It all feels a little familiar.  Today we head in to a home game against a title rival full of hope, expectancy, and with the chance to make a real statement about our title credentials.  Last time those circumstances collided, we came out on the wrong end of a 3-0 walloping from Chelsea.  It has been a hard-fought struggle to drag ourselves back in to contention.  One suspects that this time round we might not get a second chance.

Avoiding defeat today is essential.  Winning would take us above United and within two points of Chelsea.  Defeat would leave us five points off the top and facing a win or bust game at Stamford Bridge next week.

We’re perfectly capable of beating United.  Indeed, only an untimely lunge from Manuel Almunia and the most bizarre of own-goals from Abou Diaby prevented us from doing so at Old Trafford earlier this season. Andrey Arshavin, who speaks to John Cross of the Mirror today, is determined that we won’t replicate the mistakes we made that day and throw away a prospective lead:

“When we were at Old Trafford, we were a little bit scared when we were leading 1-0 and I don’t have any concern now about the team. I am sure we will show a good performance. Sometimes it’s not enough, but in this game we will have to make sure that it is enough. If you don’t believe in your team, then you shouldn’t come onto the pitch.”

Since then, this team has grown in confidence.  They’re the leagues top-scorers, and will be confident in their ability to out-Gun a United side whose defence will be without the suspended Rio Ferdinand.

Two late fitness tests will decide our line-up.  Thomas Vermaelen will be doing everything possible to make himself available - if he doesn’t make it, Sol Campbell seems most likely to step in to the breach.  Arsene spoke with the press on Friday evening about his decision to re-sign the veteran centre-half:

“When he came here [to train] he was not in good shape. We pushed him really very hard. He asked me if he could practice here. He could have said ‘yes tomorrow I cannot come and I can come two days later’. But the fact that every single day he was there and was ready to work, I thought ‘Oh he is still hungry’.

I thought if I give Philippe Senderos an opportunity to play somewhere else, why should I look somewhere else? Campbell worked for three months every day and I think for 60 days it was without working with our team, just fitness. I was impressed by his attitude. Sol was not the keenest before because he relied on his natural physical ability. This time he pushed himself.”

Sol will need every minute of that fitness work if he is to cope with an in-form Wayne Rooney today.

The other major fitness consideration surrounds Nicklas Bendtner.  The Dane has not started a game in something like three months, but with Eduardo injured he’s our only real option for the centre-forward role.  Arsene might be tempted to employ Andrey Arshavin through the middle again, but I’d rather see the Russian torment rookie right-back Raphael out wide.  If the manager thinks Bendtner is ready, this could be a huge opportunity for him to prove that Arsene was right not to sign a striker this month.

It’s simple today: we must not lose.  Win and this chance of a trophy becomes ever bigger.  But more than that, we’ll have beaten our greatest rivals of the past twenty years or so.  The players know that - hopefully they’ll respond.

The Arsenal striker Andrei Arshavin has admitted he is pain every time he kicks the ball, but is willing to play through the pain barrier if he can help his team to beat Man Utd at the Emirates today.

The Russian maestro said: “With my knock at the moment I am trying my best but after each kick I am feeling pain.

“It is not a serious injury. I am still training and if it is at all possible for me to play against United then I will.”

Arsene Wenger praised the little Russian international, and singled him out as the player to win the big games for Arsenal, so I am sure he wll do his utmost to make sure Arshavin is on the pitch today.

He said: “I am happy with Arshavin because in every big game he is influential and creates chances.

“When you look at him, he turns up when it is really needed – not at 4-0 but at 0-0.

“Arshavin is always coming up with something special. He is a player you can always rely on in a big game.

“He likes the big stage. He can be quiet for 20 minutes then suddenly turn up with something decisive.

“That is what you want from the big players – they make you win the big games.”

“He is always marked tightly and people do not give him a lot of room.

“Everybody who plays against Arshavin says ‘make sure you mark him tight’.

“But even when he is marked tight in some of the so-called lessser games, when you look at the tape afterwards, you always think ‘this movement was good’ or ‘this pass was great’.”

Let us all hope we will be saying that after today’s game!