Danny Welbeck Arsenal Anderlecht Chancel Mbemba
Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck will want to fire against his former club Manchester UnitedReuters

Arsenal have been having a pretty below-par season, and so have Manchester United, and now the two teams that used to always fight for the English Premier League title not too long ago will look for that much-needed momentum with a victory over their old rivals on Saturday.

Both Arsenal and Manchester United are well off the pace in terms of fighting for the title, with Chelsea running away from them courtesy their fast start.

Arsenal lie 12 points adrift of Chelsea after 11 games in the Premier League, while Manchester United are a further point behind.

The title might seem like a faraway dream at the moment for both sides, and it will be interesting to see which team actually step up and, at the very least, try to make a statement at the Emirates.

"You have to look further than the table and look at the quality of the players," said Wenger while trying to explain just why the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United are so off the pace. "I think it's a very exciting game to watch.

"Of course [this game still means a lot]. I would say even more so because the two teams are chasing a good record to try to climb up the table in the Premier League, which makes it a very important game.

"We have drawn a lot against Manchester United and we've lost a lot recently at Old Trafford, but I don't think we've lost a lot at home.

"They have always been chasing recently for the championship, we went through a period where we did not. But there is no block there. We feel strong at home at the Emirates and we have a good record in the last 25 games."

Arsenal, who threw away victory in their last game against Swansea, have not had the best of times while playing Manchester United, having won just once in their last 11 games – that win coming courtesy a man who has failed to find that outstanding form from last season – Aaron Ramsey.

While Alexis Sanchez has given Arsenal goals and a little bit of something extra special, there is little doubt that the attacking this term has been a little disjointed. Santi Cazorla looks a shadow of himself, while Ramsey has struggled for form, albeit largely due to injuries.

Jack Wilshere has looked better, but continues to be a little hit and miss, as does Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Danny Welbeck has slowed down a little bit after that explosive start to his Arsenal career, and with the embarrassment of riches at Wenger's disposal, Arsenal really should be creating and scoring more goals.

Maybe it is that goalscoring time for Welbeck, who will play against the team that groomed him, turned him into a Premier League regular and an England international for the first time as an Arsenal player.

"Danny has been here all of his life," Rooney told MUTV. "He is a Manchester lad so it is weird seeing him [there]. But that's football nowadays and players move on.

"I think, for Danny, and for his own personal career, it was probably the best move for him. He's done great and scored a few goals and is playing well. Danny gives you what he always gives you -- a good shift. He works hard for the team.

"At times, as I said to him, he works a bit too hard, but he's scoring goals and he's doing well."

Louis Van Gaal will certainly hope Welbeck, who anyways is a doubt for the game, does not do that well, with his Manchester United side tightening up at the back in recent times.

Robin Van Persie Manchester United Thibaut Courtois Chelsea
Robin Van Persie has a terrific goalscoring record against his old club ArsenalReuters

While injuries continue to haunt Van Gaal, he will take encouragement from the fact that his side matched up to the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City recently, and with that man Robin Van Persie raring to go in front of the fans who used to revere him – it is safe to say, they don't feel the same way anymore -- maybe, this Arsenal vs Manchester United match will have the goals and rivalry that defined the early part of the Premier League.

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The big game is set for a 5.30 pm GMT (11 pm IST 12.30 pm ET) start with live coverage in India on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports HD1. Arsenal vs Manchester United can also be watched via live streaming online in India on StarSports.com.

Sky Sports 1 will show the match live in the UK, while viewers can also live stream the action on Sky Go and Watch Sky Sports. Watch the action in the US on NBC Sports, while the game can also be Live Streamed online on NBC Sports Extra.

Australia viewers can catch the match via live streaming on Fox Sports On Demand, while viewers in Canada can do the same on TSN Live. Viewers in the Middle East and North Africa can watch the match via Live Streaming online courtesy Bein Sports Connect, while South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa viewers can do the same via SuperSport online.

Team news: Arsenal: Wenger will have Olivier Giroud back for the first time since August, while skipper Mikel Arteta is also available. However, Theo Walcott's comeback from a long-term knee injury has received a minor blow, with the forward picking up a groin problem.

Welbeck and Kieran Gibbs are doubts for the game with hamstring injuries, while Laurent Koscielny, Mathieu Debuchy, David Ospina and Mesut Ozil remain sidelined.

Manchester United: While things looked bleak for Van Gaal as the international break unfolded, there is some encouraging news, with David De Gea, Angel Di Maria, Luke Shaw and Michael Carrick all expected to win their respective fitness battles. Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Ashley Young and Radamel Falcao, however, are definitely ruled out.

Confirmed lineups: Arsenal: Szczesny; Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal, Gibbs; Arteta; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Wilshere, Sanchez; Welbeck.

Manchester United: De Gea; Smalling, McNair, Blackett, Shaw; Carrick, Fellaini; Valencia, Rooney, Di Maria; Van Persie.

Prediction: 2-2