Date: 27th April 2013 at 10:03pm
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Arsenal's first team practise their guard of honour.
Arsenal’s first team practise their guard of honour.

Dramatic irony: ‘irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the play’. Basically, where at least one of the characters of a drama knows something that no other characters do but, importantly, the audience is aware of. Much like Robin Van Persie signing for Ferguson’s United last summer.

Van Persie, the main character in this season’s narrative, knew he would win a title. He chose the number ‘20’ for that reason. Nobody else in the league was as sure as he, or the little boy inside, was. The audience, the Theatre of Dreams audience? They knew from the second he stepped onto the Mancunian turf.

This Sunday he will be stepping on foreign soil, London soil, yet soil that he was once king of. As he steps onto the pitch at the Emirates he, along with his new teammates, will be afforded a guard of honour from the Arsenal squad and he, more than most, deserves it. Congratulations Robin Van Persie and congratulations to Manchester United.

Team News
Ferguson, whilst claiming that he intends to go out and respect all opposition in the remaining fixtures of the season, paying particular attention to the race for Champions League places, quickly (and possibly inadvertently) stated that he intends to give fringe players their chance as the season draws to a close. Therefore it would be sensible to anticipate Cleverley, Welbeck, Hernandez and Buttner to appear at the Emirates. It may be too much to expect to see the likes of Powell or Anderson but it could be a great chance to give them a run out also.
For Arsenal, Fabianski, Diaby and Miyaichi are out injured whilst Giroud remains sidelined after an unsuccessful appeal against his red card at Fulham.

Match Facts
• In the last eleven fixtures between the two clubs, United have lost just one.
• Ferguson currently leads his personal battle with Wenger 22-15 as they go into, staggeringly, their 49th fixture.
• Arsenal have won nine of their last twelve fixtures.
• United have had nineteen different scorers in the league this season.
• Ryan Giggs has thirteen league titles – the same amount as Arsenal Football Club.

Fancy a Flutter?
• Robin Van Persie to score and United to win @4/1
• United to win 2-1 @10/1
• Van Persie hat-trick @33/1
• Phil Jones to score first in a 2-2 draw @475/1

Wherever you watch the match, enjoy! If you’re on Twitter and bored, follow me @matthew_james7

 

One response to “Premier League Match Preview: Arsenal vs Manchester United”

  1. ak says:

    Hope to see powell,buttner and another young blood in action today.