Manchester United v Arsenal: Premier League – as it happened

http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/may/17/manchester-united-v-arsenal-premier-league-live

Version 0 of 1.

5.53pm BST17:53

Full-time: Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal

A fair result - well obviously a fair result, given that it’s the result, but also on the balance of play. Arsenal improved significantly in the second half, and once the scores were level, came closer to winning. Arsene Wenger, though, will he ever learn? No plan to contain Fellaini and still, after all these years, no midfield balance. Still, his team came back well in a way they rarely do at Old Trafford, and should be good for third place an automatic Champions League participation.

Updated at 6.10pm BST

5.52pm BST17:52

90+5 min Young goes charging through the circle, waving Mata out of the way, and spreading wide. Valencia’s cross arrives and Mertesacker heads upwards, then away, and though United win the ball back, they can’t quite find the telling pass they’re seeking.

5.50pm BST17:50

90+3 min Ashley Young is Gary Neville’s man of the match, shading Aaron Ramsey by virtue of playing well for longer. That’s about fair, and I’d be interested to hear how Wenger sees things, in terms of the balance of his team. At the moment, he (still) is to midfielders as Van Gaal was to strikers earlier in the season.

5.48pm BST17:48

90+1 min Ozil, now on the left-hand side, beats Valencia who fouls his way back into possession. The ref lets it go, Valencia breaks, and he calls it back, giving Arsenal a free-kick, 35 yards out. But the delivery is poor and the ball’s headed away.

5.47pm BST17:47

90 min There shall be five additional minutes.

5.46pm BST17:46

90 min Flamini replaces Sanchez.

5.45pm BST17:45

88 min United press forward, and Valencia crosses for Fellaini at the back post. He nods down, into the path of Van Persie, who makes a lovely first-time contact - but he’s leaning back, and the ball flies just over the top.

5.44pm BST17:44

87 min Though Van Gaal’s done enough this season, his changes have left a lot to be desired - notably when Arsenal knocked them out of the Cup - and though Rojo was caught twice just prior to his removal, Blackett’s done nothing to suggest himself to be a suitable replacement. And, while we’re here, United might have done more to seek a second goal - though it’s also important to say that Arsenal’s improvement has made that harder for them.

Updated at 6.02pm BST

5.43pm BST17:43

86 min United look ragged all of a sudden, and Ramsey, who’s been superb since moving inside, lifts another sumptuous pass over Blackett, this time from the right. Giroud takes it down brilliantly, but Smalling arrives to shove behind for a corner that comes to nowt.

5.41pm BST17:41

84 min Arsenal are into this now, and Ozil skates around the outside of Valencia as Giroud makes his way towards the near post. The ball’s duly clipped back into his path, but the angle’s too much, and he turns into the side netting.

5.38pm BST17:38

GOAL! Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal (Blackett own-goal, 82)

Ramsey, who’s been excellent in the second half, drills a long pass over Blackett from close to the centre-circle, finding Walcott on the right of the box. He steps outside and crosses as Blackett, who should’ve been closer to begin with, is slow to cover. The ball hits him as he recovers, scooping inside the near post as Valdes dives the other way. It’s not the first time he’s been beaten there in his United career, and he might have stood up a little longer.

Updated at 6.09pm BST

5.38pm BST17:38

80 min Francis Coquelin has a tremendous indignation face, which he wears when penalised for a foul on Young. United are back on top in terms of possession and territory, taking corners short and the like, and this allows Young to swing over a left-footed cross. Smalling jumps, misses, and Fellaini’s not quick enough to react as the ball scoots under his studs.

5.36pm BST17:36

79 min Chris Smalling drills a lofted pass to Young on the touchline, with predictable results. Mirth ensues.

5.35pm BST17:35

78 min Quick little good period for United, who look like they’re settling for 0-0 ubnless something nice happens - they’re still pushing forwards, but not taking risks, instead seeking to keep possession by going backwards if necessary.

5.33pm BST17:33

76 min Young, arguably United’s best player, again - ! - diddles Coquelin on the outside, and with Van Persie in the middle, beetles for the line. But Mertesacker reads his cut-back, a leg extension diverting the ball behind for a corner which comes to nothing.

