Manchester United of course host Steve Bruce’s Sunderland at Old Trafford this afternoon, so with that in mind it’s worth taking a look at these three players who we should be wary of going into the game:
Nicklas Bendtner
It would be fair to say that Danish striker Bendtner isn’t one of the most popular players in the Premier League. Whether that’s because he has a knack of wearing brightly-coloured boots or because he has a reputation for causing problems or not nobody knows.
The fact remains that Bendtner has all the ingredients to become a great forward in the division. He’s tall, good in the air, has quick feet. It’s just a matter of all those ingredients coming good at the right time and a new start this year is exactly what he needed
After being sent out on loan to Sunderland from Arsenal for the whole season, this year is a big year for Bendtner to prove his doubters wrong. He cannot be underestimated and has a great ability to bring others into play as well as score the odd goal from absolutely nowhere.
Craig Gardner
Last season may have ended on a sad note for dynamic midfielder Gardner with Birmingham suffering relegation back down to the Championship. But it was a season which the former Aston Villa youth graduate ‘broke through’ and made himself into a proven top-flight player
Ending the season with 10 goals and a Carling Cup winners medal, Gardner excelled in midfield for Alex McLeish, producing the kinds of performances that were getting him noticed by bigger clubs even more so when those around him were struggling for form.
In the summer there was no shortage of options for Gardner and he decided to move up North to join Sunderland. Already this season he’s shown his quality and he will not be intimated by playing on the big-occasion at Old Trafford and will work hard in both boxes.
Sebastian Larsson
But for Wenger’s reluctance to stick with Freddie Ljungberg in the final couple of seasons of his career at Arsenal, there’s probably every chance that the talented Larrson would still be plying his trade at the Emirates, where he probably be a first-choice.
There are very few midfielders as technically gifted as the hard-working Swedish midfielder in the Premier League who despite being relegated twice whilst at Birmingham City has a glowing reputation behind him as one of the league’s most creative players.
It’s vital United keep their concentration levels up for corners and set-pieces into the area or better still not concede them as Larrson has a knack of delivering balls into the area which are just asking to be knocked home. He’s also dangerous from free-kick’s just outside the box too.