Manchester United v Arsenal is regarded by many as the greatest rivalry of the Premier League era. From 1998 to 2004, the two sides shared seven titles between each other as they competed in fierce battles on and off the pitch. However, as they prepare to meet at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon [16: 30 GMT], one club finds themselves much closer to their past glory than the other.
Sunday’s match will see Mikel Arteta take charge of the Gunners for the 200th time in the Premier League. Since his arrival in December 2019, Arteta has transformed Arsenal from a team that regularly missed out on Champions League football to one that now competes for the Premier League title. Despite only winning the FA Cup in his tenure so far, Arteta has instilled a sense of optimism around the Emirates that success in the biggest competitions is a matter of when, not if.
United, on the other hand, are in disarray. Ruben Amorim has a mountainous task to try and return the Red Devils to their past fortunes, but believes he won’t be given the time Arteta has had. Given that, the pressure is on the Portuguese manager to fast track the club’s progress, which seems like a herculean challenge considering they have failed to win consecutive league games all season.
Arsenal may head to into Sunday’s fixture 16 points behind league leaders Liverpool, meaning three points are a necessity if they want to keep their slim title hopes alive. A win for the home side would all but end the Gunners’ title aspirations, but more importantly would provide a glimmer of hope to a dispirited United fanbase.
The Stats
This game will be the third contest between the two sides this season. Arsenal won the reverse league fixture at the Emirates in December courtesy of two set-piece goals from Jurrien Timber and William Saliba. Having failed to find the back of the net in their previous two Premier League matches against Nottingham Forest and West Ham, Arteta has called on his side to rediscover their set-piece scoring touch.
United did come out on top in their last meeting though, which was in the FA Cup third round at the Emirates in January. Arteta’s side dominated the match, generating an xG of 3.14 compared to United’s 0.27, but were compounded to another cup exit after losing a penalty shoot-out.
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On the whole, the Gunners have enjoyed great success in this fixture under Arteta and are on the cusp of a historic record. A win on Sunday would be Arsenal’s fifth consecutive Premier League victory against the Red Devils, making them the first ever team to achieve such a feat.
Whilst the away side will undoubtedly be the favourites to secure three points on Sunday, history suggests a win for United wouldn’t be too surprising. No club has won more games against Arsenal in all competitions than United (99) and they have only beaten Aston Villa more times (106).
Team News
Manchester United’s injury woes appear to be worsening game by game. Ruben Amorim stated he was unsure over the fitness of Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte, as the pair both missed United’s 1-1 draw away to Real Sociedad in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Thursday.
They join a long list of absentees for United, including star players Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw and Mason Mount. Patrick Dorgu remains suspended following his red card in United’s last Premier League match against Ipswich.
Meanwhile, there are no new injury concerns for Mikel Arteta. He will remain without key attacking personnel, with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus all sidelined with injury for their visit to Old Trafford.
We expect Bruno Fernandes and Martin Ødegaard to be the players to watch on Sunday afternoon. The two captains will be pivotal in breaking down the opposition’s defence and providing the creativity needed to spark their sides into action.
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TV Guides
The game will be covered by Sky Sports as part of their Super Sunday double header. Coverage begins at 16:00 GMT, ahead of kickoff at 16:30 GMT on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
FromTheSpot Prediction
Given the current position of both sides, we predict a comfortable 3-1 victory for the Gunners.
With games running out and Liverpool storming ahead, Arsenal can ill-afford to drop points if they are to rescue their first league title since 2004. Confidence will be high after their emphatic 7-1 victory against PSV in the Champions League, which put to bed any doubt that Arsenal would struggle to score goals without their usual forward lineup.
United were lacklustre in their FA Cup defeat to Fulham last week and again against Real Sociedad in the Europa League. A determined Arsenal side should prove to be too much for Amorim’s men.