Fellow strugglers looking at win over rivals to kick-start season
Arsenal, Man United have both been poor this season and languish in mid-table
LONDON:
Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck's reunion with former club Manchester United supplies one of the various sub-plots as the Premier League resumes this weekend following the international break.
Arsenal welcome United to the Emirates Stadium in the evening today for a match that will see both teams attempt to avoid conceding further ground to league leaders Chelsea.
Beaten 2-1 at Swansea City in their last outing, Arsenal approach the weekend in sixth, 12 points behind Chelsea and only a point above United, who edged Crystal Palace 1-0 last time out.
Welbeck has impressed as the focal point of the attack for both Arsenal and England since leaving United on transfer deadline day in a £16 million transfer.
The 23-year-old came through the youth ranks at Old Trafford and his departure prompted former assistant coach Mike Phelan to declare that United's identity had been ‘broken’.
Welbeck was withdrawn as a precaution during England's 3-1 friendly win over Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday after complaining of tightness in his hamstring, but is expected to face United.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has also been boosted by the news that France striker Olivier Giroud is ready to return to action after recovering from a broken leg quicker than expected.
United, meanwhile, received a blow during the international break when Dutch midfielder Daley Blind sustained a knee ligament injury likely to sideline him for several weeks.
But although they face ongoing injury problems in defence, goalkeeper David de Gea and midfielders Michael Carrick and Angel di Maria are expected to be fit to face Arsenal despite sustaining knocks on international duty.
"Di Maria has trained normally, so I don't think that is a question mark, but [Luke] Shaw is," said United manager Louis van Gaal. “De Gea is good, no problem. I think I have to wait for the reaction in training with Carrick, but I also expect he's ready to play.”
Chelsea looking to carry on
The season may only be 11 games old, but Chelsea are already looking firm favourites to win their first title since 2010.
A 2-1 win at Liverpool enabled Jose Mourinho's side to open up an eight-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City, with Arsenal, United and Liverpool even further back.
“The win at Anfield was really important because it was a really difficult game and we knew it was important for the future,” said Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis.
The Blues now host West Bromwich Albion today and will hope to see top scorer Diego Costa back to his best after he was left out of the Spain squad to rest his troublesome hamstrings.
City looking to improve
Champions City will look to drag themselves out of a rut when they host Swansea today, having won only one of their last six matches in all competitions.
Manuel Pellegrini's side are on the brink of elimination in the Champions League ahead of Tuesday's home game with Bayern Munich, but have at least been able to rely on the form of Sergio Aguero.
The Argentine scored his 11th and 12th league goals of the season in City's 2-2 draw at Queens Park Rangers a fortnight ago and appears to have overcome the injury problems that bedevilled him last term.
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck's reunion with former club Manchester United supplies one of the various sub-plots as the Premier League resumes this weekend following the international break.
Arsenal welcome United to the Emirates Stadium in the evening today for a match that will see both teams attempt to avoid conceding further ground to league leaders Chelsea.
Beaten 2-1 at Swansea City in their last outing, Arsenal approach the weekend in sixth, 12 points behind Chelsea and only a point above United, who edged Crystal Palace 1-0 last time out.
Welbeck has impressed as the focal point of the attack for both Arsenal and England since leaving United on transfer deadline day in a £16 million transfer.
The 23-year-old came through the youth ranks at Old Trafford and his departure prompted former assistant coach Mike Phelan to declare that United's identity had been ‘broken’.
Welbeck was withdrawn as a precaution during England's 3-1 friendly win over Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday after complaining of tightness in his hamstring, but is expected to face United.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has also been boosted by the news that France striker Olivier Giroud is ready to return to action after recovering from a broken leg quicker than expected.
United, meanwhile, received a blow during the international break when Dutch midfielder Daley Blind sustained a knee ligament injury likely to sideline him for several weeks.
But although they face ongoing injury problems in defence, goalkeeper David de Gea and midfielders Michael Carrick and Angel di Maria are expected to be fit to face Arsenal despite sustaining knocks on international duty.
"Di Maria has trained normally, so I don't think that is a question mark, but [Luke] Shaw is," said United manager Louis van Gaal. “De Gea is good, no problem. I think I have to wait for the reaction in training with Carrick, but I also expect he's ready to play.”
Chelsea looking to carry on
The season may only be 11 games old, but Chelsea are already looking firm favourites to win their first title since 2010.
A 2-1 win at Liverpool enabled Jose Mourinho's side to open up an eight-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City, with Arsenal, United and Liverpool even further back.
“The win at Anfield was really important because it was a really difficult game and we knew it was important for the future,” said Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis.
The Blues now host West Bromwich Albion today and will hope to see top scorer Diego Costa back to his best after he was left out of the Spain squad to rest his troublesome hamstrings.
City looking to improve
Champions City will look to drag themselves out of a rut when they host Swansea today, having won only one of their last six matches in all competitions.
Manuel Pellegrini's side are on the brink of elimination in the Champions League ahead of Tuesday's home game with Bayern Munich, but have at least been able to rely on the form of Sergio Aguero.
The Argentine scored his 11th and 12th league goals of the season in City's 2-2 draw at Queens Park Rangers a fortnight ago and appears to have overcome the injury problems that bedevilled him last term.
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.