**Five weeks is a long time in football and, for Arsenal and Manchester United, it has certainly added spice to their upcoming Emirates clash.**
Back in late October, the visitors suffered their fourth defeat in nine—a 2-1 loss at West Ham—and sat ninth in the Premier League standings (they still do). This awful run brought the curtain down on Erik ten Hag’s reign.
But Ruben Amorim now holds the hot seat and with him, the Red Devils may bear a sporting chance of success here, not least because of his promising [head-to-head record](https://paininthearsenal.com/arsenal-fa-cup-manchester-united-history) against Mikel Arteta (two draws in two games and inflicting a Europa League exit in 2022/23).
Yet our boss is no slouch. Another win here would mark Arsenal's third league victory in a row and fourth consecutive triumph over Man United, something that should truly dispel the bad memories of recent weeks.
No slip-ups can be afforded on Wednesday night, and here are three key battles that could decide this crucial match.
Riccardo Calafiori might have his work cut out here / Carlos Rodrigues/GettyImages
This battle has just become far more interesting.
For Arsenal, Riccardo Calafiori's return has been very timely. He is the standout choice at left back and adds much-needed dynamism to our left flank. His marauding runs, high-energy style, and attacking focus should give the Man Utd backline plenty to think about.
It might also be a litmus test for Marcus Rashford, with the England man not usually one to help out defensively but definitely being someone who can exact punishment of his own. Three goals in two games under Amorim only underscore that threat (albeit against poor opposition), and he will fancy his chances versus a somewhat leaky Gunners defence.
A strong [personal record](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/marcus-rashford/bilanzdetails/spieler/258923/gegner/11) in this fixture (ten goal contributions in 16 league matches) also bodes poorly for Arsenal, even if our 5-1 dismantling of Sporting CP indicates we are more than capable of stopping transitional attacks – game states in which Rashford is particularly dangerous.
Calafiori can deal with anything that comes his way, but an engaged Rashford is still quite the test for any defender.
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