Wayne Rooney
Reuters

Manchester United play host to Arsenal in what is being reported as the single most important game of the season for the Red Devils.

Where to Watch Live

Kick-off is set for 4:10pm GMT. Live coverage will be available on Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 1 HD and Sky 3D.

Overview

This is uncharted territory for the Red Devils who have, over the years, dominated the Gunners. Their last loss at home dates back to 2006 when Emmanuel Adebayor scored the winner for the north London club. However, the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson has ostensibly opened the floodgates and under new manager David Moyes, United are currently eight points behind league leaders Arsenal. A loss here will make it extremely difficult for the Red Devils to stage a comeback, making this a must win affair for the defending Champions.

United will be boosted by the fact they have a brilliant record against the Gunners over the past couple of seasons, having won three of the last four encounters, scoring 13 goals in the process. The last time these two teams met was at the Emirates earlier this year, where they drew 1-1, having already won the title.

The Gunners, on the other hand, will come into the game with an eight point lead over the defending Champions. A win here will make them genuine contenders for the title and make life extremely difficult for United to come back into the race. Arsenal are undefeated in their last 15 games away from home, winning 14 and drawing one of the same. They come into the game on the back of a brilliant 1-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, in a group where many predicted their demise. However, their loss at home to Chelsea in the Capital One Cup has opened criticism from many pundits that the Gunners are still some way off the pedestal when it comes to challenging for the title. A win here will lay rest to any such scepticism.

What the Managers Say

David Moyes(on RVP): "Robin must have had strong views about joining Manchester United and I'm sure he'd say he's made the right choice. He was a great player at Arsenal. What he did there was great and he's come to Manchester United and done exactly the same. Nobody wants to let their best players leave and Robin, undoubtedly, was one of Arsenal's best players. But his contract was running out, so there was a situation where Arsenal had to act and United wanted him."

Arsene Wenger: "We have had two clean sheets now in two big games and you never do that without a huge contribution from your centre backs. It's a mixture of quality but as well a calm confidence with no panic in very heated situations. These two are at their peak in these kinds of situations."

Form Guide

Manchester United

    • Last Five(all competitions, most recent first):D W W W W
    • Last Result: Real Sociedad 0-0 Manchester United

Arsenal

    • Last Five(all competitions, most recent first):W W L W L
    • Last Result: Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Arsenal

Team News

Manchester United

    • Injured: Darren Fletcher (illness), Danny Welbeck (knee)
    • Doubtful: N/A
    • Suspended: N/A

Probable Line-Up: De Gea; Smalling, Jones, Vidic, Evra; Carrick, Cleverley; Valencia, Rooney, Januzaj; Van Persie

Arsenal

    • Injured: Theo Walcott (abdominal surgery), Yaya Sanogo (back), Lukas Podolski (hamstring), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain(knee), Abou Diaby (knee).
    • Doubtful: N/A
    • Suspended: N/A

Probable Line-Up: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Arteta, Flamini; Ramsey, Özil, Cazorla; Giroud

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