United vs. Arsenal FA Cup Match Preview

Manchester United:

Injuries: Robin van Persie remains out with his ankle injury. Luke Shaw will likely make his return from the fatigue and injury that kept him out of the past two matches. Jonny Evans is suspended for the next six games due to the infamous spitting incident with Papiss Cisse in the Newcastle match. Phil Jones is also likely to return.

Last 5 Matches: D-W-L-W-W

Likely formation: 4-2-3-1

Storyline:

This could be United's biggest game of the season. With the squad mostly at full health, the game against Arsenal will prove to be a measurement of van Gaal's success with United up til this point. There's plenty of speculation about the importance of the match, particularly after van Gaal himself came out and said Champions League qualification is more important than the FA Cup trophy. Still, I for one do not want to see United give anything but their best effort against the Gunners. With Liverpool having drawn Blackburn in their match up, they’ll have another game to play midweek before facing United in the EPL. Thus, it’s crucial that United avoid a replay match, as they’ll be in the same situation as Liverpool and will lose the advantage of extra rest.

"Of course, I think it is a massive trophy. It is a trophy that, growing up as a youngster, I used to love watching and I was fortunate enough to see Everton lift the FA Cup in 1995 when I was nine years old. It I something which I would love to do and hopefully it can be this year." - Wayne Rooney (Sky Sports)

The State of Januzaj

Last year, Adnan Januzaj was one of the few bright spots in a long and dreary season for the men in red. While many of the more senior players struggled to find their form under David Moyes, some going on to eventually voice their concerns, several younger players, including the likes of James Wilson, Tom Lawrence, and Adnan Januzaj made their first team debuts for the club. Januzaj showed impressive ability and a certain flair, leading many to believe he could someday be as great as Ronaldo.

Then things took a turn. After finishing in 7^th in the Premier League and being eliminated without a deep run in the FA Cup, League Cup, or Champions League, United parted ways with Moyes and eventually appointed the then Netherlands manager, Louis van Gaal. At the time, the new manager spelled promise for Januzaj, as van Gaal has been credited with the rise to stardom for several players, including, but not limited to, Xavi and Iniesta with Barca and Müller with Bayern.