Line up for end of season match – Man U Preview
The coach
By Boris Mellor
September 17 2006
According to some pundits if Man U win this game then the title race is over, done and dusted. Now a defeat certainly won’t give Arsenal’s claim a boost – but nor will it guarantee United the title. Indeed a draw would leave Pompey top, but I don’t think they will win it either.
No title has ever been won in September, as Arsenal found out the season before the invincible one. There are too many games left to play, for Arsenal there are a 105 points to be played for. Its never good to be 10 points behind after 3 games; but its not the same as being 10 points behind with only four games left to play. Nonetheless Arsenal’s defensive injuries may make a long-term assault on the title difficult for this season. Those injuries are not just affecting the defence, but the ability to launch effective attacks on the left- hand side. So this might not be the exact moment that Wenger would have picked for this big match, with RvP and Henry injured, and unlikely to play, and with no real left back available it will be easy against a rampant United. On the plus side Arsenal are coming up to the match on the back of a good performance in the Champions League, and Baptista is slowly working his way into match fitness. It might be a good time for Wenger to give 4-5-1 another run out. Five across could help not only hold the Man U midfield, but strengthen the Gunners ability to play on the left. Arsenal have not played badly this season, and Manchester have not been as great as results show. Their defence is as shaky as ours, as Celtic proved midweek; it would have been a good time to have key strikers available. Nonetheless United will put more into a game against the Gunners than in a midweek CL game. It won’t be the first time Arsenal have gone to Old Trafford without any first choice strikers, and still came away with something. Predictions Prediction table closes at 4 p.m. so don’t forget to enter your forecast. Probable line up: Jens Lehmann William Gallas Freddie Ljungberg Tomas Rosicky Subs from: Almunia Hoyte Song Alexander Hleb Mathieu Flamini Theo Walcott Aliadiere
Emmanuel Eboue
Kolo Toure
Johan Djourou
Cesc Fabregas
Gilberto
Julio Baptista
Emmanuel Adebayor