Arsenal and Manchester United met at the Emirates Stadium tonight both hoping to bounce back from disastrous Premier League results last weekend.
The Gunners' title credentials came under question after their 5-1 thrashing by Liverpool on Saturday, while United conceded in stoppage time to draw at home to lowly Fulham 24 hours later.
There was to be no such drama this evening, as the two old enemies played out an underwhelming goalless stalemate, with former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie missing the best chances of the game.
The Red Devils striker saw a glorious early opportunity saved by Wojciech Szczesny, who also kept out the Dutchman with a brilliant reflex stop after Van Persie had been picked out by Wayne Rooney's cross.
Below, you can read how the action unfolded in London, courtesy of SM's live text coverage.
Evening, all. These two famous rivals will be itching to get their claws stuck into each other once more after each suffering devastating Premier League results at the weekend.
Arsenal fell victims to rampant Liverpool, who scored four times in the opening 20 minutes on their way to a 5-1 victory at Anfield which has called the Gunners' title challenge into question.
United picked up a point on Sunday, but the circumstances surrounding their 2-2 draw with bottom-of-the-table Fulham were perhaps more humiliating than Arsenal's thrashing 24 hours earlier.
The Red Devils enjoyed nearly 80% possession at Old Trafford and bombarded the Fulham box with a Premier League record 81 crosses as they overturned an early deficit to lead 2-1 courtesy of two goals in as many minutes. But Darren Bent had the last laugh, heading in following David de Gea's parry five minutes into stoppage time to leave Moyes aghast on the sidelines and cursing his luck once more.
United are now nine points behind Liverpool in the race for a top-four finish, while Arsenal are two points adrift of first-place Chelsea. This is such an important game for both teams.
Around 45 minutes until kickoff. Team news coming your way shortly...
ARSENAL: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Arteta, Wilshere; Rosicky, Ozil, Cazorla; Giroud
SUBS: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Monreal, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Podolski, Sanogo, Bendtner
UNITED: De Gea; Rafael, Smalling, Vidic, Evra; Valencia, Cleverley, Carrick, Mata; Rooney, Van Persie
SUBS: Lindegaard, Büttner, Ferdinand, Fellaini, Young, Hernandez, Januzaj
Both teams make two changes. There will be no repeat of Nacho Monreal's horror show against Liverpool as Wenger drops him to the bench and replaces him with Kieran Gibbs at left-back.
Yet again, Tomas Rosicky gets the big-match nod from his manager. The experienced Czech midfielder replaces young England international Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right wing.
Despite being heavily criticised for his 'heartless' display on Saturday, Mesut Ozil is retained in one of the three attacking midfield roles for the hosts. Arsenal fans will be hoping that he can reproduce his best form against a United side who reportedly turned down his services in the summer.
The Gunners are without Aaron Ramsey, Kim Kallstrom, Thomas Vermaelen, Abou Diaby and Theo Walcott due to injury, while Mathieu Flamini serves the last of his three-match suspension.
They do, though, have Yaya Sanogo available again. The 21-year-old French striker has not played in five months because of a back injury and may add to his one top-flight appearance this evening, should he feature of an Arsenal bench which also includes Lukas Podolski and Nicklas Bendtner.
United's two alterations see Ashley Young and Darren Fletcher drop out and Antonio Valencia and Tom Cleverley recalled to the starting XI. The England midfielder has claimed that he has unfairly been made a scapegoat for the Premier League champions' poor performances this campaign.
He told The Daily Mirror: "I feel I've been made a scapegoat a little bit," he said. "A few people in the media certainly seem to have a perception of me not doing much in the team.
"When I first started getting singled out, it stung, but it's something you have got to learn to take when the team is not doing well. My job goes under the radar at times.
"I would like the fans on my side and it hurts a little bit when you have grown up at the club and love the club every bit as much as the supporters, but there are other people in the current United squad who have been through this kind of thing and they have made sure their quality shone through."
The 24-year-old has since closed his Twitter account after being abused by disgruntled United fans on the social networking site. Tonight, though, he has the opportunity to prove his doubters wrong when he lines up alongside Michael Carrick in what appears to be a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Juan Mata, who has started all three of United's games since joining in a £37m move from Chelsea in January, is likely to be asked to operate on the left side of an attacking-midfield three.
Wayne Rooney will play just behind former Gunners favourite Robin van Persie, who was the match winner in the reverse fixture, while Valencia will provide them with some natural width on the right.
