The announcement that Erik Ten Hag will be the new Manchester United manager has dominated much of the news around the club in recent days, making it a welcome distraction from Tuesday night’s shambolic 4-0 loss at the hands of Liverpool.
That result left United sixth and three points behind Tottenham in fourth, despite having played a game more, meaning they can’t afford to drop any more points if they are to realistically sneak a spot inside the top four and secure Champions League qualification.
Up next though is a tricky trip to Arsenal who’ll be full of confidence after securing an impressive 4-2 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night. The Emirates hasn’t proven to be a happy hunting ground for United in recent years, and they're winless in each of their last three visits there.
That’s not ideal given the form the Reds have been in across recent weeks, however despite Wednesday’s victory over Chelsea, Arsenal have too had issues of their own that Ralf Rangnick and his side may be able to exploit.
A big problem for the North Londoners has been their attack and more specifically, issues in scoring goals. The club lost talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in February, while Alexandre Lacazette has struggled for form in his place, scoring just one league goal in this calendar year.
They’ve also faced clear problems in breaking down teams who are happy to forgo possession and sit in more compact defensive shapes. Prior to their win vs Chelsea, Arsenal played Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton. They lost all three contests, despite dominating play and posting possession averages of over 63 per cent in each.
It was a different story against Chelsea on Wednesday where the hosts dictated most of the play, while Arsenal looked to press them in possession and create goalscoring opportunities in transitions. That’s how the first three goals came about and the Gunners finished the game having just 34 per cent of the ball.
United’s key to success in Saturday’s clash is mirroring this approach and using it against Arsenal. Arteta’s men as the home side will be expected to dictate the play and break United down, despite their recent issues in doing so.
This will give United license to play on the counter which is something that, despite attempts to change the philosophy, still suits their current squad best. Even on Tuesday night, we saw Rangnick’s men look far more dangerous in the early periods of the second half at Anfield following the introduction of Jadon Sancho.
Despite only playing 45 minutes, he registered more progressive carries (six) than any other United player on the pitch and he was often instrumental in any fast breaks United launched. The England international could be key again this weekend.
The eventual aim will be for United to get back to a position where they can go to places like the Emirates and impose their own game on their opponents, however, adopting this approach on Saturday will hand them the best opportunity to secure three crucial points.
