Both sides are trailing Chelsea at the moment and the loser of this tie could be effectively out of the title race after this match. Arsenal couldn’t beat Aston Villa in midweek but they are boosted by the return of key players from injuries, while United players are full of confidence after qualifying for the Carling Cup final at the expense of their fierce rivals. Anyhow, we expect a thoroughly exciting encounter at the Emirates.

Arsenal ready for the big derby
Arsenal coped really well with all the problems they’ve had this season and the sole fact they are still in the title race proves how well the Gunners played this term. Arsene Wenger’s side are trailing Chelsea by two points after the goalless draw with Aston Villa, while the Blues also have a game in hand, which basically means the Gunners have to win this game in order to stay in the title race. With Fabregas, Denilson and Song all back to the side, Wenger has his best midfield trio available, although there are still problems up front and at the back.

It seems that Thomas Vermaelen hasn’t broken his leg after all but he is still set to miss this game with Sol Campbell likely to replace him in the starting line-up. The former England defender played really well in the Cup game against Stoke but this match will be the first real test for him. Eduardo and Abou Diaby are also out, but Emmanuel Eboue and Alex Song are back from Africa Cup of Nations and they will be in contention for this match.

United back in business
Manchester United have been far from impressive this season and they struggled in most of the games but take one look at the Premiership table and you will see them right behind leaders Chelsea. It seems the team have finally reached top form and the impressive win over rivals City could really kick-start their season. While most of the players did well in the last two games, Wayne Rooney was especially impressive, scoring five goals in the process and the team desperately need him to continue the rich vein of form.

Rio Fedinand was handed a four-match ban for the incident involving Craig Fagan and he is unavailable for this match, with Nemanja Vidic, who has just recovered from injury, set to replace him in the starting line-up. Luis Antonio Valencia should also return to the side, while Wes Brown and Dimitar Berbatov are also pushing for the starting places. Just like the Gunners, United also need a win in order to stay in the title race and we, therefore, expect to see a very open match, similar to the one when these two sides met in the first part of the season.

Verdict
After quite a while, Arsene Wenger will have almost full squad to choose from and that should help the hosts rediscover their form in this very important clash. United, on the other hand, are boosted by the impressive win over Manchester City and they will try to continue the good scoring run. With both sides desperate for the win, I see over 2.5 goals as the best choice here.

What's your take?