Man Utd starlet Greenwood could solve two problems vs Arsenal
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Man Utd vs Arsenal in their penultimate Premier League fixture before the October internationals and here are five things to look out for.
Where does Greenwood start?
It is not a matter of if Mason Greenwood starts but where. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tried to engineer a guessing game over the 17-year-old's role against Arsenal on Friday when, as a United season ticket holder remarked, 'who else are you going to play, mate?'
If Anthony Martial nor Marcus Rashford make it, then Greenwood has to be the centre forward. If both somehow make it, Greenwood should still start. He will have had a five-day break between matches and has scored more goals from open play than Rashford has in nearly six months. It would be senseless not to use United's only in-form goalscorer.
Greenwood already looks like United's most fluent forward and the possibility of a square peg in a round hole (Jesse Lingard or Juan Mata) on the right could be offset by Greenwood. His two goals have come from the right-hand channel.
Change of formation?
United have not looked especially slick in the 4-2-3-1 and the shortage of forwards may lead to a formation change. Arsenal, though, also play in a 4-2-3-1 and one of their midfielders is the inappropriately named Granit Xhaka, more brittle than granite.
The caveat for United is none of their midfielders are in form and their most talented may be unavailable again. If Paul Pogba's ankle heals, then he and Scott McTominay are certain starters, as are Daniel James and Greenwood.
Supplementing them with both Lingard and Mata would be rather generous and one forward and one midfielder (Fred) may provide better balance in a 4-3-3.
Tuanzebe in?
Victor Lindelof neutered Jamie Vardy a fortnight ago but that performance was an anomaly in a sequence of matches where he has regressed.
Axel Tuanzebe has performed against fodder in Astana and Rochdale but has to be a genuine contender to replace Lindelof against a quicksilver attack. Lindelof's footballing nous could serve him well but he is not as quick as Tuanzebe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored seven from seven.
Record on the line
The last time Arsenal won at Old Trafford in the Premier League it was Tomasz Kuszczak's United debut and Solskjaer came on for his final appearance against the Gunners. It is 13 years and 13 days since Emmanuel Adebayor settled that fixture and Arsenal have arguably not had a better chance to take three points from M16. However...
United to embarrass Arsenal again?
United overcame Arsenal on Marcus Rashford's league debut in 2016 with a back four of Guillermo Varela, Michael Carrick, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo. Timothy Fosu-Mensah, 18 at the time, replaced Rojo early in the second-half for his career bow and United won 3-2. Graeme Souness labelled Arsenal 'a joke'.
Arsenal have also lost to a United midfield quartet of the Da Silvas, Darron Gibson and John O'Shea in 2011 and a back three of Chris Smalling, Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett in 2014. The meek surrender at Watford 13 days ago showed they still suffer bouts of Wengeritis.
Man Utd vs Arsenal in their penultimate Premier League fixture before the October internationals and here are five things to look out for.
Where does Greenwood start?
It is not a matter of if Mason Greenwood starts but where. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tried to engineer a guessing game over the 17-year-old's role against Arsenal on Friday when, as a United season ticket holder remarked, 'who else are you going to play, mate?'
If Anthony Martial nor Marcus Rashford make it, then Greenwood has to be the centre forward. If both somehow make it, Greenwood should still start. He will have had a five-day break between matches and has scored more goals from open play than Rashford has in nearly six months. It would be senseless not to use United's only in-form goalscorer.
Greenwood already looks like United's most fluent forward and the possibility of a square peg in a round hole (Jesse Lingard or Juan Mata) on the right could be offset by Greenwood. His two goals have come from the right-hand channel.
Change of formation?
United have not looked especially slick in the 4-2-3-1 and the shortage of forwards may lead to a formation change. Arsenal, though, also play in a 4-2-3-1 and one of their midfielders is the inappropriately named Granit Xhaka, more brittle than granite.
The caveat for United is none of their midfielders are in form and their most talented may be unavailable again. If Paul Pogba's ankle heals, then he and Scott McTominay are certain starters, as are Daniel James and Greenwood.
Supplementing them with both Lingard and Mata would be rather generous and one forward and one midfielder (Fred) may provide better balance in a 4-3-3.
Tuanzebe in?
Victor Lindelof neutered Jamie Vardy a fortnight ago but that performance was an anomaly in a sequence of matches where he has regressed.
Axel Tuanzebe has performed against fodder in Astana and Rochdale but has to be a genuine contender to replace Lindelof against a quicksilver attack. Lindelof's footballing nous could serve him well but he is not as quick as Tuanzebe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored seven from seven.
Record on the line
The last time Arsenal won at Old Trafford in the Premier League it was Tomasz Kuszczak's United debut and Solskjaer came on for his final appearance against the Gunners. It is 13 years and 13 days since Emmanuel Adebayor settled that fixture and Arsenal have arguably not had a better chance to take three points from M16. However...
United to embarrass Arsenal again?
United overcame Arsenal on Marcus Rashford's league debut in 2016 with a back four of Guillermo Varela, Michael Carrick, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo. Timothy Fosu-Mensah, 18 at the time, replaced Rojo early in the second-half for his career bow and United won 3-2. Graeme Souness labelled Arsenal 'a joke'.
Arsenal have also lost to a United midfield quartet of the Da Silvas, Darron Gibson and John O'Shea in 2011 and a back three of Chris Smalling, Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett in 2014. The meek surrender at Watford 13 days ago showed they still suffer bouts of Wengeritis.
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