BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton has praised two players and tipped one team to “find a way” to win in the Premier League clash between Manchester United and Arsenal.
Manchester United will welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford on Sunday, with kick-off for the Premier League showdown slated for 4:30pm UK time.
The Gunners clash will come only days after the Red Devils returned to Europa League action for their first-leg last-16 tie against Real Sociedad in Spain.
Ruben Amorim’s men have struggled in their Premier League campaign this season, with United currently languishing in 14th place in the league table.
The Red Devils are 16 points clear of the Premier League relegation zone and United have only managed nine league wins in 27 matches in the 2024-25 season.
United’s hopes of securing European football for next season and major silverware in the current campaign relies mainly on their Europa League run now.
Ruben Amorim’s side failed to defend their FA Cup trophy and were dumped out of the competition last Sunday in United’s penalty shootout defeat to Fulham.
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Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
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Chris Sutton on Arsenal’s form ahead of Man Utd match
Arsenal are 12 places clear of Manchester United in the Premier League table and the Gunners are 13 points adrift from league leaders Liverpool in the title race.
The Gunners have a match in hand over the Reds and Arsenal have won three of their last five Premier League matches ahead of their visit to Old Trafford.
Chris Sutton waxed lyrical about Mikel Arteta’s men after Arsenal destroyed PSV Eindhoven 7-1 in their first-leg last-16 tie in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Speaking in his BBC Sport column, he said: “I was in Eindhoven on Tuesday to cover Arsenal in the Champions League for 5 Live, and it’s a lovely place.
“Eindhoven is the design capital of the Netherlands, known for being a city of innovation and creativity – two of the things Manchester United are sorely lacking at the moment.
“Arsenal have struggled to score in the Premier League but the goals were flowing freely for them against PSV and this feels like it is going to be another rearguard action for Manchester United, similar to the way they got past the Gunners in the FA Cup.
“United do seem to, somehow, raise their game against the better teams and that is the only way they are going to make this close.”
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What is Chris Sutton’s Man Utd vs Arsenal scoreline prediction?
Sutton singled out Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice as “immense” and called Gunners skipper Martin Odegaard “excellent” after their performances against PSV Eindhoven.
The BBC Sport pundit has backed the Gunners to come out on top against Ruben Amorim’s men and tipped a 1-0 scoreline for Arsenal on Sunday at Old Trafford.
“I still think Arsenal will win it, though,” he continued.
“Tuesday was the first time I have seen Ethan Nwaneri play in the flesh and I was really impressed with his performance for Mikel Arteta’s team.
“Declan Rice was immense in midfield and Martin Odegaard was excellent too. There has been some criticism of his form recently but he really delivered in that game.
“So, although United might try to make things hard for them, I definitely think Arsenal will find a way through.
“They won’t score seven again, but this game has got all the hallmarks of ending up 1-0 to the Arsenal.”
The Red Devils have managed two Premier League wins in their last five matches and their last league outing was United’s 3-2 win over Ipswich Town at Old Trafford.