mikel Arteta will be asking himself where Arsenal can have most joy on Sunday.

Trying to find fault in this Manchester United team would’ve been like shooting fish in a barrel not four weeks ago, as they were torn to shreds by Tottenham on home soil in the Premier League to cap off a dire start to the campaign. Arsenal face a vastly contrasting side on Sunday.

Blowing away the Bundesliga leaders, playing a weakened side and still slapping Newcastle, heading to Paris and overcoming the Champions League finalists and showing their pragmatism against Chelsea are the recent highlights.

Their performance against RB Leipzig sadly featured an array of individual brilliance, some neat partnerships across the team and a devastating streak in front of goal. But it wasn’t all perfect.

It was United’s approach to soak up pressure and play out through their midfield diamond, but in the first half when they were leading 1-0, their seemingly well-shielded defence had did leave the door ajar for exploitation.

Which pairing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opts to employ for their midfield pivot is anyone’s guess. What we can be fairly confident of, though, is that one of Nemanja Matic or Fred will play. Even Scott McTominay may be handed a start.

The weakness in this trio, although it applies more suitably to the former two, is there calmness under pressure. Matic has lifted his game considerably since the second half of last season, Fred too, but Leipzig had joy pressing those two central players in a congested middle of the park.

No goals were forthcoming, and Fred did indeed have a solid game in the end, but there were instances where Kevin Kampl and Christopher Nkunku closed down the Brazilian as soon as the ball came within his vicinity, forcing a few nervy moments and misplaced passes.

As we’ve seen recently, to many supporters’ distaste, wide areas get flooded and any central zone in between the lines is left abandoned bar the occasional drift infield from Bukayo Saka, or Alexandre Lacazette dropping in. When in possession and deep in the opponents’ half, this area is left unmanned.

If there is a turnover when Arsenal are high up the pitch, the ball will most likely find its route to one of United’s midfield pivot. This is where the Gunners must strike. We don’t often see man-marking in the modern era, but even someone like Saka being told to get tight on Fred could provide the avenue for razor-quick turnover; one that presents the forwards with spaces to run in that they’ve been starved of against low blocks.

Having Thomas Partey in the team, one of few Arsenal players who can effectively break the press, pinpointing the instances and the precise areas to strike makes the challenge facing Arsenal that modicum less formidable.

In a side showing little fault, feeling out where the chinks are in that armour will be make or break on Sunday. Their midfield uncertainty when harried in possession may be just it.