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3 reasons why you should watch Arsenal-Manchester United

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A match between Arsenal and Manchester United used to carry a different kind of excitement with it. It was one of the fiercest rivalries in soccer, with Arsenal and Manchester United defining the English Premier League from the mid-1990s until the early 2000s.

They constantly challenged each other for league titles and other trophies, foreign and domestic. They bench-pressed the standard of English soccer. They also genuinely hated each other. What more could you possibly ask for?

Now, with legendary United coach Alex Ferguson gone, both teams in a long-standing slumps, and only Champions League soccer to hope for, this rivalry isn’t anywhere near what it used to be.

Here’s why you should still watch this game on Saturday.

Danny Welbeck will be out to prove himself

(USA TODAY Sports)

(USA TODAY Sports)

This will be Welbeck’s first time playing against United since being sold to the Gunners. New United manager Louis Van Gaal gave Welbeck a trial period, decided he wasn’t up to snuff, signed Radamel Falcao on a season-long loan for a ridiculous amount of money, and gave Welbeck his walking papers. He wasn’t nice about it either according to ESPN FC.

“Danny Welbeck was here since he was nine. He plays three seasons at Manchester United after [a loan spell at] Sunderland, but doesn’t have the record of [Robin] Van Persie or [Wayne] Rooney.”

Welbeck scored 29 goals in 142 appearances for United, which wasn’t all that great, but he did it playing out of position. He’s also only 23 years old. Six years younger than Rooney, and eight years younger than Van Persie. Granted, he hasn’t scored in his last five appearances for Arsenal, but he’s young, and he has time and room to improve. He’ll be out to shut everyone up when he finally gets to take on his old club.

This game is a must-win for both teams

AFP)

(AFP)

Both Arsenal and Manchester United, barring divine intervention, are out of the title race. The best either can hope for is to finish in the top four and play in the Champions League next season. Liverpool, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur are all out of form teams slowly getting back on track, and only two points behind the Gunners and the Red Devils on the Premier League table. That means that neither team can really afford to be logging losses or dropping points.

Arsenal is on thinner ice, though, because considering their schedule after this contest, things could get out of hand pretty quickly. They have a Champions League fixture against tough customers Borussia Dortmund, then they have to beat West Bromich Albion on the road, then in-form Southampton at home, followed by Stoke away at Britannia Stadium, which is never easy.

United has a similarly difficult schedule; they play Hull City, Stoke City, Southampton, and then Liverpool, but they don’t have the Champions League to worry about.

It could be a circus of attacking soccer

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The cool thing about this matchup, for the average viewer, is that it could end up being a pretty high-scoring game. Both the Gunners and the Red Devils spent big on the offensive side of things this summer (Welbeck, Falcao, Angel Di Maria, Alexis Sanchez), and almost no money on strengthening their back lines. As a result, both teams are super lopsided and pretty vulnerable on defense.

That’s all the makings of a wide-open goal-fest.

AFP)

(AFP)

Arsenal will play Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

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