FA Cup Sixth Round: Manchester United V Arsenal – Saturday, 12th March

Manchester United V Arsenal

Date & kick-off: Saturday, 12th March – 17:15 (GMT)
Venue: Old Trafford
TV Coverage: ITV1

Manchester United

- No club has won more FA Cups than Manchester United, who have lifted the trophy on eleven occasions and made seventeen final appearances. However, their last triumph was seven-years ago (2003/2004).

- Sir Alex could once again be without Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans, Anderson, Ji-Sung Park and Antonio Valencia, while Nani is the latest to do time on the sidelines although captain Nemanja Vidic will return after missing the defeat to Liverpool last weekend through suspension.

- United face Marseille in the Last-16 of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

- The Red Devils have now suffered back-to-back defeats after losing 2-1 at Stamford Bridge to Chelsea and a resounding 3-1 at Anfield to Liverpool.

A club blessed with a bulging trophy cabinet they most certainly are, but it has been an awfully long time since Manchester United were last crowned FA Cup champions, nearly seven-years in fact, when beating Millwall 3-0 at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. In between then and now, Sir Alex has two failed final attempts to his name but, more poignantly, hasn’t been to Wembley for the show-piece itself in any of the previous three seasons. Perhaps it’s about time the great man himself started showing the oldest domestic knock-out competition in the world the respect it so patently deserves?

It’s a crying shame that a club stooped in prestige and supported by hundreds of millions across the globe feel the need to undermine the competition by using it as a means of rotating their squad. Sir Alex quite clearly prioritises winning the Premier League and Champions League above all else on offer, which is understandable to some degree, and so it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see the wily pro himself make changes to the team which was comprehensively beaten 3-1 by Liverpool last weekend – United’s second defeat on the spin following their 2-1 reverse at Stamford Bridge to Chelsea earlier that week.

In many respects, Ferguson will have his hand forced. The likes of Rio Ferdinand, Anderson, Ji-Sung Park, Antonio Valencia and now Nani are all either major doubts or ruled out completely. So it could quite literally be a case of whoever is fit, starts. Their situation isn’t helped by the fact they face French Ligue 1 title-holders Marseille at Old Trafford in midweek for a Round of 16 clash in the UEFA Champions League, a match United must win if they’re to prolong their European adventure, with the tie evenly-poised at 0-0.

The simple fact that Saturday’s Sixth Round tie is against an old adversary of his should lead to Fergie fielding a competitive team, similar to the one which edged past Liverpool in the Third Round. Losing to Arsene Wenger is simply not an option for Sir Alex, so, with this in mind and in the knowledge that United are without defeat in 20 matches at Old Trafford during the current term, the Red Devils may not be all that bad a bet after all.

To win the 2010/2011 FA Cup – 3.25 (9/4) PaddyPower

Arsenal

- The Gunners are the second most successful club in FA Cup history, winning ten of their seventeen final appearances, while their most recent was against United in the 2004/2005 season.

- Arsene Wenger has an injury-ravaged squad and is without Wojciech Szczesny, Thomas Vermealen, Alex Song, Theo Walcott and Cesc Fabregas, while Robin Van Persie is a minor doubt. Furthermore, Arsenal now have only one recognised keeper, with Wenger contemplating an emergency loan.

- Were defeated by Barcelona in their Round of 16 clash on Tuesday night in a comprehensive manner, losing 3-1 inside the Camp Nou.

- Have now gone their last three away fixtures without winning, shipping 8 goals.

Within almost the blink of an eye, the prospect of winning an unprecedented quadruple has been cut down to size, considerably. A 2-1 Carling Cup final defeat to Birmingham City was followed shortly after by a 4-3 aggregate defeat to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, leaving the Gunners with just the two competitions left to play for as the club continues their desperate search for a first major trophy in a barren six-year period.

When you watch as much football as I do, you tend to come across plenty of resounding wins. However, I don’t remember seeing many more emphatic or comprehensive than Barcelona’s 3-1 rout of Arsenal inside the Camp Nou on Tuesday night. It really was a case of men against boys, one of the more demoralising defeats I’ve seen for a long time, possibly ever, such was the dismal manner in which Arsenal exited the competition, which was with a whimper and without registering a single shot during the whole of the second leg in Spain.

To compound their woes, Arsenal now look set to be without their promising young keeper, Wojciech Szczesny, who dislocated his finger during the week, and captain Cesc Fabregas, with neither lasting the full 90 minutes because of injury. The pair will now join an extensive list of absentee’s for Arsene Wenger, who is already without Thomas Vermealen for the long-term, as well as Alex Song and Theo Walcott. So, a little similar to that of his opposition number, Wenger may well have to take the stance of whoever is fit, starts the match at Old Trafford, a venue they were emphatically beaten 4-0 on their last visit for an FA Cup clash, back in 2008.

They often say it’s how a team responds to losing the big matches which separates the men from the boys, and on the last occasion Arsenal lost a match of huge importance, they bounced back in style, fittingly using this very competition as their platform. Just days after they were downed 2-1 at Wembley in the final of the Carling Cup, Arsenal were spanking Leyton Orient in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup. A small omens perhaps, although second time around they will be facing far sterner opposition in the form of the only team to have clinched more FA Cup titles than themselves.

To win the 2010/2011 FA Cup – 4.50 (7/2) Bet365

Match Prediction: Manchester United to WIN – 2.05 (21/20) WilliamHill

When Arsenal were beaten by Birmingham in the Carling Cup final, everyone was describing them as a wounded animal, a team who were champing at the bit to get straight back on the bike. I do not believe that is the case on this occasion, as Tuesday’s defeat in Spain to Barcelona was so humiliating that it will have left the entire dressing room hurting. There will be some damaged ego’s which need caressing, and also some casualties which won’t recover in time to aid the team’s faltering cause for silverware.

Fortunately for the Gunners, their Sixth Round rivals aren’t in an ideal frame of mind either. United were a little unfortunate to go down 2-1 at Chelsea a little over a week ago, however their 3-1 loss away to arch rivals Liverpool was thoroughly deserved in what was arguably their poorest team performance of the season thus far. The thing with United is, they invariably respond to such setbacks, and with the famous Old Trafford support behind them, spurring them on and helping to nurse some minor flesh wounds, quite literally in Nani’s case, I cannot help but fancy their chances a whole lot more than an Arsenal side who may well be wallowing in self-pity.

There is absolutely no doubt that Arsenal can go to Old Trafford and win Saturday’s contest, as they are a team packed full of talented individuals, while there are few around who boast more creative assets than the Gunners. My concern regards their character and mental toughness, as they’ll need an abundance of both at Old Trafford against a United team who will be eager to put to bed a run of two consecutive defeats.

Value Bet: Jack Wilshere to Score – 8.00 (7/1) Bet365

A tad conflicting this bet considering I’ve highlighted a Manchester United victory, but in a match where Arsene Wenger will be asking his big named players to stand up and be counter, it could be the youngest of them all who shows his maturity and class on the day. Wilshere is certainly a player for the future, however Wenger needs someone in the present to get the club’s quest for silverware back on track and although he isn’t a regular scorer for the Gunners, he does posses a powerful yet accurate shot on him and could pose a threat to the United goal from just outside the box.

Match Odds:

Manchester United – 2.05 (21/20) WilliamHill
Draw – 3.60 (13/5) Bet365
Arsenal – 4.00 (3/1) PaddyPower