The fixture between Manchester United and Arsenal has delivered many famous Premier League moments, making it the perfect match to mark the return of domestic action. A few that jump to mind are ‘pizzagate’, the 8-2 mauling at Old Trafford and the midfield battles between Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira. This weekend will see Arsene Wenger come up against Jose Mourinho, but this time in one of the most iconic fixtures in world football, providing another edge to the match as the two managers have had disagreements in the past. Here are three things to look out for this weekend:
The battle between the two managers
The match on the pitch is the only thing that matters, but the battle between Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger provides another plotline to this blockbuster fixture. The former has had struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford, with his tactical ideas not suiting the players he has available to him. It will be fascinating to watch the tactical battle between the two managers, as Mourinho needs to move away from his ideals if he wants to have success at Old Trafford. He was famously very successful when coming up against the best sides in the league while Chelsea manager, but defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea suggest that he needs to change his approach as Manchester United manager. Meanwhile, Wenger knows his best side and many believe his side will finally be serious title challengers this season.
It is a game that Mourinho can’t afford to lose and I’d expect him to take it to the trenches both on and off the pitch. That means a combative game and that could lead to some unsavoury scenes on the touchline. Wenger has stated that he will shake hands with his opposite number, but it is a real possibility that there could be fireworks on the touchline this weekend, especially if the fires are stoked on the pitch. Although he hasn’t had as much success on the pitch as he would have anticipated, Mourinho is still the king of creating controversy and Wenger will be in his sights this weekend.