Revitalized Manchester United Aims to Disrupt Arsenal's Title Pursuit

Match Preview: Arsenal vs Manchester United

By Martyn Herman

Recent Form and Performance

LONDON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Arsenal versus Manchester United is a fixture that has lost its lustre since the days when they were scrapping for Premier League titles with such ferocity that clashes between the sides inevitably reached boiling point.

Managerial Changes and Impact

They shared out the title between them for nine seasons between 1996 and 2004, with Alex Ferguson's United taking six and Arsene Wenger's Arsenal prevailing on three occasions.

Title Race Implications

United have been a fading force since Ferguson's reign ended with the 2012-13 title, while Arsenal have not been champions of England since their Invincibles ruled the roost in 2003-04.

After three successive runners-up finishes, Arsenal are red-hot favourites to end that long wait this season and have opened a seven-point lead at the top over stuttering Manchester City and Aston Villa.

They host United on Sunday and while their visitors are, once again, not in the title equation, the match has suddenly gone from being what most assumed would be a comfortable home win to a fixture that could rekindle memories of old.

CARRICK APPOINTMENT SPARKS REACTION

The sacking of manager Ruben Amorim this month ended another chapter of woe for United, but the appointment of former midfielder Michael Carrick on a caretaker basis until the end of the season sparked an astonishing reaction last weekend.

United's 2-0 'thrashing' of City at Old Trafford seemed to banish the gloom at a stroke -- with Carrick's side ripping Pep Guardiola's title contenders to shreds with the kind of swashbuckling football that has been beyond them for so long.

Arsenal have won five and drawn once in their last six league meetings with United, although they did lose a penalty shootout at home this time last year in the FA Cup.

While Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side have a comfortable cushion at the top, they have drawn their last two league matches 0-0 and will be wary of a United side who will be eager to prove last weekend was no flash in the pan.

"I think for Michael his game plan is simple, exactly the same way as you've just played against Manchester City," United's record scorer Wayne Rooney said this week.

Although trailing Arsenal by 15 points, United are in fifth, one point behind fourth-placed champions Liverpool, and with genuine hopes of qualifying for the Champions League after the ignominy of being absent from Europe this season.

MANCHESTER CITY PLAYING CATCH-UP AGAIN

City reeled in Arsenal in the build-up to Christmas but a dreadful run of form has left them playing catch-up again.

Three successive Premier League draws before the defeat at Old Trafford and Tuesday's Champions League humiliation at Bodo Glimt has threatened to derail their season.

A home game against bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday should allow them to reset, although with the visitors showing signs of life nothing will be taken for granted.

Unai Emery's Villa also need a quick bounce back after a draw at Crystal Palace followed by their first home defeat of the season against Everton last week.

Villa face a tricky trip to Newcastle United on Sunday.

WEST HAM HOPING FOR THREE MORE POINTS

The weekend's action begins at the London Stadium on Saturday with relegation battlers West Ham United hosting Sunderland, hoping to use last week's morale-boosting win at Tottenham Hotspur to kick-start their escape bid.

They are in 18th spot, five points behind Nottingham Forest who go to seventh-placed Brentford on Sunday.

Liverpool go to Bournemouth on Saturday evening knowing they are in a scrap to make next season's Champions League -- even if once again England's top five are likely to qualify for Europe's elite club competition.

After four successive draws Arne Slot's side are only just ahead of United and two points better off then Chelsea, who go to Crystal Palace on Sunday, though they have welcomed back Mo Salah after his return from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank bought himself some time as they beat Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday but the Dane will be back in the firing line at second-from-bottom Burnley on Saturday.

Lose that and the vultures will be circling again.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)