Key Battle: Ignasi Miquel v Antonio Valencia.
In the absence of others, the young Spanish defender has been plugging a gap at left-back, but it is by no means a position that he finds himself comfortable in. Strong and quick, he has the tools at his disposal to cope, but his positional sense and lack of experience at this level have found him wanting. A bad time, then, to be coming up against one of the form players in the Premier League this season. Valencia has proved himself to be a model of versatility as he has filled in at right-back for United, but having been restored to a more familiar wing role, he has blossomed. With a deadly delivery, pace and tricks, Miquel is in for a tough afternoon against the Ecuadorian and Wenger may hope that Vermaelen is able to return to spare his young charge.