Arsenal’s Double Injury Boost Can Blunt Michael Carrick’s New Man Utd Weapon

Two of Arsenal’s key players returned to training ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Man Utd.

Mikel Arteta had some encouraging news ahead of Sunday’s clash with Man Utd. | Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

Arsenal were able to welcome Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié back to training in the buildup to Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Manchester United at the Emirates, giving Mikel Arteta two potential options to combat Michael Carrick’s confident new side.

Hincapié has sat out Arsenal’s last four fixtures with a groin issue while Calafiori has not played for the club since Christmas while nursing muscular discomfort of his own. In the absence of these two left-footed defenders, Arteta has been forced into unconvincing alternatives. When right back Jurriën Timber has not been shunted out onto his unnatural flank, mercurial teenage fullback Myles Lewis-Skelly has been called upon.

Both players have their own qualities but there is a reason why first Calafiori and then Hincapié have been favoured by Arteta in that left back role. The duo offer a natural ease on the left which Timber lacks and are more defensively sound than the young Lewis-Skelly.

Riccardo Calafiori (left) and Piero Hincapié are both back in training for Arsenal. | Marc Atkins/Getty Images

That both returned to first-team training this week, as revealed by The Athletic, comes as an almighty boost for Arteta—not that he would be drawn on their involvement this weekend.

“We have another training session [on Saturday], so we’ll see tomorrow after that,” the innately guarded manager told assembled media at Friday’s pre-match press conference. “Assess everybody and [then make] a major decision.”

The significance of that decision is heightened even further by United’s obvious strengths out wide.

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Man Utd’s Strength Out Wide

Amad Diallo (right) and Bryan Mbeumo are both threats down the right. | Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Carrick didn’t have long to work with the Manchester United squad before last weekend’s derby but clearly got some influential tactical points across during that time. Aside from a simple increase in intensity all over the pitch—a damning indictment on Ruben Amorim’s powers of motivation (and those of interim-interim Darren Fletcher)—the most notable aspect of United’s transformation against Manchester City lay in their switches of play.

United boasted just 32% possession at Old Trafford. City dominated the ball across almost every section of the pitch, except the two flanks. Time and again, the reintegrated Kobbie Mainoo would exchange passes centrally before flinging the ball out wide, invariably to United’s right wing—the same one which Calafiori or Hincapié may very well be defending this weekend.

The combination of Amad Diallo and Diogo Dalot led to a glut of clear chances in the first half of last Saturday’s derby. An even more prominent switch of play from Patrick Dorgu to Amad carved City open again in the second half, only for Gianluigi Donnarumma to deny Casemiro from point blank range.

Arsenal are no strangers to being outnumbered out wide. Given the compact nature of the central block with Arteta’s disciplined outfit so readily form, opponents have tried to find a chink in their armour on the flanks.

Chelsea’s focus down the right side in the first half of the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg earlier this month led to some very uncomfortable moments for Timber, who was moonlighting at left back that night.

Calafiori and Hincapié can’t exactly duplicate themselves to combat a double team from United, but they certainly offer more assurance in this potentially decisive area of the pitch than their teammates.

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Arsenal Have to Be Wary of Man Utd’s Counterattacking Threat

Martín Zubimendi will be crucial once again. | Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images

Beyond their wing play, Carrick inspired an impressive counterattacking display against City. Bryan Mbeumo’s opening goal came from a blistering surge through the middle of the pitch.

It was one of United’s four shots from a fast break—only once in the last eight seasons have the Red Devils racked up more counterattacking chances in the same Premier League game, per Opta. In no other top-flight contest on record have United progressed the ball up the pitch as quickly as they did against City.

For all Arsenal’s defensive solidity this season, they can be vulnerable in transition.

The Gunners have only shipped one counterattacking goal this season but they have faced 20 shots from such scenarios, the seventh-highest tally in the division. Only Newcastle United boast a larger proportion of attempts conceded from fast breaks than Arsenal. If you are going to get a chance against Arteta’s side, it may very well be a counterattack.

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