5.32pm BST17:32

75 min Warning for United - Coquelin into Giroud, coming short, lovely flick into Ramsey, who slides a lovely ball into the path of Walcott, in behind Blackett. He’s offside, just.

Updated at 5.50pm BST

5.31pm BST17:31

73 min While all this has been going on, De Gea’s been getting treatment, and he can’t continue, so doesn’t. Valdes, who’s done no warming up or anything, comes on, while De Gea leaves the pitch in what you’d guess is his last appearance at Old Trafford. Oh, and Blackett replaces Rojo.

Updated at 5.47pm BST

5.29pm BST17:29

72 min Walcott and Wilshere on for Bellerin and Cazorla. Presumably, Coquelin will go to right back, Ramsey will move inside, and the other change is like for like.

5.28pm BST17:28

70 min Again, Rojo saves himself - first, Sanchez’s ball over his head finds Ramsey in space, and he lifts over De Gea as he comes out - but he’s is quick, inserting a go-go gadget leg to divert behind for a corner before Ramsey can tap home.

5.27pm BST17:27

69 min Rojo’s caught dawdling by Ramsey, just inside the Arsenal half, doing well to fly back into a tackle and rescue himself. At the side, Walcott and Wilshere prepare to come on.

5.25pm BST17:25

67 min Question for Wenger now is whether to change things at all - Arsenal are enjoying their best period of the game; I’d imagine he’s loth to mess with things.

5.24pm BST17:24

65 min More pressure from Arsenal, winning a corner from the right, ands as it comes over, Smalling has a hold of Giroud’s shirt to ridiculoys extent. The ref lets it go, and after Ramsey slices wide from a position similar to that from which Herrera scored, United beark, De Gea’s long throw finding Young steaming over halfway. But Bellerin, fresh from besting Usain Bolt over 40 metres, breaks the land-speed record to catch up, slide in from the side, and avert the danger.

5.21pm BST17:21

62 min Things are becoming scrappy, which, curiously, might favour Arsenal. Sanchez shadows Valencia all the way down the line, robs him, and races all the way back down it; he should be doing iron man stuff. Anyway, the ball goes inside to Ramsey, who slots a pass in behind the United defence for Ozil, inside the box, left-hand side. He cuts back for Giroud, who’s ahead of the ball - but this tempts Rojo into thinking he can win the ball, so he lunges, allowing Giroud to feather from behind his bum and into his stride - it’s a lovely touch - but he’s stretching into his shot, and De Gea saves with a foot.

Updated at 5.30pm BST

5.18pm BST17:18

60 min Dare Wenger introduce Wilshere? While he contemplates, Poorfalcao is replaced by Van Persie, and waves to the crowd - that’ll probably be the last time he plays at Old Trafford.

Updated at 5.25pm BST

5.16pm BST17:16

59 min Arsenal are back to pressing United’s defenders in possesion, and well they might - Jones and Smalling are hardly Sammer and Kohler. And Jones makes a mistake, scuffing his clearance, but getting enough welly on it to save more significant embarrassment.

5.14pm BST17:14

57 min Herrera gives the ball away in centrefield, and Sanchez bursts onto it, only for Smalling to hammer into a saving challenge. But both Monreal and and Bellerin were forward there - Arsenal have upped their intensity these last few minutes.

5.13pm BST17:13

55 min But Bellerin inject some pace, twice racing around the outside of Rojo to earn a corner. Mata makes a right twoand of clearing it, but eventually United get the ball away. Better, though.

Updated at 5.32pm BST

5.11pm BST17:11

53 min It’s hard to see how Arsenal can keep going with this midfield. In the end, the problem is am embarrassment of riches that means Ramsey is wasted on the right, talent preferred to balance; it’s not working. In the meantime, Mata and Valencia successively reach the by-line, neither able to pick out a man with a dinked cut-back - but if Arsenal aren’t careful, or if Wenger doesn’t do something, they’ll concede again.

5.09pm BST17:09

51 min Arsenal find time and space inside United’s half, eventually crossing to find Sanchez on the back post - but as the ball drops, he’s at an acute angle, lashing and slicing a volley high and wide. But that’s better from Arsenal.

