Key reason why Ruben Amorim favourite could be important for Manchester United vs Arsenal

It hasn’t been an easy ride for Mason Mount so far at Manchester United, having spent the majority of his first season at Old Trafford injured and the second season having little difference in that regard.

He has recently returned to fitness and is being carefully managed back into the fold, and under United’s new manager Mount will undoubtedly be hoping to enter a new chapter in his so far troubled United career.

He has started one game under Amorim, the 3-2 Europa League victory over FK Bodø/Glimt, and appeared off the bench against Ipswich and Everton in the Premier League. With Kobbie Mainoo suspended for the trip to the Emirates on Wednesday, however, Mount could well become key for Ruben Amorim.

A game that United must win in order to make up ground on the teams ahead of them, it is by far Ruben Amorim’s biggest test since joining United and he will be thinking a lot about the best way to compose his starting eleven and set the side up, and Mount’s qualities could contribute to his thought process surrounding what gives him the best chance of earning what would be a huge three points.

Physically, Arsenal are currently levels above Manchester United. Granted, most teams are, but the Gunners are one of the most physically dominant outfits in world football. To have any chance of competing with them, United will need to play the players who better match the kind of intensity Amorim wants going forwards.

Mount is one of United’s most valuable players out of possession. A tenacious, willing presser who reads triggers well, understands start positions and jump timings, and has both the engine and willingness to cover large distances across a game. He is also strong in his duels.

Whilst larger spaces are not Mainoo’s forte, he too has the required defensive understanding and duelling qualities. With him unavailable, United lose a lot of quality in this regard.

If Mount was to play, it would likely be the case that Amorim starts him in one of the dual 10 spots with Bruno Fernandes moving deeper, largely due to their in possession qualities. The Portuguese coach has highlighted that Mount is better playing on the turn and with his back to goal, whilst Fernandes does better when he receives the ball facing play and can pick out long passes.

This would make Mount less of a direct replacement for his fellow countryman, with Fernandes filling in the teenager’s role, but it is more so the qualities he brings that replaces what is lost with Mainoo. His off ball qualities can potentially disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm when they have the ball, something which is key to beating them.

In possession, Mount’s ability to turn out of pressure and carry the ball up the pitch will be valuable for United, who will likely have less of the ball and will need to rely on transitions more as a result. The teams that have troubled Arsenal more this season have generally had good ball carriers who play with intensity, and United are generally short of these.

Whilst his fitness needs to be managed, and throwing him in against such a physically dominant side could well backfire in terms of keeping him injury free, if he is fit enough to start it would not be surprising to see Amorim put him into the starting lineup for the reasons mentioned above.

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