Arsene Wenger is considering playing Samir Nasri in central midfield against Manchester United after a successful experiment against Middlesbrough.
Nasri partnered Denilson at the base of the Arsenal midfield against Boro, freeing Cesc Fabregas to score two goals in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Middlesbrough offered little to trouble Arsenal, but Manchester United would be a very different prospect at Old Trafford, though Wenger admits he is considering using a similar system.
"Usually Fabregas plays deeper and Nasri higher," said Wenger. "I wanted to test how it works when he plays deeper and Fabregas higher.
"I could do it again because it was quite convincing. It is open and we have 48 hours to study that and make a decision.
"Fabregas gets sharper and sharper from game to game. He was out for three months and you can't come back at your best straight away. But now he gets better in every game.
"Every player who plays in midfield, who thinks he's an offensive player, creative player, needs to score goals and what happened to him is important."
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Topline
"we all love to speculate, if we can hold united to 0-0 for 20 mins we have a great chance to do something but at the back is where we need to be careful...if sagna isnt fit dont play him half fit eboue with all his faults has hit form and would be wrong to play a half fit sagna plus eboue can get up and down well...my line would be ( and hopefully wengers too)
Almunia
Eboue Toure Djourou Gibbs
Song
Walcott Fabregas Diaby
Nasri
Adebayor
Thats what id play, but who knows what he will do?"
lonewolf10
"after years of watching dour chelsea v liverpool matches in the champs lge,we've finally got the all english MAIN event these should be 2 classics"
goon
"I have wanted to see this game in champs league for a long time. glad it is not final so we get it over 2 legs. i hope both teams play to their strengths, which at the moment is attacking. i am confident arsenal will go through with a score draw in first leg and home win. i would probably put nasri on the left cos he is neat with the ball and can get at rafael when he goes forward. game on."
slowgraffiti
"The front page of this site says Wenger is contemplating playing Nasri in a "holding role" - but read Wenger's comments and you won't find any hint at "holding" necessarily. I doubt we'll have just Fabregas and Nasri in the middle. Denilson, Song, or Diaby will certainly be in there as well. Of Fabregas, Nasri, and one of those, I'll let you figure out who will be designated as the holding midfielder."
slowgraffiti
"Nasri has played traditional central midfield often. I'm not sure any of you watched him play before he came to Arsenal. (No, YouTube highlight compilations and a single game v Liverpool don't count.)"
ohno
"I think the mind games have started. I cant see it myself i think half the reason nasri played there was fot the watching Fergie - I am not sure what midfield he will pick but it must contain Song for me.
Do you think we could get away with dressing Arshavin up as Bendtner, couple of stilts bit of sticky back plastic??
its worth a go "
kyriisgay
"Seaweed and the refs decisions"
Seaweed
"Arsenal win is do-able for sure, i would put money on bloody utd winning by something stupid like 5-1, lady luck has been on their side most of this season"
mgaffney
"Hopefully as a United fan I hope we win the Champs League but if we dont then good luck to Arsenal they would be worthy winners just for the way they play Football."
kyriisgay
"good luck arsenal, it would be a great achievment if you beat united with no defense"
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