5.08pm BST17:08

49 min Valencia has far too much time to find Mata “in an around the centre-circle”. He nips through midfield but can’t find a telling pass, and United keep at it, eventually finding Mata again, again dead centre but just outside the box. He knocks left to Fellaini, who rolls into the path of Young, Bellerin naewhere to be seen. The cross is rubbish, easily grabbed by Ospina, but that was Van Gaal’s “philosophy” to the nth - sharp passing to move the opposition out of position. Wonder what Kant would make of it.

5.04pm BST17:04

47 min Valencia bousts down the right and clips back for Fellaini, this time around the penalty spot. Mertesacker does just enough, but that did not augur well for Arsenal - United are winning the ball back far too easily, and breaking with conviction.

5.03pm BST17:03

46 min In commentary, Gary Neville points out that Arsenal’s full-backs are already much higher up the pitch, and Martin Tyler says that Flamini was warming himself vigorously - apparently, Sanchez isn’t 100% fit.

5.02pm BST17:02

46 min Arsenal kick-off - techno, techno, techno, techno, as Dickens once said.

5.01pm BST17:01

Liam Murray disagrees with me. “Schmeichel, Keane, Ronaldo, Giggs, Scholes, Evra, Seaman, Vieira, Bergkamp, Henry, Zola, Klinsmann, Shearer, Aguero, Suarez. A workable definition of ‘great of the game’ is a player who would be assured of a place in the best team in the world during his peak. All of the previous could. Henry or Schmeichel #1.”

Fair enough - my criterion wasn’t greats of the generation, but all-time greats.

4.59pm BST16:59

“I haven’t watched an Arsenal team play actually attractive football since 07/08,” reckons Maher Sattar.

Harsh, I’d say, but I feel you. After that, they became a little one-dimensional - lots of skilful midifelders, not enough pace and penetration. But they’re closer now than they have been since then, and have played some lovely stuff in patches, just not as often as early-era Wenger sides.

4.56pm BST16:56

Half-time email: “While I’m inclined to agree with you on Henry, Bergkamp and Cantona,” emails Rory McGee, “your Terry/Ferdinand logic raises the important question: Who was better than Henry in his pomp? A bit late for the Original Ronaldo. Shevchenko in his prime?”

Sure, he was one of the best, if not the best centre-forward around. A great of the era, indisputably, and I’d not massively dispute his presence on someone else’s list - but he’s missing defining performances at crucial stages of the European Cup, though of course there are some good ones.

4.47pm BST16:47

Half-time: Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal

Some stern words to be had in the visitors’ changing room. Arsenal have barely threatened, and United are finding overloads all over the pitch. At the moment, Ozil and Sanchez may as well be lovingly caressing their admittedly prodigious abs, lats and traps; Wenger urgently needs to find a way of getting them involved, while Cazorla simply needs to play better.

Updated at 4.51pm BST

4.47pm BST16:47

45 min Coquelin brings down Young on the left, and United have a free-kick levelish with the edge of the box. With the various geleimpters gathering around the penalty spot, Mata cuts the kick back to Blind, arriving round about the D. He connects well, shooting low and hard, only for his effort to wallop Smalling’s buttocks. Looking at the replay, the ball was probably going just wide.

Updated at 4.52pm BST

4.45pm BST16:45

43 min An insect appears on the lens; it’s a funny old game. United are pushing Arsenal back again, Herrera sliding square and inside to Falcao - who’s slow to shoot. Poor chap.

“A few weeks ago, I popular-Internet-video-sited Falcao,” emails Matt Dony, “just to convince myself I wasn’t going crazy and losing my memory. He was astonishing a few years ago. Truly astonishing. He scored goals of all types, and was a great all-round footballer. This season had slowly convinced me that I had made up all my memories of him at Porto, Atletico and Monaco. But, no, the proof is there. Maybe someone should show him?”

It’s hard to know quite what’s up with him - fine, he’s lost some pace, but the malaise is more than that. I suppose it’s confidence.

Updated at 4.52pm BST

4.42pm BST16:42

41 min Jones, done on the outside by Giroud - ! - slides back at him on the right touchline. He misses, ceding a free-kick and giving Arsenal a rarew chance to get a ball into the box. So Ozil flights into the middle, where De Gea claims confidently.