Phil Jones and Jonny Evans remain absent with calf injuries and therefore Moyes sticks with Nemanja Vidic and Chris Smalling in the centre of defence. The United boss has dismissed rumours surrounding Rio Ferdinand's potential retirement this week, but the 35-year-old is only on the bench.
Moyes' only notable summer recruit, Marouane Fellaini, returns from a two-month groin layoff to take his place on the Red Devils bench. There is still no Danny Welbeck for the Manchester club, but Young, Adnan Januzaj and Javier Hernandez are among their attacking substitutes.
Under 10 minutes until kickoff in London now, where the wind is nowhere near as strong as it is up North. Games at Everton and Manchester City have already fallen victim to the weather tonight, and the Citizens' not playing means that Arsenal can regain top spot with victory this evening.
ONE TO WATCH: Arsenal fans, and their manager, are expecting a performance from £42-man Mesut Ozil, whose form has certainly dipped following a very bright start to life in England. Wenger has called upon the German to score more goals, and tonight would be a great time to start doing so.
PREDICTION: Almost everything that could have gone wrong for United this season has, apart from when they faced Arsenal earlier this season. Facing the Gunners often brings out the best in them and I fancy them to pick up what many would consider to be a surprise win. I'll plump for 2-1.
We are underway at the Emirates. Mark Clattenburg is our referee this evening...
CHANCE! Incredible early opportunity for Van Persie! Arteta is sluggish when collecting Szczesny's pass and the Dutchman robs it from him. He is through one-on-one, but Arsenal's goalkeeper anticipates where his former teammate is shooting and gathers his scuffed shot!
Brilliant play by Wilshere as he dances between Evra and another United shirt before skipping past Vidic and into the area. It's a fantastic run and he looks to put the finishing touches to it with a right-footed poke which Smalling does well to come across and divert behind for a corner.
MISS! From the resulting set piece, Cazorla's delivery is into a great area and Giroud, completely unmarked glances it a few yards wide from the penalty spot. It's poor defending again from the visitors, but that's a third good chance already. Look like we are in for an open game!
Lovely link up play between Rooney and Van Persie, who exchange three passes on the edge of the Arsenal box before the former just overhits a pass inside Gibbs that was intended for Valencia.
SHOT! Mata and Rooney have dropped in to make up the numbers in midfield but no United player can rob Arsenal of the ball as they ping around 20 passes or so before rolling it into Rosicky's feet. He turns on the left edge of the box before shooting, and a deflection sees the effort loop into the air and force De Gea into scrambling across his goalline to make what turns out to be a decent stop.
Rafael gets to the right byline and crosses to the near post, where Van Persie had made an intelligent run. He tries to flick it towards goal, but makes no contact and Mertesacker prods clear.
United are enjoying a couple of minutes of controlled possession, with Mata coming deep to collect the ball. What will please United fans is that he seems to have some freedom to roam away from the flank. He's already popped up in central areas thus far, which is where he can do most of his damage.
CHANCE! Van Persie finds a big hole in the Arsenal defence, easily beating the offside trap to collect a Mata through ball. He decides not to take it early on his left foot, and instead cuts inside. He has Rooney up in support but opts to shoot and ends up slicing it horribly, out for a throw in.
United have a chance to counter down the right through Valencia. It's a four-on-four situation when he shifts it inside to Cleverley, who feels that he is fouled when Gibbs knocks him off the ball to launch an Arsenal break. Sagna's cross is too close to De Gea, who makes an easy claim.
UPDATE: A couple of goals in games effecting the race for the top four, and therefore games effecting United. Emmanuel Adebayor has given Spurs a 1-0 lead against Newcastle at St James' Park, while a Kolo Toure own goal has put Fulham 1-0 up versus Liverpool at Craven Cottage.
Michael Carrick is making his 200th Premier League start for United this evening and he does well here, shielding his back four as he often does by pinching the ball from a charging Cazorla.
Arsenal are looking a little devoid of ideas. Although they are keeping the ball comfortably in the United half, their passing is not adventurous or probing. The home fans would like to see Ozil or Wilshere run with the ball and commit defenders to open up more space for that killer pass.
A long Gunners passing move eventually leads to Ozil shifting the ball to Giroud 20 yards out and the Frenchman's attempted curler was never dipping and flies way over the crossbar.
Arsenal load the box with bodies for a free kick from the left channel from which, surprisingly, Arteta opts to have a pop at goal. His shot is blocked by the top of the wall, and United clear downfield.
