By Boris Mellor
April 8 2006

Realistically only Arsenal, Spurs and Blackburn are in with a chance of gaining the fourth place necessary for CL qualification. Although Spurs and Blackburn are above Arsenal they have played two more games.

Nonetheless the match against Manchester United is a must win game. If Arsenal can win the two games in hand they would go 4^th and be in the pole position. But that won't be easy as Blackburn found out today on being held to a draw by Portsmouth. Indeed Pompey could have won.

Arsenal now have a game every 3 or 4 days until the end of the season, and this is the biggest barrier Wenger could face. He will need to rest players, but he is reluctant to juggle the team about with too many changes. At his press conference this week he suggested it would only be one or two for the Man U game. He also made it clear that he wants a win and will be playing 4-4-2. It’s also the case that if Man U are to ignite a real challenge to Chelsea they too must win, a draw would not be good enough.

It certainly is a match with lot riding on it, although I suspect Wenger would be happier with a draw than Ferguson, not that Arsene ever sets out for a draw.

Cole, Clichy, Cygan and Lauren are still out, but there are no new injuries so everyone else should be available. That gives Wenger a good choice of strikers and midfielders, and he could certainly rest a few, but as said previously he will be reluctant to juggle too much. I would expect Adebayor to play, at least, and perhaps Hleb or Ljungberg rested. I would assume this is not the match to test Campbell on, but he should be on the bench