4.40pm BST16:40

39 min Young, out on the left touchline, had time to look up and lift a ball into Mata, now inside the box and also on its left, as Monreal steps up. He checks, then goes outside Bellerin, doing superbly to jab a cross from the by-line that loops over Ospina and towards Falcao at the back post. He leaps with Mertersacker, shoving him and heading for goal - but the ref’s wise to the ruse, blowing for a free-kick.

4.39pm BST16:39

37 min It’s a while since Arsenal mustered an attack; Giroud needs help, because Blind and Jones are double-teaming him, leaving Smalling spare. The problem is that they can’t really afford to lose a man from midfield - perhaps Sanchez could move inside.

Updated at 4.59pm BST

4.37pm BST16:37

35 min Ander Herrera has six goals from seven shots on target this season - and, I think, has also scored twice in the Cup. Which, I also think, makes eight in total, more than all United’s midfielders and wingers managed between them last season. Which makes his time out of the side a little tricky to understand, even if he wasn’t quite in tune with the, er, “philosophy” to begin with.

Updated at 5.00pm BST

4.34pm BST16:34

34 min I don’t suppose it’s surprising to note that Arsene Wenger hasn’t formulated a method to combat Fellaini - or, at least, one that’s currently working.

Updated at 5.04pm BST

4.33pm BST16:33

32 min Again, United break down the left, Young dashing along the line and fizzing a cut-back that’s got too much on it for Mata - he arrives as scheduled, but hasn’t quite timed his run, past it before it arrives.

Updated at 4.53pm BST

4.30pm BST16:30

GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal (Herrera 30)

This is an exceptional finish. Fellaini, bursting through midfield, lays off left to Young, and lanks into the box. Again, the cross is towards the backpost, he and Mata ganging up on Monreal such that none of them get the ball - and there’s Herrera, able to compose before timing and guiding a sidefooted volley in between Ospina and the near post.

Updated at 4.53pm BST

4.28pm BST16:28

28 min It’s a matter of time before “do you watch Phil Jones play football?” is included on all life insurance questionnaires. Again, he misjudges a ball through the middle forcing De Gea to hare out ahead of Giroud, before tapping a backpass directly at his foot - he does well to clear.

Updated at 4.30pm BST

4.27pm BST16:27

27 min Fellaini jumps with Mertesacker, who obviously wears a forearm to the coupon. The ref decides that this is simply an amazing coincidence, and no card is issued.

4.26pm BST16:26

25 min “I’m really not sure how Terry and Ferdinand are ‘All-time greats’” emails Paul Thompson. “You’ve either got to be really strict - in which case there is no way they are included - or a bit more flexible, which means not only Henry but Cantona and Bergkamp also make it, along with a few others.”

Once you allow that lot in, the criteria change to all the best players, not an exclusive group of the very best. Terry and Ferdinand were more or less the best in the world in their position, for some time. That’s my rationale. Obviously I love the three you mention.

4.24pm BST16:24

23 min “Falcao appears to possess the opposite of a burst of pace”, tweets Gary Naylor. “A puff of dawdle?”

An inflation of inertia?

4.23pm BST16:23

21 min “It’s happened again, Tottenham Hotspur, it’s happened again” sing the Arsenal fans, exulting their status as north London’s top club. In the meantime, the game endures a lull, so Phil Jones slips inside his own box - but, oh, he was induced so to do by a brilliant Berbatovesque touch from Giroud, which killed a long ball from Mertesacker. Credit to Jones, who, after falling, continued ploughing headlong, swimming crawl and just about heading clear from a horizontal position on the grass.

Updated at 5.01pm BST

4.19pm BST16:19

18 min Of course, Van Gaal’s United also attempt interplay, but it’s Arsenal who rap the ball around the edge of their box, finding Giroud inside it - but he can’t find the space for a shot, forced to lay it back, before Cazorla again loses possession.

4.18pm BST16:18

17 min Cazorla can’t get into the game at the moment, and United hustle him into a mistake, again funnelling the ball wide to Young as soon as possible. He’s held up, and they have to go backwards, but that seems more or less what United are aiming for - width and crosses. Now where have we seen those tactics before?

