On Sunday, February 28, two heavyweights in English football faceoff as Manchester United FC hosts Arsenal FC in the English Premier League. The game will be played at the Old Trafford stadium in the city of Manchester and will kick off at 14:05 BST.
The home side is currently 5th on the league table, with 41 points from 26 games, while the visitors are 3rd on the league table with 51 points from 26 games.
A win for the Manchester team cannot improve their league position but a defeat can leave them in 7th position. A win for the Londoners can see them climb to the top of the league, while a defeat can leave them no lower than their current position.
Manchester United top four chaseThe title race is well and truly over for Manchester United, as they are a massive 12 points behind leaders Leicester. They will be concentrating on making up the 6 point gap between them and 4th place, else next season will be another stint in the less fancied Europa League.
The Red Devils, managed by Louis Van Gaal are in indifferent form, with two wins, one draw and two defeats in their last five games in all competitions. These wins were against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup (0-3 on February 22), and against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League (5-1 on February 25).
The 20 time English Champions could only manage a draw against Chelsea (1-1 on February 7), but suffered defeat at the hands of Sunderland (2-1 on February 13), and FC Midtjylland in the Europa League (2-1 on February 18).
Arsenal title challengeArsenal are only two points off the top of the table, and many people believe they need to take advantage of the struggles of their traditional rivals. The Gunners have been impressive against the top teams this year, and will be looking to continue that trend.
The Gunners, managed by Arsene Wenger are in good form, with two wins, two draws and one defeat in their last five games in all competitions. These wins both came in the league against AFC Bournemouth (0-2 on February 7), and Leicester City (2-1 on February 14).
The FA Cup holders could only manage to draw their league game against Southampton (0-0 on February 2), and their FA Cup game against Hull City (0-0 on February 20). They suffered Champions League defeat against FC Barcelona (0-2 on February 23).
Anthony Martial has been one of the shining lights in what has been a bleak season for Manchester United, and his manager will be hoping his pace and composure can help his side secure a victory in this game. The Gunners have failed to score in three of their last five matches, and the pressure will be on the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud, and Theo Walcott, to find the back of the net in this encounter.
Manchester United have been formidable at home against the big sides this season, but the fatigue of playing on Thursday in the Europa league might be detrimental to their form in this game. I see the Gunners exposing the rookies in the Manchester United defense and secure a hard fought win.
