Arsenal head north on Sunday for an early-season clash with old rivals Manchester United.
It has been billed as the first real test of the season for Mikel Arteta’s dynamic young side and while that may not be true in terms of technical level, it may well be in terms of hostility, atmosphere and intensity.
After a comical start to their campaign, United have found something approaching stability in recent weeks having reeled off a hat-trick of wins. And though they have failed to impress in any of those victories, they have demonstrated that sometimes a little momentum and a dash of adrenaline can carry you through.
For anyone who watched their game against Liverpool, the power of a raucous home crowd was much in evidence and I would expect exactly the same sort of atmosphere on Sunday. Unless they are silenced early, crowds can add that extra little bit that makes the difference. We can’t allow that to happen.
This Arsenal side is far superior to the one that will line up at Old Trafford tomorrow. It is technically better, more cohesive and better prepared than the side in a state of flux that we’ll be coming up against. United are trying to adapt on the hoof to their new coach and new ways of playing and that has been reflected in the scrappy, often disjointed manner of their performances this campaign.
We were unlucky to come away with nothing when last we visited Old Trafford so it would be nice to right that wrong and really cement our claim for a place among the top four this season. A positive result would be a true measure of how we’ve developed and grown over the last 12 months.
In order to do that, we have to play with the sort of aggression and intensity that has characterised our early season. Home and away, we have played our game in our way and we have played undaunted by fear or unphased by setbacks.
If we can see through the bark of the atmosphere and partisan home crowd tomorrow, we will find there isn’t much bite to this United side yet.
In terms of personnel, we continue to be without Mohammed Elneny and Thomas Partey – and will be for some time in both cases. Oleksandr Zinchenko remains likely to be sidelined too. That leaves a big gap in the centre of our midfield and one any smart coach would seek to exploit.
We must place our faith again in Albert Sambi Lokonga who, in fairness, had a very tidy game in the middle of the park against Villa. This time, however, he will be up against much more experienced, arguably more capable opposition so he will have to get his basics right and stay switched on for 90 minutes.
This is a huge opportunity for him to show us what he is really about in a high-stakes, high-intensity clash against a big rival. Games don’t often come bigger than this.
Elsewhere, barring any setbacks, I would expect/hope to see the same side that played against Aston Villa. We are asking a lot of them at the moment, undoubtedly, but if they can get through this one, chances are many of them will get the chance to rest in midweek as the Europa League gets under way.
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