4.16pm BST16:16

15 min Mata nips inside Coquelin just to the right of the D, so is brought down - the ref plays an advantage when, but pulls it back when there isn’t one. Falcao fancies some of the free-kick, but it’s perfect for Mata, so runs over it, only for a weak low shot to be easily gathered by Ospina, sprawling right to make sure.

Updated at 4.26pm BST

4.14pm BST16:14

13 min Lovely ball from Ozil to Sanchez, 30 yards out, dead centre. But, with Giroud galumphing through the middle hoping for a through-pass, Young has time to slide in and clear.

4.13pm BST16:13

12 min After a lively start from Arsenal, United have taken over in the last few minutes - Blind is finding a way of moving the ball into midfield when his defenders are pressed, sort of what Carrick was saying of him pre-match.

4.11pm BST16:11

10 min With a phalanx drawn to the near post, Smalling pulls away at the back, and has time to brings the ball down and compose before shooting. But Giroud does superbly to block, ceding another corner - which comes to nowt.

Updated at 4.23pm BST

4.10pm BST16:10

9 min Again, United find Young, and this time, he looks for Fellaini, again on Monreal, who does enough to bundle man and ball away. But United retrieve possession, Herreram outside the box, right-hand side, with an astute square pass to Mata. He espies Falcao in between the centre-backs, and glides a ball into his stride, but there’s not enough on it, and Ospina comes out to smother. Corner.

Updated at 4.27pm BST

4.08pm BST16:08

8 min “You’re wrong,” emails Nasser Abourahme. “And what’s more you seem to be something of a rabble-rouser - omitting undoubtedly the greatest player of the premier league era, Thierry Henry, from that list is not only asking for it, it is also ultimately deserving it!”

Not sure you how you’d argue him better than Ronaldo, but here’s my rationale: Henry was an amazing player, a great of the era and an Arsenal great, but not an all-time great.

4.07pm BST16:07

6 min Ashley Young feints outside, drags the ball inside - yes, really! - and, with Fellaini pulling onto Monreal at the back post, instead goes for call, attempting to reprise his brace of 8-2 fame. But he gets under it, and the ball whooshes over the top.

4.05pm BST16:05

4 min United lose possession between the centre-circle and Arsenal box, Mata rushed out of things - if Arsenal keep their pressing up, those words might recur. Sanchez then races clear at inside-left, but Smalling and Jones set off in pursuit, double-teaming to crowd him out.

4.03pm BST16:03

3 min Alexis Sanchez is basically Carlos Tevez with pace - and perhaps bionic limbs.

Updated at 4.19pm BST

4.02pm BST16:02

2 min Sanchez drifts left, takes possession and steps inside, flipping a ball over united’s centre-backs for Ozil, racing into the box. But there’s too much on it, and United get it away.

4.01pm BST16:01

1 min Arsenal seem to be pressing United high up the pitch, which makes sense; ne’er has a defence of footballers been so averse to kicking footballs.

4.00pm BST16:00

1 min United kick-off. Yo DJ, pump this party.

3.59pm BST15:59

It’s a commercial break, and it’s live!

Updated at 3.59pm BST

3.57pm BST15:57

Lot of talk this week about great players and greatest Premier League players, so my £1.95’s worth: in the era, there’ve been many brilliant, wonderful players, but only a few greats of the game: Schmeichel, Cole, Terry, Ferdinand, Keane, Ronaldo, and that’s it. I’m probably wrong.

Updated at 3.58pm BST

3.55pm BST15:55

The players are tunnelled.

3.55pm BST15:55

“Re: Blind as utility man,” writes @lobotics on Twitter, people talk a lot about Ronaldo but I’ve always felt United’s decline started when O’Shea left.”

What a hilarious sentence this is, but I know what you mean. Calling Blind a utility man wasn’t an especial insult - as you infer, it’s a crucial role in a squad. It’s not easy to know how Van Gaal conceives of him, because, thanks to opportune injuries, he’s never had to drop him.

