Tried like crazy but was left almost entirely alone and never got a good look.

Rating: 7/10

The Premier League's leading scorer, Robin van Persie was so hot at the beginning of the season that he temporarily vaulted himself into best player discussions along side Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. While that talk has calmed, Arsenal's captain is still the player most likely to score on Sunday. Whether he gets on the score sheet or not, he'll likely need a strong performance against United if Arsenal's to get three points.

There was a time when Nani was a bit of a wild child - an inconsistent prodigy brought in from Portugal at a young age who was as apt to do something brilliant as he was to do something inexplicable. That's all changed. Now, Nani is a Manchester United stalwart. Capable of playing on the left or right side of attack, the 25-year-old is tied for second on the club with six goals. He's also tied for the club lead in assists with seven.

Along with Szczesny, Song has been the biggest, most pleasant surprise for Arsenal. The Cameroon international has always shown his potential as a midfield destroyer. This year, he's put it all together, becoming much more consistent. On Sunday, he has to potential to be a difference maker. He can make life difficult for Manchester United's main playmaker, Wayne Rooney, and becauseUnited's two true midfielders tend to sit very deep in their base defensive positions, Song will have changes to move into attack and, if he make the right choices when to go forward, be decisive.

Like Patrice Evra, Ferdinand has become a convenient target for detractors, though even more unfairly so. Rio's main issue seems to be that he is not what he once was. Considering he was once in the conversation as best defender in the world, Ferdinand could conceivably slip a ways and still be a valuable contributor for United. How much he as slipped is open to debate, but there's hardly an argument about how important he is to the Red Devils' defense.

Arteta was purchased from Everton at the end of the summer transfer season as Arsenal frantically sought to replace the departed Cesc Fabregas and Sami Nasri. It's turned out to be a decent purchase. Statistically, Arteta has been one of the best and most prolific passers in the Premier League, and while much of that can be attributed to Arsene Wenger's pass-heavy approach, it's still a testament to how the Spaniard has seamlessly fit into his new team.

The persistent prodigy has quietly become a needed contributor to Arsenal's team. Known best for making England's World Cup 2006 squad at only 17 years old, Walcott's spent the last five years being evaluated against huge expectations. While he has yet to live up to some's prognostications, Walcott remains the fastest right wing in the league. He'll challenge an aging left-side of Manchester United's defense: left back Patrice Evra and left-center back Rio Ferdinand.

The much-maligned French international will be tasked with containing one of Arsenal's most dangerous weapons: right wing Theo Walcott. Though his dsmise is much discussed amongst United's detractors (and some of their fans), Evra is still capable of doing the job against Arsenal's speed merchant. He's also capable of falling flat. His inconsistency is his detractors' greatest qualm.

It's been only recently that Arsenal fans' cries for better goalkeeping were silenced. The emergence of young Polish `keeper Wojciech Szczesny have allowed Gooners to forget the Manuel Almunia era or the specter that Lukasz Fabianski may be his replacement. Uncommonly young for a first choice goalkeeper, the 21-year-old has kept seven clean sheets this season, earning the trust of the Emirates faithful.

With manager Alex Ferguson's choices at forward, there's a chance Welbeck will have to be dangerous off the bench, though the 21-year-old England international seems to have surfaced as first choice for the Red Devils. While his five goals (fifth on the team) aren't particularly impressive, Welbeck has the speed to add to that total, sure to stress Arsenal's central defenders as Wayne Rooney attempts to find him.