This Sunday marks one of the Premier League's most eagerly-anticipated fixtures as Manchester United take on Arsenal at Old Trafford. Traditionally speaking, this is a clash of which United mostly emerge from as winners - they've lost just one of their last 12 league and cup games against the Gunners - but this weekend, the boot could be on the other foot. For it is Arsene Wenger's men who are the in-form team for a change ahead of this famous encounter, top of the league having gone unbeaten since mid-August and with a real opportunity here to stick the knife into a stuttering United side. The defending English champions lie 8th in the table as things stand and a defeat here would leave them a staggering 10 points behind the Gunners. With United needing a win to keep alive any faint hopes they may still hold of dragging themselves back into the title race, and Arsenal looking to preserve their nine-game undefeated streak, there's certainly plenty to play for. As ever, the outcome of this match shall be dictated by certain key battles across the pitch, and here, we take a look at 5 of these. Click "Next" to begin.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
