LONDON, Sporting Alert – Ashley Young starts as a full-back for Manchester United in today’s Premier League clash with Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.
Listen Live Streaming on talkSports radio, with Live Video Streaming on NBC Sports Networks.
Young, who came off the bench to play on the right during the midweek Champions League victory over Wolfsburg, will now start in place of Antonio Valencia at left-back today.
The other change made by manager Louis van Gaal to his Manchester United side that played in midweek, sees Michael Carrick coming in for Morgan Schneiderlin.
Carrick, who missed the game against Wolfsburg, will partner Bastian Schweinsteiger in midfield, which should give the German international more freedom to roam forward.
Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial all start in attacking positions for the Red Devils, who are seeking to return to the top of the English Premier League table standings.
Arsenal, in the meantime, have recalled goalkeeper Petr Cech for David Ospina, while Gabriel Paulista starts alongside Per Mertesacker at centre-back with Laurent Koscielny out with a hamstring problem.
Francis Coquelin starts alongside Santi Cazorla in the central part of the midfield, with Theo Walcott getting the nod again to lead that attack ahead of Olivier Giroud, who is on the bench.
Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey all start for Arsenal.
Close eyes should also be on United 19-year-old forward Martial, who has been “directly involved in four goals in his first three PL games. The Frenchman has scored three times and assisted on one.
The same has to be said about Arsenal frontman Walcott, who has scored 12 times in his last 13 matches.
According to stats gurus, Opta Stats, Arsenal have won just once in their last 13 Premier League games against Manchester United – losing eight and four ending in a draw.
Manchester United are second in the table standings on 16 points, with Arsenal sitting sixth on 13 points.
Arsenal Team: Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla; Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez; Walcott. Subs: Ospina, Debuchy, Chambers, Gibbs, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Campbell, Giroud.
Manchester United Team: Gea, Young, Smalling, Blind, Darmian, Carrick, Schweinsteiger, Mata, Rooney, Memphis, Martial. Subs: Romero, Jones, McNair, Schneiderlin, Valencia, Fellaini, Wilson.