Rafael loses the ball just past the halfway line and Arsenal break with Giroud and Cazorla. The Spaniard plays a return pass into the left channel, but Vidic is across well to pinch the ball away from Arsenal's striker. Good defending from the Serbian, who is likely facing the Gunners for the final time.
Gibbs makes a run off the left to climb above Rafael and meet Cazorla's drilled cross. His header is tame, though, and bounces into the ground before De Gea gathers easily. The full-back landed awkwardly on his shoulder though, and the physio is briefly required to give him some treatment.
A nice United move during which Valencia cleverly flicked around the corner for Rafael to cutback to Mata, is brought to an end when the Spaniard takes too much time on the ball and has it pinched from him by Arteta. He was lining up a shot there, Mata, but was closed down very quickly.
Another nasty looking fall. This time it is Rafael, who flips in the air and lands like a snowboarder at the Winter Olympics after beating Giroud to a header. The away physio trots on and as Gibbs was a few minutes go, the Brazilian full-back is okay to continue following some medical attention.
Rafael returns to the pitch and is immediately involved in the action, as Valencia releases him on the overlap. His cross is perhaps a bit heavy, but into a decent area at the back post, but no United player had made a run into the six-yard box, where they would have had a decent chance.
Arsenal break quickly as Ozil drifts in off the right and finds Rosicky on the left. He cuts inside and lays off Cazorla for a right-footed piledriver which is blocked by the brick wall that is Vidic.
We are now entering the first of TWO minutes of second-half stoppage time...
Arsenal have a corner which is only partially cleared, and centre-backs Koscielny and Mertesacker stay up. The Gunners twice knock the ball back into the box but on both occasions are thwarted by good clearing headers. Rooney tries to break away but is tackled by the retreating Sagna.
HALF-TIME: ARSENAL 0-0 MAN UNITED
The referee calls time on a fairly even first half, but one which petered out slightly after a lively opening. There could have been three goals inside the first eight minutes, but since then is has been a fairly cagey midfield battle which has kept both goalkeepers fairly quiet.
Van Persie should have given United a second-minute lead when he caught Arteta dawdling on the ball to run free on goal. His weak finish was well saved by Szczesny. At the other end, a superb run by Wilshere was foiled when Smalling made up good ground to block his shot, while Giroud wasted the space afford to him by the away defence to head wide unmarked from 12 yards.
UPDATE: Let's move away from North London for a second to catch up on the action elsewhere. Newcastle 0-1 Tottenham and Stoke 1-0 Swansea are both half-time scores, while Daniel Sturridge has just drawn Liverpool level at Fulham. They at 1-1 after 41 minutes at Craven Cottage.
STATS: The Red Devils have had 47% of possession, which is a decent figure when playing at the Emirates. However, they have failed to convert that into a shot on target since Van Persie's miss. Arsenal have tested De Gea with two of their nine shots, while the corner count is level at four apiece.
Arsenal get us back underway, and I have news of a half-time change for United...
SUBSTITUTION: Rio Ferdinand has come on for the visitors. There is lasting damage on Rafael it seems, following his awkward fall in the first period. Smalling will move to right-back.
Mata drifts in an free-kick from near the right touchline. It is into a lovely area and any touch would have made it difficult for Szczesny. It may have been Ferdinand who was closet to making contact.
Van Persie is bundled to the floor by Koscielny when trying to control a chipped ball by Cleverley, fairly, though, according to referee Clattenburg. Arsenal break quickly through Sagna, who crosses towards Giroud. He gets in front of Ferdinand but can only glance it to Smalling in the right-back area.
United move it nicely as Carrick releases Mata into space in the centre circle. He travels with it before the ball goes through Rooney and Van Persie, whose pass around the corner for Mata is cut out.
Evra wriggles free of Sagna near the left byline and looks to advance into the box, but his French compatriot makes an excellent recovering tackle to knock the ball behind for United's fifth corner.
Szczesny comes out to punch the corner but Giroud gets in front of him to head away. Only to Mata at the edge of the box, though, and the Spaniard slices a left-footed volley some distance wide.
Smalling gets forward for the first time since his positional switch, and Cleverley tries to release him inside Gibbs. Koscielny is covering and reads the danger well before passing inside for Gibbs to hook clear. United would have more joy on the other side through Evra, you would imagine.
