I think I am right in saying that every Arsenal fan has a responsibility to purge August's 8-2 debacle at Old Trafford from their minds as we approach Sunday's match. Mercifully, we have a much stronger team now, and the challenge will be to keep the Red Devils off the scoresheet and try to recover from two straight defeats.
Despite having a much better team than in August, there are still a plethora of personnel issues, particularly at the back. While the hope is that Thomas Vermaelen will be back for Sunday's match, Bacary Sagna remains out, while Johan Djourou is suspended. If Vermaelen returns, he will likely play left back, leaving either Ignasi Miquel or Sebastien Squillaci to join Per Mertesacker in central defense; if not, Miquel will stay at left back and Arsene Wenger may have no choice but to play Squillaci. Laurent Koscielny will probably move to right back, a position he's played before, to offset the loss of Djourou.
In the midfield, Mikel Arteta will hopefully re-enter the starting lineup after missing the match at Swansea City with a calf strain. Aaron Ramsey has played a lot of games lately, and I believe he needs a rest. Yossi Benayoun played a fair game at Swansea, and so did Tomas Rosicky, and either one should be in contention for a start if Arteta can't go. Robin van Persie and either Theo Walcott or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be near-definites for the starting 11, but the left wing remains open and could be occupied by Andrei Arshavin, Benayoun or even Thierry Henry, but the Frenchman will likely remain a substitute even against United.
Player to watch: the entire back four/five. Wojciech Szczesny has, for the most part, been the replacement for David Seaman and Jens Lehmann we've been seeking, but injuries and suspension have left the defense in something of a shambles. If the fullbacks in particular have trouble, Arsenal's wing play will suffer.
Prediction: Arsenal will keep the score lower than 8-2, but I will be bold and predict at least a 2-2 draw between the two rivals. Arsenal's woes at the back cannot be ignored, and the United wingers like Nani and Ashley Young will try to exploit them.
