By Neil McLeman
All Arsene Wenger wants from Jack Wilshere right now is for the England midfielder to enjoy his football.
But that has been easier said than done for Arsenal on their recent visits to Manchester United.
The Gunners have lost four on the bounce at Old Trafford, including last season’s 8-2 humiliation, and have not won there since September 2006.
The massive rivalry between the Premier League’s old Big Two has become a little one-sided.
But Wenger dismissed any talk of Saturday’s lunch-time clash being about revenge.
“I will not mention last season at all,” he insisted. “Ninety per cent of the players who will play on Saturday have not played in this game.”
One way in which Arsenal’s team will differ from the one trounced by United 14 months ago (see below) is that Wilshere will be in it.
England midfielder Wilshere returned to action for 67 minutes against QPR last weekend after his 542-day absence.
His previous Gunners appearance had been on May 11 last year, in a team which included Robin van Persie – who will play for United on Saturday – Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.
Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla are set to line-up alongside him in midfield at Old Trafford, but the focus will be on Wilshere.
“He can cope with it mentally,” Wenger insisted. “Football is fantastic when you can play. One thing that Jack has learnt in that long spell he was out, 17 months in a life of a young boy is massive.
“I just want him to enjoy playing football. He loves football, he loves to play and the most important thing is he keeps that happiness on the pitch.”
There was only misery at Old Trafford on August 28 last year as Arsenal’s make-shift side lacking 10 players conceded eight goals – their heaviest defeat since the 19th century.
“Do we want revenge? No,” insisted Wenger. “I believe, of course, there is an emotional aspect to a result like that.
“But on a footballing front, I don’t think you give too much importance to a result like that.
“It is down to a team being much better than another that the scores are high, or down to special circumstances.
“On the day, I think the result was down to special circumstances.
“That’s why the emotional meaning is big but the footballing meaning is not very big, and we have had that behind us for a long, long time now.”
Arsenal sit sixth in the Premier League after drawing at Manchester City and winning at Liverpool – and losing at Norwich.
“If we do well in this game, we can come closer to Man United and we’ll have played mainly all the big teams away from home,” Wenger continued. “So for us it is a very important game.
“We know that will be vital because it looks like many teams can beat each other. It is very important for us to do well against the big teams.
“Tottenham beat them at home this season, so there is certainly an opportunity.”
Arsenal kept clean sheets in their first three games of the season, but have conceded in all but one of their 11 matches since and were cut to ribbons in the first half of Tuesday’s League Cup win over Reading.
“It concerns me a little bit,” Wenger admitted. “When you are 4-0 down in 36 minutes you can’t say all is well on that front!
“I don’t think it is Steve Bould’s fault!
“You have to give credit as well to the offensive quality in the Premier League – and to the offensive quality of Reading the other night.
“It was an irrational game with a good end for us, so you like it – it’s easier to cope with the irrationality than when you lose.
“It is not always about your weaknesses, it is about strengths as well.
“The Chelsea-Manchester United game finished 5-4, but it could have been seven as well.
“Both teams had chances. I believe offensive quality has improved a lot.”
