Arsenal will face Manchester United in a crucial game at Old Trafford, which they will need to win to keep pace in the Premier League title race.
Mikel Arteta’s side are currently top, but Manchester City have a game in hand, meaning that Arsenal will need to be perfect whilst also hoping that the Champions drop points in one of their three games.
Arsenal need to win both their remaining games, which will see them travel to Old Trafford before facing Everton at the Emirates Stadium on the final day.
Man United will come into the clash still reeling from a 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, and Erik ten Hag’s side are suffering from an injury crisis as well as enduring a disastrous run of form.
Arsenal are the heavy favourites for the match, but it will not be easy given their record at Old Trafford.
Arsenal poor record at Old Trafford highlighted ahead of Man United clash
Since 2006, Arsenal have won just one match at Old Trafford, with a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty helping the visitors to a 1-0 victory in Arteta’s first trip to face United as a manager, but this came during a period where fans were not allowed into stadiums, and was lacking the usual intense atmosphere faced during these clashes.
Arsenal have not won any other Premier League match there in that time since the 2006-07 season, when Emmanuel Adebayor scored a late winner in another 1-0 win.
In recent years, Arsenal have come up against some out of form, or injury stricken Man United sides, but the pressure of trying to secure a rare win at Old Trafford clearly played its part as wins proved impossible.
Arsenal will now have to put an end to their hoodoo at Old Trafford if they are to take the title race to the final day, but previous history shows that the match is far from a foregone conclusion despite United’s form.
Arsenal have collapsed in title races at Man United
In 2007-08, Arsenal headed to United six points behind, with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side top of the table, and had to win to stay alive in the race with five games remaining.
Adebayor did give Arsenal the lead, but Cristiano Ronaldo and Owen Hargreaves struck to end Arsene Wenger’s title hopes in a brutal day.
The 2013-14 season saw a high-flying Arsenal, with Aaron Ramsey in the form of his life and summer signing Mesut Ozil propelling the Gunners to the top of the league, take on a struggling United under David Moyes.
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However, ex-Arsenal villain Robin van Persie struck the winner as Wenger’s side fell to a 1-0 defeat, which stopped the visitors from going eight points clear at the top.
The worst collapse of them all was when a flying Arsenal side had the chance to take the initiative in the title race in 2015-16 against an injury-stricken United side, who started the game with midfielder Michael Carrick at centre-back.
Arsenal lost 3-2, which spiralled into a series of defeats which eventually led to Leicester City winning the league, and this should serve as a warning sign that despite the respective form of the two teams, the danger of dropped points will remain at Old Trafford.