Sky Sports.com

Arsenal and United: head-to-head

A draw on Sunday would give the impetus to Chelsea because if United were to lose at Stamford Bridge later this month then Avram Grant's side would suddenly be in the box seat.

Matt Le Tissier
Quotes of the week

Man Utd v Arsenal
3.30pm, Sunday, Sky Sports 1

Related links

Teams

• Arsenal
• Manchester United

Players

• Rio Ferdinand
• Wes Brown
• More Players John O'Shea Wayne Rooney Nemanja Vidic Theo Walcott

Also see

• Latest Man Utd news
• Latest Arsenal news
• Martin Tyler's column

Man Utd v Arsenal
3.30pm, Sunday, Sky Sports 1

Old Trafford is last-chance saloon for Arsenal. If they are to challenge for the title they've got to go there and win - a draw will not be enough.

At the same time, I think only a win would be considered a good result for United. Sir Alex Ferguson knows Chelsea are breathing down their necks in the title race and they've still got to go to Stamford Bridge, a place where the Blues haven't lost for four years.

A draw on Sunday would give the impetus to Chelsea because if United were to lose at Stamford Bridge later this month then Avram Grant's side would suddenly be in the box seat.

So both sides will kick-off on Super Sunday knowing they must win - and I'm hoping that should make it a very open and entertaining match.

Differing fortunes

It would be fair to say the two teams had very differing fortunes in the Champions League in midweek.

Arsenal were extremely unlucky after getting back to 2-2 against Liverpool, only to suffer the heartbreak of conceding a penalty so soon afterwards.

The moment that really stood out for me was Theo Walcott's fantastic run to set up Arsenal's equaliser. It was absolutely top drawer and I was chuffed to bits for the young boy. I've been championing his cause for a long time because I know the ability he's got and it was great to see him do that.

I was off my seat in a pub in St Andrews when that goal went in, not because I'm an Arsenal supporter, but because Theo's run was so fantastic.

It's a shame for him it wasn't the defining moment of the tie because he's taken a fair bit of stick this season and the newspapers would have been full of praise for him.

He's been unlucky because he scored two goals against Birmingham and that was overshadowed by Eduardo's injury and then that run on Tuesday might be forgotten because his team lost.

It will now be a big job for Arsene Wenger to raise Arsenal's spirits again, but he knows a win would put them within three points of United.

It would also set up a fantastic finale to the season with three teams in with a shout of taking the title with four games to go. Wouldn't that be great?

As for United, they could have had a tricky evening if Roma had converted that first-half penalty. But Daniele De Rossi missed it and it turned out to be a fairly comfortable night for them in the end.

Winning 2-0 in Rome was a key result and it allowed Sir Alex Ferguson to leave some of his stars on the bench with Sunday's game in mind. They'll be excited about going to Barcelona, but this game at Old Trafford is massive and they must concentrate on it first.

Toll

The fact Arsenal don't have as big a squad as United or Chelsea has taken its toll a little bit. They were doing great when most of their players were fit, but as soon as suspensions and injuries started kicking in it became apparent the squad was a bit too small.

In contrast, Ferguson has had the chance to rotate a little bit recently, although I'm sure all his players are chomping at the bit and wanting to play in the big games they've got coming up.

The injuries to Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand will be a concern because the back-up is not of the same standard. The likes of Wes Brown and John O'Shea will be asked to fill in and I think opponents will feel they have more of a chance against those two.

I'm sure Wenger will see that as a potential weakness, but I suspect Ferdinand might play against Arsenal after he battled through the second half against Roma.

But Vidic will be a big loss because he has been key part of their success this season. While the forwards have been getting all the praise, he's gone about his job in an efficient manner and I've been very impressed by him.

Target

I know they only drew with Middlesbrough last weekend, but with the form they've been showing in the last few weeks I wouldn't be surprised if United did the Premier League and Champions League double. That's a very realistic target for them now.

You see a lot of teams falter at this stage of the season. We've certainly seen it in the Championship this year, where teams have got to the top of the table only to fall away.

We saw Arsenal have a bad patch when they were top, but this United team seem to have gotten stronger and they've relished the fact that they are in the hunt for trophies. Their form in the last two months has improved and if they do the double then they deserve to be compared favourably with the 1999 treble-winning team.

They have been in such great form that I just can't predict an away win on Sunday.

I'd love to see Arsenal win it because it would set us up for a brilliant end to the season, but with both sides desperate for the victory, I suppose this has got a draw written all over it!

Le Tiss Predicts

DRAW - This is a very tough game to call because both sides need to win, but I think it might be a draw. It could be a classic for the spectators and I'll say it'll be a pulsating 2-2 - but don't rule out the possibility of a dramatic late winner.

Matt's Main Man

WAYNE ROONEY - You can pretty much take your pick of main men in this match. I'm going to say Rooney because I love his enthusiasm for the game and I think he's now got maturity as well as fantastic ability. He's harnessed his aggressive streak this season and he seems to be coming into good form at the perfect time.