3.53pm BST15:53

“One would think that an Ozil-Cazorla exchange of passes would be enough to bamboozle a Smalling-Jones partnership,” emails Charles Antaki, “but you say that Smalling has been excellent this year then perhaps not; after all, the Arsenal front line has failed to penetrate even rather pedestrian back lines of late. Perhaps some money might go on Bellerín coming round the, erm, Blind side.”

It’s hard to know with Jones, in particular - he’s become a figure of fun because he makes funny faces and doesn’t exactly affect savvy, but he is also capable of playing well. He might have a problem next season - I’d imagine Evans will be out when the first new defender arrives, but it’s not inconceivable that there’ll be another behind him, in which case, he’s done.

3.46pm BST15:46

Invited to bigup Falcao, Carrick praises hi movement - almost a back-handed compliment, given the explosive brilliance of his finishing pre-injury.

3.44pm BST15:44

Incidentally, United cannot now catch City, but can still finish third, while for Arsenal, second is still available.

3.43pm BST15:43

“He is more the leader of our defence than another player,” says Van Gaal of Smalling.

3.43pm BST15:43

“We have some candidates on the bench who are very serious as well”, says Wenger, after answering the obligatory non-question about whether an unchanged side is a good thing.

3.42pm BST15:42

Falcao was picked ahead of Van Persie because Van Persie was ill and Falcao did well last week - apparently.

3.41pm BST15:41

Back to Arsenal, they might look to get Alexis Sanchez a little wider than usual, running at Valencia. Otherwise, if they can get the ball zipping around Fellaini and Blind, it should be enough to keep Herrera out of the game, which should be enough to win.

3.38pm BST15:38

Carrick also mentions Smalling’s increasingly vocal contribution - and, Daniel Harris understands, this is even the case in training.

3.37pm BST15:37

Blind, meanwhile, is “very clever at making games within games, 2 v 1 and 3 v 2 overloads”.

The problem with Blind, though, is a lack of pace and muscle - one, a talent can handle, two, not so much. I’d be relatively surprised if he were ever more than a utility man.

3.34pm BST15:34

Van Gaal is “a lot more measured and a lot more calculated” than Fergie, says Michael Carrick in the studio. He adds that his role often changes by the game or during a game - he gives the example of Liverpool away, when due to their system, he was more or less playing centre-back.

3.30pm BST15:30

Email, with Christopher Dale: “Improved as their form is, I can only hope Young and Fellaini are short term fixes in the team. Have impressed this season post-Christmas, but have no place in a title-challenging side. Rather excited by Depay however.”

Both are useful options. To win a title, and certainly to compete in Europe and the cups, a team needs options and variety, players who can come in or come on and change things. They needn’t be the best around, just different.

3.25pm BST15:25

I wonder about Falcao - perhaps he’s been doing wonderful, terrible things in training, because he’s shown very little in games to earn this start. You can only assume that there’s still a chance he’ll be allowed to stay.

3.22pm BST15:22

I think it was me who said dept: to get you in the mood, here’s this week’s Joy of Six: sporting insults, feat. Wenger-Fergie, Bellamy-Terry, Evra-Thuram, Keane-McCarthy, Collins-Eubank and Terry Neill-A. Player.

3.19pm BST15:19

So, let’s start with what’s easy: Arsenal are unchanged for the sixth game in a row, and Daniel Welbeck doesn’t make it.

United, meanwhile, have no choice but to pick between Falcao and Van Persie to replace Rooney, which must be a distressing state of affairs; I’d have gone with James Wilson. Otherwise, Marcos Rojo, who’s looked handy at centre-back and less so at left-back, will play at left-back in place of Luke Shaw, while the team will be captained by Chris Smalling - just reward for an excellent season, in which he’s assumed responsibility for organising the dodginess that surrounds him.

Updated at 3.29pm BST

3.10pm BST15:10

Right then, runners and riders:

Manchester United (4-3-3 masquerading as 4-1-4-1 and vice versa): Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Rojo; Blind, Herrera, Fellaini; Mata, Falcao, Young.

Subs: Valdes, Blackett, McNair, Di Maria, Januzaj, Van Persie, Wilson.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1 bien sur): Ospina; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla; Ramsey, Ozil, Alexis; Giroud.

