Manchester United vs Arsenal: 4 key player battles

2. Harry Maguire vs Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Harry Maguire has been horrendous this season. Defensively his team are a shambles and he’s made more post-match speeches about ‘looking in the mirror’ and ‘going again’ than he has produced solid performances.

Back for this one after further idiocy with two bookable offences against Watford, he has to be looked at as a weak link in this team. His confidence is shot. Even if he feels scoring headers against Albania at Wembley somehow spares him of scorn and thus silences his critics, he is there to be got at and Aubameyang will be the man closest to him all game long.

There is a discussion to be had that the skipper won’t be the ideal fit for this match if Gabriel Martinelli plays on the right, but Arteta will select him when available and playing on his shoulder all match long is the ideal way to unsettle him.

Being the fridge he is means he can win the physical duels against Aubameyang, so it will all be about making the right runs towards the near post where he always loses his marker, and side stepping out of his peripheral vision to keep him guessing.

While he will play since he is the captain, Eric Bailly and Lindelof would be the partnership Arsenal would least prefer. They’re both accidents on legs but are, for the most part, better at carrying out their defensive duties.

Aubameyang needs to be ruthless against a defence that has conceded the fifth most goals in the division this season. Maguire’s fingerprints are all over those figures.

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