It has been a fairly quiet first 15 minutes of the second period. The biggest cheer coming from the home fans when United supporters were informed that all roads back to Manchester are closed and all trains cancelled due to the weather. A night in London would be made more enjoyable with three points.
OFF THE LINE! Valencia comes to United's rescue! Koscielny makes a smart run to lose Carrick and leaps high to power a header towards the far corner, but Valencia is on hand to clear.
Gibbs delivers towards the near post, where Giroud was lurking. After a slight fumble, De Gea gathers the cross. Vidic gave Arsenal's French striker a shove in the back there to put him off.
The Gunners are moving through the gears here and fashion another half chance. Again it is Gibbs who is the creator as he plays a one-two with Cazorla before getting to the byline and dinking into the box. Giroud gets above Vidic, but can only flick the cross yards beyond the far post.
It has not quite happened for Mata tonight. He finds himself in his preferred central area and with room to shoot, but he drags a 22-yard effort harmlessly wide of Szczesny's left-hand post.
BENCH WATCH: Surely both managers must be pondering substitutions at this stage of a fairly stale game? United have the ultimate poacher, Javier Hernandez, and 19-year-old prodigy Adnan Januzaj in reserve, while Arsenal boss Wenger has Nicklas Bendtner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlan, who would provide some much-needed pace to the Gunners attack, at his disposal, as well as Lukas Podolski.
Giroud versus Vidic is turning into the battle of the evening. Arsenal are happily throwing crosses into the box for the Frenchman to compete for, but this time Vidic is too strong for him in the air.
BOOKING: Referee Clattenburg brandishes his first yellow card of the night, and it goes to Valencia for his foul on Gibbs. It may be the Ecuadorian's last contribution, with Januzaj in waiting.
SUBSTITUTIONS: In-fact, it is Mata who is replaced by Januzaj, while Wenger also makes his first move of the bench, bringing off Rosicky and introducing Oxlade-Chamberlain with 15 minutes remaining.
CHANCE! A good move by Arsenal eventually results in them knocking it wide to Sagna. He delivers into the near-post area which Giroud loves to run into. The Frenchman gets in front of Vidic, stretches out his left leg but cannot make sufficient contact to direct it goalwards from close range.
SAVE! Carrick pinches the ball from Wilshere on the halfway line and releases Van Persie. He holds off an Arsenal shirt before finding Rooney to his right and continuing his run into the box. Rooney waits, and then finds his strike partner with a perfect clip to the far post which Van Persie heads towards the top corner, only for Szczesny to extend a hand and tip it onto the bar with a superb reflex stop!
SAVE! It is De Gea's turn to keep the scores goalless. Giroud's good hold up play in the buildup is eventually rewarded when Ozil squares for Cazorla to meet first time with a cushioned left-footed shot which was sneaking inside the post before his compatriot dives low to make a good save.
Five minutes plus stoppage time left here and the game is becoming more stretched with every second. It is Arsenal who are smelling blood and throwing more and more men forward.
Excellent persistence from Gibbs sees him win the ball back from Smalling on the edge of the United box. The ball comes to Ozil, whose cross deep into the area is headed away by Ferdinand.
Cazorla goes to collect a return pass around the corner from Giroud and is blocked off by Evra. Free-kick to Arsenal in a very promising position, 22 yards out to the right of centre.
What a waste from Ozil, who took the set piece but could not even get it over the wall. Moments later, Clattenburg plays a smart advantage to allow Cazorla a low shot which De Gea again keeps out.
We are now in the first of THREE minutes of second-half stoppage time...
It is Arsenal who have been pushing United back in the additional time, but the visitors have a chance to counter through Rooney. Support is slow in coming and Koscielny ends up making a tackle.
FULL-TIME: ARSENAL 0-0 MAN UNITED
Full-time at the Emirates Stadium, and the United fans who will be stranded in London tonight due to the bad weather have only the consolation of a point to lighten their spirits.
It was all a bit underwhelming, to be honest. Both managers would have been expecting responses from their teams following disastrous results at the weekend, but that never really materialised.
Arsenal pressed for a winner in the final stages, with Cazorla twice forcing good saves out of De Gea and Giroud coming close, but they previously lacked innovation and ambition. At the other end, Szczesny denied Van Persie in the second minute and then again late on with a world-class save.
The Gunners miss the chance to return to the top of the table, and now sit one behind leaders Chelsea. United will be ELEVEN points adrift of fourth-place Liverpool if results stay the same.
That's it from me. Thanks for joining Sports Mole this evening. Until next time...
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
