Alan Hansen in the Torygraph:
‘It's not as if the game needed it but the hype surrounding Arsenal's visit to Manchester United has started already. It used to be that the exchanges would start 24 hours before the big matches – now we're looking at a run-up of 10 days, during which the battle lines are drawn and the pressure intensifies.
‘The bottom line for United is that if they do not beat Arsenal on Sunday, it will be a very long way back for them. Never mind the 50-game unbeaten record, although it would be a superb achievement, what will matter after next weekend is whether United have managed to close the 11-point gap on Arsenal or whether the title has been pushed further from their grasp.
‘With all that history between the two camps, it was clear that April's FA Cup semi-final was going to be a fraught affair, and the opening stages were seriously tense. It will be like that again on Sunday, with both teams fuelled by the adrenalin of the build-up and the immense amount that will be at stake: their manager's pride and, possibly, the destiny of the Premiership.
‘The FA Cup semi-final that United won 1-0 at Villa Park did tell Ferguson's team that they could still beat Arsenal, and it also showed them how to do it. If this Arsenal side have a weakness it is that, occasionally, they can be found wanting when matches become physical and frenetic. They have a very fluent style of football, but if their opponents are competitive enough to disrupt it, then they have a chance.
‘That's exactly what United did at Villa Park. They hustled and broke up the rhythm of Arsenal's play. It wasn't only that Wenger's team weren't able to cope with it, at times they simply didn't look up for the challenge. And that is rare for this Arsenal team.
‘The problem with United at the moment, however, is whether they have the capacity to maintain that kind of pressure with the personnel at their disposal. For a start, the United of old would not have had to settle for draws against Middlesbrough and Birmingham, as they have in the last couple of games. In the past, United would never have allowed these teams to settle down and play.
‘That seems to be one of the fundamental problems with the way they are playing at the moment. They are not controlling matches in the manner they once did, and that element of their game will be crucial if they are to have a chance of beating the champions on Sunday. United have the players available now to win the game, but to win it they first have to control it.
‘If United win they will strike an important blow to Arsenal and remind this team of Wenger's that they are not invincible after all. That element of doubt could help them to regain a foothold in the title race and give them the belief that they will still be contenders come the new year. Should they fail, then not even another public blast from Ferguson for Arsenal is likely to save them.’