Arsenal have real incentive to attack Manchester United

It may come around on a peculiar day of the week, but it is nevertheless one of reckoning. Arsenal have won away at Manchester United only once in the past 15 years and three points on Thursday could be some of the most important they’ve ever secured at Old Trafford in that time.

The season will be defined in how Arsenal fare against the sides battling for superiority just below the runaway three of Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool. It’s a group that United were expected to be among. They undoubtedly aren’t.

Sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer off the back of a humiliating 4-1 defeat away at Watford, Michael Carrick has been placed in caretaker charge as the club while a deal is finalised to see Ralf Rangnick take temporary charge for the remainder of the season.

It remains to be seen whether or not he will get his visa in time to be on the touchline against Arsenal. Some reports claim he won’t, some do, and others are on the fence.

Arsenal have real incentive to attack Manchester United in Thursday’s Premier League clash with Mikel Arteta’s side five points clear in the table

Whoever is in the dugout for the home team will be faced with the same Premier League table, though.

A smash and grab 1-1 draw away at Chelsea ensured Carrick’s two-game tenure continued unbeaten after a 2-0 win at Villarreal, with the former result seeing the Red Devils end matchweek 13 in eighth place with 18 points.

They are, crucially, five points adrift of Mikel Arteta’s side having played the same amount of matches. Whatever the result, Arsenal will stay above United.

The approach for Thursday should be the same whether or not Arsenal are three points ahead or three points behind them. In order to achieve the goals set out before the season began, beating direct rivals, who United have unexpectedly become, is paramount. These matches can define the season.

However, hopefully the respective positions of both sides will ease some of the pressure. Old Trafford has been a torrid away fixture for the Gunners even though, remarkably, Arsenal have avoided defeat in all three of their previous visits there in the league: 1-0 win, 1-1 draw, and 2-2 draw respectively.

There is no reason not to go out there and go for a result. Ignoring how fragile United are at the back and the state of the hierarchical disarray, there is a real incentive to play without fear on top of what should be an already established mantra of going there to win.

Tottenham may continue applying some pressure when their postponed clash with Burnley can be rearranged, Wolves are struggling in front of goal, West Ham has suffered back-to-back league defeats, and Leicester are only just finding some rhythm.

Nobody is firing on all cylinders in the chase for top six/fourth spot. A statement win at Old Trafford, and a second under Arteta, can establish a marker for the remainder of the campaign. The five-point cushion shouldn’t determine this match as a ‘free hit’, but ideally it can be used as a chance for expression; Arsenal should not hold back in their approach on Thursday with some pressure lifted off their shoulders.