As it was wwritten by HITC Sport
Manchester United against Arsenal at Old Trafford is the pick of the weekend’s fixtures.
Here are five key battles ahead of the game.
Rio Ferdinand v Olivier Giroud
Rio Ferdinand will have to martial the defence in this game and
Olivier Giroud is the player that he’ll have to dominate throughout.
Ferdinand is much better equipped to handle the tall Frenchman than
Jonny Evans. Ferdinand is good enough in the air and on the ground to
try and steal the ball before Giroud has a chance to get it under
control. This is a classic battle between defence and attack.
Rafael v Lukas Podolski
Polish striker Lukas Podolski plays in a very similar way to how
Thierry Henry used to operate in the Arsenal front line. He drifts out
to the left and almost becomes a left winger at times hugging the touch
line before cutting inside. This is something he will have to do if
Arsenal go with two strikers. If Rafael can keep him quiet and force him
down to the corner flag then it will dramatically decrease the
influence Podolski has on the game.
Tom Cleverley v Mikel Arteta
There is only one winner here in terms of experience but both
players play a similar role for their teams. Cleverly has the edge in
terms of speed and being able to adjust and retreat after each attack.
He will have to have more of an influence on the game than Arteta who
loves nothing more than to sit in the midfield in games like this and
pull the strings. If Arteta is allowed to be the focus of every Arsenal
attack, they will stand a great chance of winning.
Wayne Rooney v Per Mertesacker
Wayne Rooney will use every bit of his skill to try and pull the
big German out of the Arsenal defence. If he manages to do so then it
will leave a gaping hole in the Arsenal back line which United can
exploit. Mertesacker is perfectly equipped to deal with the physical
side that Rooney will bring to this game which will force Rooney to drop
deeper into the midfield to find the ball.
Robin Van Persie v Thomas Vermaelen
When Rooney drops if it means Robin Van Persie plays on the
shoulder of the defence. Former teammate Thomas Vermaelen will need to
stick to him like glue to make sure he has no time on the ball and
cannot turn in and around the penalty area. If Van Persie is allowed to
make runs as he likes and receive the ball, turn and offload at will
then he will score at least once in the game. Vermaelen needs to
announce his physical presence even if that means an early yellow card.
Which clash will be most decisive?
Source: HITC Sport
Comments