Mikel Arteta has had plenty of non-negotiables since he took over at Arsenal on a mission to restore the glory days of Arsène Wenger, but there is one, surely, that stands above the rest: the imperative for non-stop running, collective intensity in the press and transitions. “I don’t see the game played in any other way,” the manager said before the showdown with Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.
It is some years since this was the fixture of the season but it will nonetheless bristle with significance. Arsenal will want to build on Wednesday’s 4-2 win at Chelsea to drive their push for a top-four finish; United are hoping for something, anything, to get back on track after the 4-0 humbling at Liverpool. If United take nothing, their aim of Champions League qualification would probably be dead.
