The big dance is tomorrow. Arsenal finds out whether they can pull off what will be one of their biggest wins. Against a Man Utd team that is great at closing out the deal. The CL final spot is on the line.
A 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1?
The latter formation did not work because Adebayor was very effectively neutralized by Ferdinand and Vidic and there was no striker tandem to offset that advantage. Fabregas was sitting behind Ade in the unfamiliar role at the slot where he was wasted. He is a goal creator for which he needs more turf ahead of him.
RVP will be back, so Wenger has the option of reverting to the 4-4-2 which should give Ferdinand and Vidic more to handle.
However, the key is to get Nasri to define the left flank which he has been inconsistent in doing so far. Unlike Arshavin who has become a genuine threat. Nasri’s L’OM days saw him as the chief playmaker which sometimes gets in the way of simple clarity. Its Fabregas responsibility to diagram plays with Song as his able assistant.
Cluttering the midfield is unhelpful. Nasri needs to eschew his natural left-center drift, consciously drag his game out wide, with more crosses and more shot taking. Widening the poles between Walcott and Nasri gives the center more opportunities and choices in attack.