da bet7k： On Saturday lunchtime Manchester United will face off against Arsenal at Old Trafford. There is little love lost between the two sides as it is without factoring in the strained relationship that already exists between Jose Mourinho of United and Arsene Wenger of Arsenal. Add in to the mix the near desperate need for points for the two teams sitting 6th and 3rd respectively, and we have the potential for an explosive encounter.
da aposte e ganhe： Tactically the match promises to be fascinating. Under Jose Mourinho we have seen United form an extremely capable defensive unit, although one that seems to struggle when accessing the final third of the pitch in the attacking phase. On the other hand we have Arsenal, who appear to have at long last struck a balance of sorts between attacking flair and defensive solidity.
There are, however, two key tactical components to the match that we should watch closely.
No Ibra, No Problem?
United’s attacking talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss the match through suspension having accumulated five yellow cards already this season. Whilst it is true that any side would miss a player with the Swede’s unique attacking characteristics, his suspension will also give Mourinho the chance to alter his side’s focus in the attacking build up.
Reports have emerged that Wayne Rooney is likely to be fit for the match but that does not necessarily mean that he is the best option to replace Ibrahimovic in leading the line, as the English international operates in a similar style to Zlatan with a more static and creative approach to the striker role. Arguably this role would play in to the hands of the Arsenal defensive system.
The key to beating Arsenal so far this season is keeping them off balance and not letting the side from North London settle in to an attacking rhythm. In order to do this, United need to stretch the depth of the field as much as possible and this is only feasible if they play with pace along the front line.
As such, instead of the experience of Wayne Rooney, United would be better off fielding the pace of Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial. Indeed we could well see a combination of the two, with Rashford deployed centrally and Martial lining up on the left of the attack, should Mourinho favour pace to the industry provided by Jesse Lingard.
When faced with the threat of genuine pace the Arsenal back line will not be comfortable holding its favoured high position. The high defensive line gives Arsenal a platform to compress space in the opposition half and deny the other side the ability to win the ball back and transition in to a quick counter attack.
If United are willing to use the pace of their young forwards then Arsenal will be forced to sit deeper to negate the space for Rashford and Martial to run in to. This will in turn give United more space in which to play in their own half and allow the home side to dictate the tempo of the game.
Playmaking Partnerships
Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott have been widely praised this season for their attacking output. The duo have eight goals apiece so far this season and both have impressed in slightly different roles for the North London side. Alexis Sanchez in particular has seen a change of tactical responsibilities this season playing as a highly mobile loan striker, with the freedom to operate across the width of the pitch. The role has been widely misinterpreted as a false 9, although the actual positioning and movement pay little relation to those seen from Lionel Messi at Barcelona when he plays the role.
For all the goals and attacking impetus that Sanchez and Walcott provide, they will not be the tactical key to victory in this match. Instead, that key rests slightly deeper with the relationship between Alex Iwobi and Mesut Ozil.
Positioned on the left and the centre of a three man attacking midfield, Iwobi and Ozil give Arsenal a creative platform from which to play in advanced areas. Both players are comfortable interchanging positions, making it difficult for the opposition to create effective defensive structures.
Whilst Sanchez and Walcott are more explosive in their movements making quick vertical runs that stretch the opposition defence, Iwobi and Ozil are more nuanced in their movements and use of the ball. Both players excel in pausing on the ball and waiting for the right option to present itself, lending a cerebral quality to the Arsenal attack.
The willingness of Ozil in particular to drift in to wide areas will make it difficult for Mourinho to negate this threat. Any attempt to assign a specific marker to the German international will likely fail as he drifts in and out of the central space. At the same time, an effective zonal marking scheme in this area of the pitch is difficult to implement as Arsenal have so many players making vertical runs.
With Iwobi and Ozil sharing playmaking duties between them, Arsenal are much more varied in their attacking patterns. If you shut one down then the other takes over. United must implement a plan to counter their threat if they want to come away from the match with a victory.
Conclusion
There seems to be a sense that Jose Mourinho in particular has lost some of his tactical vision following a poor campaign with Chelsea and a slow start to his time at United. This is the perfect match for the Portuguese coach to prove his doubters wrong and show that he does have a willingness to trust in youth and change his tactical approach.
Arsene Wenger, on the other hand, should look to ensure that Ozil and Iwobi are given the ball in advanced areas to open up the stubborn United defence.The match should be interesting from a tactical point of view.
I would not like to predict a winner in this instance.
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