Subs: Szczesny, Gibbs, Gabriel, Flamini, Rosicky, Wilshere, Walcott.

3.00pm BST15:00

Preamble

“It’s still 0-0”, “he’s hit that too well”, “what do you think Lawro?”; verily is much nonsense spoken in footballing connection. Nonsense like “next season starts today”, even when it doesn’t, like today - even though it kind of does.

This is because both United and Arsenal have already achieved their bare minimum for the year, their failure in yet another Champions League campaign now secure. But only if we’re being exceptionally generous. United know that they underperformed in the Cups and that success is measured in entertainment as well as league position, whereas Arsenal, though they’ve a final coming up, ought to have at least offered an illusion of the semblance of a hint of a title challenge.

But next season (which starts today) must be different. Both squads are a season older and both first XIs a season more grooved, both managers are being given even more money to throw at new players, and Louis van Gaal now knows how the English league works. Excuses are no longer excusable.

So, today’s game represents, more than three points, an opportunity to assert superiority. Even last season, when team after team sniggered into and away from Old Trafford, Arsenal contrived defeat, still haunted by a generation of capitulation. Then, when United, fielding a back-three of McNair-Smalling-Blackett,visited the Emirates in the first half of this, Arsenal contrived to concede before United had mustered a shot on target, before facilitating a break and a clinching second with defending that was not so much appalling as downright peculiar.

The sides have improved since then, not that either had scope to do otherwise. After Olivier Giroud returned, Santi Santi-Cazorla found form and Mesut Ozil bonded with Alexis Sanchez, their contributions central to Arsenal eliminating United from the Cup. Buoyed with belief, Arsenal went on to win their next six games too; they’ll be doing their best to relocate the accordant confidence, after a more trying last fortnight.

But the Cup game also marked a change for United. In the weeks previous to it, they’d hinted an ability to play football, and subsequently - thanks in part to fortunate injury and suspension - finally found a formation to suit their players, the last one Van Gaal tried, yet the one in which he is most expert. There followed crucial and convincing wins over Spurs, Liverpool, Villa and Manchester City, before, objective more or less achieved, they reverted to comfortable and comforting uselessness.

As for what’ll happen today, United at full-strength would be a decent bet. But, without Carrick and Rooney, neither of whom can be adequately replaced, expect to see their midfield spend the majority of the afternoon fruitlessly seeking Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil and Sanchez. Of course, behaviour of this ilk is no guarantee of an Arsenal win, so some kind of score-draw seems likely.

Kick-off: 4pm

3.00pm BST15:00

Daniel will be here shortly, but in the meantime, here’s Jamie Jackson’s preview:

For Manchester United to have any chance of finishing third they must beat Arsenal, who have a match in hand, with Louis van Gaal saying: “We can put pressure on Arsenal and that is what we want to do on Sunday.” However, Arsène Wenger has a settled side while Van Gaal will be without Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Luke Shaw, and Jonny Evans and Rafael Da Silva are doubts, so United’s task is made even more difficult.

Kick-off Sunday 4pm

Venue Old Trafford

Last season Man Utd 1 Arsenal 0

Live Sky Sports 1

Referee M Dean

This season G28, Y122, R8, 4.93 cards per game

Odds H 6-4 A 2-1 D 5-2

Manchester Utd

Subs from Valdés, Lindegaard, Vermijl, Amos, Thorpe, Blackett, Lingard, Evans, Januzaj, McNair, Rojo, Wilson, Da Silva, Di María

Doubtful Da Silva (match fitness), Evans (match fitness)

Injured Rooney (leg, 24 May), Shaw

(face, 24 May), Carrick (calf, unknown)

Suspended None

Form WWLLLW

Discipline Y63 R4

Leading scorer Rooney 12

Arsenal

Subs from Szczesny, Martínez, Chambers, Gibbs, Gabriel, Flamini, Rosicky, Wilshere, Gnabry, Walcott

Doubtful None

Injured Arteta (ankle, 24 May), Welbeck (knee, 24 May), Debuchy (hamstring, 30 May), Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin, 30 May)

Suspended None

Form WWWDWL

Discipline Y67 R2

Leading scorer Sánchez 16