Mikel Arteta has the perfect Manchester United player for Arsenal to target as they chase their second win at Old Trafford since 2006 on Sunday, and it is not Casemiro.
The Gunners have seldom tasted joy on their visits to Old Trafford over the last 18 years. But Arteta knows that Arsenal must beat Manchester United this weekend if they are to keep up their Premier League title bid. Manchester City are a point behind and hold a match in hand.
Arsenal only have Manchester United and Everton left to play this term, while Man City have to face Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. The Gunners need the Citizens to drop points in any of their remaining games and win out to stand a chance at lifting the title.
Arsenal have only won once at Old Trafford behind closed doors since September 2006
Potentially luckily for Arsenal, the north London club go to Old Trafford to face a Manchester United side badly out of form. Crystal Palace dealt the Red Devils a 4-0 defeat on Monday as Erik ten Hag’s men lost for the fourth time in their past 10 games, a run containing two wins.
Crystal Palace also had a field day against Casemiro after Ten Hag fielded the midfielder as a makeshift centre-half. The 32-year-old was rash to charge out of the backline yet had little joy preventing Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze from pulling the strings as the Eagles ran riot.
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Form has not always mattered when Arsenal have visited Manchester United since winning 1-0 there in September 2006, though. Arteta oversaw the Gunners’ only win at Old Trafford in the past 18 years in November 2020 when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a penalty.
Manchester United beat Arsenal 3-2 at Old Trafford in December 2021 after a run of one win in eight games. They even beat the Gunners 3-2 in February 2016 after a run of three wins in 13. The Red Devils also took a draw in September 2019 after a run of two wins in six fixtures.
Arsenal must target Diogo Dalot over Casemiro to win away to Manchester United
So, if Arsenal are to punish Manchester United’s lack of form and claim a crucial, rare win at Old Trafford, Arteta should set his side out to target Diogo Dalot, not Casemiro. The 25-year-old was as much of a weak link as the Brazilian at Crystal Palace and will be easier to exploit.
Dalot never found an answer to shut Eze or Olise down whenever the wingers ran at him on Monday. The Eagles’ livewires destroyed his confidence by the full-time whistle with the full-back unable to make an impression. So, Arsenal must strive to give Dalot another nightmare.
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According to SofaScore, Dalot lost each of his four duels against Crystal Palace and failed to register a single tackle. He was also dribbled past twice at Selhurst Park, so Dalot could offer Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli a route to Andre Onana’s goal.
Monday was not the first time that Dalot has produced a poor display this term, either. Even his Manchester United teammate Scott McTominay called Dalot ‘naïve’ after receiving a red card against Liverpool in December having let the emotions of the game get to the full-back.