Udinese was memorable, we desperately needed a win and the lads didn’t disappoint us as they fought from start to finish and never gave up even when trailing the Serie A side by one goal to nil at the end of the first time.

But, that was then and what comes next is another must-win game against Manchester United as we simply cannot afford to let the Red Devils open an eight-point gap at the top. Remember, this season it’s not just them and Chelsea as Liverpool and Manchester City will also mean business in the English Premier League so losing contact at such an early stage in the season could be very, very dangerous.

There is one other reason why getting a positive result tomorrow is a must and that’s because we will then be back in action on September 10 and we all know how painful it is to wait days and days to bounce back from a negative result.

Ironically enough, the opposite happened this week, we lost against Liverpool, a lot of questions were raised about the future of Arsenal Football Club but days later we bounced back because we were given an opportunity to do so. If we lose tomorrow, our next opportunity – and a nice one of course – will be in a fortnight when we host Swansea, at the Emirates Stadium.

The morale ahead of the game is of course very high as Wojciech Szczęsny, Robin van Persie and Ignasi Miquel all revealed that the players danced and enjoyed every second of the Champions League win but to again quote our captain, it’s time to show how good we are in every single game, to show it over and over again as we could easily go back to square if we are complacent, tomorrow.

Needless to say, with Jack Wilshere, Gervinho, Alex Song and Emmanuel Frimpong all missing in midfield, it will be interesting to see who Arsene will opt for in that area of the pitch as it’s vital not to lose the battle in the middle of the park. Defensively, Thomas Vermaelen should recover from a minor injury problem and allow me to add that if he doesn’t we’re toast, with Laurent Koscielny, hopefully, also fit to start.

Anyway, as it’s almost always the case when these two teams meet, let’s hope in an entertaining game of football with many goals coming from the men in blue/light blue and hopefully none from the men in red.

As always, my favourite line-up is below. Remember you can submit your own at Arsenal Interactive and then share it on Twitter and Facebook.

Favourite line-up

Based on what Arsene said in his pre-match press conference, I have a feeling Laurent Koscielny will be fit to start against the Red Devils hence teaming up with Thomas at the back with Bacary on the right and Armand on the left. Bacary struggled a little against Udinese so we desperately need him in his natural position tomorrow.

With Alex Song and Emmanuel Frimpong suspended, I see no other option than that to start with Johan Djourou in midfield. The Swiss was signed as a defensive midfielder and I feel he can do well in this position with Tomas Rosicky and Aaron Ramsey, alongside him, in midfield, hoping for the Czech International to be as on fire as he was on Wednesday night.

Up front, the options are also slim with Nicklas Bendtner out with an ankle injury and Gervinho suspended so unless Arsene surprises us with Ryo on the left, I see Andrey, Theo and Robin lead the charge.

The Gunning Hawk Coverage

As always, tune in for team line-ups, streaming links, half time and full time reports, post-match thoughts, video highlights and what the press is writing. And of course, do contribute if you want to by making use of the comment box available at the bottom of the post as it’s always nice to hear your opinion. And as a final note, if you want to go one step further than just leaving a comment and want to have your articles published on our website, take a look here for more information.

Arsenal Interactive

And of course, don’t forget you’re still in time to pick your preferred team for this game. And when the final whistle blows, don’t forget to rate the players, comment on their performances and share your personal ratings with your friends. All this and more, available at http://www.arsenal-interactive.com.