Crucial match for Arsenal
Gunners need win on road against Manchester United
Posted: Tuesday February 16, 1999 04:15 PM
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Kanu, here wearing Inter Milan's colors, will be a key player for Arsenal during Wednesday's match. Gary M. Prior/Allsport |
MANCHESTER, England (AP) - It's the biggest match of the English
soccer season -- Manchester United vs. Arsenal -- and the Gunners'
new striker Nwankwo Kanu will be the center of attention again.
A victory Wednesday before a 55,000 sellout at Old Trafford
could pull the defending champions to within two points of
league-leading Manchester United.
And with Arsenal's two top players suspended -- striker Dennis
Bergkamp and midfielder Emmanuel Petit -- the pressure will be on
Kanu.
This time, he'd like something good to come out of it.
Last weekend, the Nigerian became embroiled in controversy in a
FA Cup match against first-division Sheffield United.
Kanu violated an unwritten soccer rule of sportsmanship. As an
Arsenal player attempted to throw the ball into Sheffield United's
goalie -- following an injury to a United player -- Kanu intercepted
the pass and fed it to teammate Marc Overmars, who scored into an
unprotected net.
The incident set off a 10-minute protest and Arsenal coach
Arsene Wenger later agreed to forfeit the 2-1 victory and replay
the match next week.
"It will not be a problem," Overmars said, referring to
Wednesday's match. "Kanu and I both know we did not mean to do
something wrong."
Kanu, who just joined Arsenal on a 3 million pound ($5
million) transfer from Inter Milan, is expected to hook up again
with Overmars -- his former teammate on the Dutch side Ajax.
"People over here who perhaps do not know too much about him
yet will soon see how good he is," Overmars said. "His arrival at
Arsenal is going to be very good for Nicolas Anelka and myself
because he is such a different type of player.
"He can play in midfield as well as in attack and out wide --
and his height (6-feet-5/1.96 meters) is a big plus at set
pieces."
Arsenal will also be without defender Martin Keown, but
defenders Tony Adams and Lee Dixon are expected back from injuries.
Both teams are on streaks. Manchester United has won eight
straight and Arsenal has a four-match unbeaten string going against
Alex Ferguson's club.
Manchester United is likely to be without left-sided forward
Ryan Giggs, who is fighting an injured hamstring, and defender
Denis Irwin is also questionable. Back for United from one match
bans will be midfielders Roy Keane and Paul Scholes.
"We have hit a spell of good form," Ferguson said. "We had a
lot of injuries when we faced Arsenal last year with probably six
of our strongest side out that day.
"That does have an effect. You wouldn't recognize the team that
played that day compared to the one I have available now, so it's a
good time for a big match."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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