Emirates Stadium: Saturday, 3 NovemberKick-off: 1245 GMT
Arsene Wenger has a near full-strength squad to chose from with Robin van Persie (knee) and Philippe Senderos (back) the only enforced absentees.
Eduardo, after his midweek brace, and Gilberto are both pushing for starts.
Louis Saha and Michael Carrick make timely returns to Manchester United's squad for the top of the table clash.
Saha has finally shrugged off a long-term knee problem, while Carrick has recovered from the dislocated elbow he suffered against Roma last month.
Arsenal (from): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Fabregas, Flamini, Hleb, Rosicky, Adebayor, Lehmann, Eduardo, Gilberto, Diarra, Diaby, Walcott, Bendtner, Denilson.
Man Utd (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Brown, Simpson, Ferdinand, Vidic, Pique, Evra, O'Shea, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Hargreaves, Carrick, Anderson, Giggs, Nani, Tevez, Rooney, Saha.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger:
"It's a giant of a game - everybody wants to see who is the best at the moment.
"I have a strong belief in my team and I'm convinced we can put them under good pressure and beat them. We have a game in hand, we want to extend our lead at the top and take advantage of that game.
"Calmness will be an important factor, managing the game and maintaining domination over them. If we panic there is little chance to win."
Man Utd manager Sir Alex Ferguson:
"It is going to be tense. Big games always are. The pace of the game will escape no-one.
"It is far too early to say this is a title decider. My experience suggests there are rough times ahead because teams in this league can drop points against anyone.
"But both ourselves and Arsenal are enjoying a good spell and that is the mouth-watering aspect of the game. The football they are playing and the goals they are scoring means anyone who has a ticket will be rubbing their hands."
BIG MATCH-FACTS
A top of the table showdown between the two most successful clubs in Premier League history. Manchester United have won 375 matches, gained 1,258 points and claimed nine titles; Arsenal have won 316 games, collected 1,107 points and lifted three titles.
It pits the north Londoners with the longest current unbeaten run in this league (17 games) with the Red Devils, who are on the longest current winning streak of eight.
It sets the strongest attack against the tightest defence in the highest league; Arsenal have scored 22 goals in 10, Manchester United have conceded four in 11.
Sir Alex Ferguson, who celebrates 21 years in charge at Old Trafford on Tuesday, comes up against his Arsenal opposite number Arsene Wenger for the 34th time. Of the 33 previous encounters United have won 11, Arsenal 13. Seven of the nine other games finished level and two were decided on penalty shoot-outs; United won the 2003 Community Shield, and Arsenal the 2005 FA Cup final on penalties.
In the Premier League there's nothing to chose between Wenger and Ferguson at eight wins a piece, and six draws, but the Frenchman has the edge on home soil with five wins to three, and three draws.
Victory for the Gunners would be their seventh at home and equal the club record of successive league victories from the start of a season, set in 1934, and equalled two years ago.
Arsenal came from behind with two goals in the last seven minutes of the first ever meeting with Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in January to complete the double over their fierce rivals.
CLUB FORM
ARSENAL
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 1stLowest could fall: 2nd
1. Undefeated in 24 in league and cup. Won 15 and drawn two of 17 this season, and won 18 and drawn six since suffering defeat to West Ham at the Emirates Stadium nearly seven months ago.
2. Won 11 and drawn six of the last 17 Premier League matches since losing 0-1, home to the Hammers on 7 April.
3. One of two remaining unbeaten clubs in the Premier League. The other is Liverpool.
4. Dropped fewer Premier League points than any other club; just four.
5. The only club to have scored in every Premier League match so far this season; netted 22 goals in 10 outings, at one every 41 minutes on average.
6. One of three clubs to have gained as many as seven points from losing positions; won two and drawn one in which they were trailing.
7. Made their best ever start to a Premier League season. The previous best points total after the first 10 games was 25 in 2004-05. The best after 11 games is 27, in 2003-04 - their last title-winning campaign.
8. One of two clubs holding a 100% home Premier League record (won six of six). Manchester City have an identical record.
9. Three shy of 600 home goals in the Premier League all-time.
10. This match precedes Wednesday's Champions League Group H fixture in the Czech Republic, against Slavia Prague.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 1stLowest could fall: 2nd
1. Not dropped a point since their only loss of this league campaign; 1-0, away to local rivals Manchester City on 19 August.
2. On their longest winning league sequence since recording nine in a row on 9 April 2006; the last of the nine being a 2-0 home win over Arsenal.
3. Scored four goals in each of the last three league matches, and on course to replicate the longest run in the Premier League of four successive games in which four or more goals were scored; achieved by Manchester United themselves on 15 April 2000 (putting four past Bradford City, seven past West Ham, netting four against Middlesbrough and four against Sunderland).
4. Conceded two goals in claiming 24 points out of 24, and just four all season; shipping one every 248 minutes (four hours eight minutes) of Premier League football played, on average.
5. On the longest current run in the Premier League of 14 matches since conceding more than a single goal in a game; the most recent being the pair in the 2-4 away win over Everton on 28 April.
6. Also on the longest current run in the Premier League of 51 matches since a defeat by more than a single goal; 3-0, away to Chelsea on 29 April 2006.
7. Their 11 league games have yielded 23 goals (19 for, four against). Only Premier League matches involving West Ham have a poorer return; 21 (12 for, nine against).
8. Kept seven clean sheets - more than any other club in the division.
9. Aiming for a fourth consecutive league victory on the road.
10. This game precedes Wednesday's home Champions League Group F fixture, against Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine.
KEY PLAYER NOTES
ARSENAL
Cesc FABREGAS is Arsenal's top scorer with 10 goals.
Emmanuel ADEBAYOR is the clubs top Premier League marksmen with six.
Arsenal have never lost when ADEBAYOR has scored; winning 16 and drawing
two of the 18 matches in which he's netted. But he has not found the net since getting a double, home to Derby on 22 September.
Only Kolo TOURE has been on the field for every minute of every one of Arsenal's Premier League matches this season.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Wayne ROONEY and RONALDO are Manchester United's joint top scorers with six goals each.
ROONEY has scored five Premier League goals against Arsenal (two for Everton, three for United).
ROONEY and Carlos TEVEZ are the clubs top Premier League marksmen, with four each.
Ryan GIGGS is one short of 100 career league goals.
Rio FERDINAND is the only remaining player to have started all of Manchester United's Premier League matches this season.
If selected:-
Chris EAGLES will be making his 50th English league start (Manchester United, Watford and Sheffield Wednesday).
HEAD TO HEAD
Arsenal achieved same season home and away victories over Manchester United for only the third time in the Premier League last season.
It was only the eighth time United had been "doubled" in their Premier League history.
Home and away
League (inc PL): Arsenal 65 wins, Man United 71, Draws 40
Prem: Arsenal 9 wins, Man United 12, Draws 9
at Arsenal only
League (inc PL): Arsenal 50 wins, Man United 22, Draws 16
Prem: Arsenal 6 wins, Man United 4, Draws 5
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Arsenal 2-1 Manchester United
21 January 2007 - Ref: Steve Bennett
Arsenal scorers: Van Persie 83, Henry 90
Man Utd scorer: Rooney 53
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/7065152.stm
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