This is a game Arsenal must win at all costs. They are only one point behind Manchester United but the momentum is with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team.
United went to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday and pulled off a remarkable 3-1 win. Just 24 hours later, some 220 miles away in Rennes, Arsenal slumped to a 3-1 defeat.
When Unai Emery arrived in London, the Arsenal manager’s big test was to make the team more competitive on the road. So far, he has failed.
In 2002, we had so many players sent off throughout the season that I joked with Arsene Wenger that we were trying to win the league with 10 men.
Most concerning is that as soon as something unexpected happens — such as a player being sent off — his players seem unable to cope. Arsenal were 1-0 up and in full control in France before Sokratis’ red card. While playing with 10 men is difficult, it is no excuse for a capitulation.
You have to manage the game and work that little bit harder but after losing Sokratis Arsenal played like a team of individuals.
Contrast this with Solskjaer’s young team, who are playing with freedom and confidence. There is a spirit which binds them together. They have a clear plan and a vision of what they are trying to achieve.
United have gone back to the future, drawing on Solskjaer’s experiences to turn this season around. It feels like a sleeping giant is awakening. An aura is starting to return.
Their defence can be exposed if they are put under pressure. Emery’s best chance of success is to return to the tactics which proved so successful in the 2-0 win over Chelsea.
That day, Arsenal used Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette as inside forwards with Aaron Ramsey breaking from midfield and forcing opponents into mistakes.
Solskjaer will be well aware that Arsenal are a different animal at home. Buoyed by the crowd, they fly forward and take the game to the opposition.
Arsenal must prove they have the character and personality required to be successful. Victory will give them belief that they can finish in the top four, just as beating United in 1998 gave us the belief that we could win the title.
We are about to find out what Arsenal are truly made of.