Old Trafford forms the backdrop for Sunday’s mouth-watering battle of the fallen Premier League kings as Manchester United host Arsenal in one of the oldest fixtures in English top-flight history.
Both sides are poised to hit some historic milestones in the upcoming colossal contest at the Theatre of Dreams.
For United, victory would mark their 100th win over Arsenal across all competitions, while the Gunners are seeking back-to-back wins at Old Trafford for the first time in the Premier League era.
Arsenal’s title hopes are all but over, but dropping points against United could put the final nail in the coffin of their Premier League ambitions, leaving them with little more than a fight for Champions League places.
United fans have had little to cheer for this season given their precarious situation, but they’d still purchase Man Utd tickets from Seatsnet.com, hoping the Red Devils can come away with a positive result.
Team News
Man United
United manager Ruben Amorim has admitted he will not take unnecessary risks with player fitness when his side faces Arsenal in Sunday’s crucial Premier League clash.
The Red Devils are coming off a taxing 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad in Spain, which has set up a tense Europa League round-of-16 second leg at Old Trafford next Thursday.
Speaking to reporters at the Reale Arena before boarding the team’s flight back to Manchester, Amorim acknowledged the need to carefully manage his squad’s workload.
With Arsenal riding high after a mind-boggling 7-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, United will need to be at their best. However, Amorim is wary of pushing his players too hard.
“I don’t know [who will be available],” the Portuguese coach admitted when asked about the squad’s fitness (via Manutd.com). “We need to survive Sunday.
“The team was very tired in the last 20 minutes [against Sociedad].
“We have to prepare for Arsenal and then focus on our important game next Thursday. But right now, I don’t know who will be ready.”
United’s injury list is also growing at an alarming pace and suspensions to key players hasn’t helped their cause either.
Patrick Dorgu will serve the second game of his three-match domestic suspension, while Toby Collyer made a late return from injury in Spain. When pressed on whether any of the missing players – such as Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte – could return in time for the Arsenal clash, Amorim said: “I don’t know. I don’t think so, but we’ll see”.
However, he provided some clarity on some of the team’s long-term absentees. Amad Diallo and Lisandro Martinez are unlikely to return soon, though Amorim is hopeful that the former could return to action before the end of the season.
Goalkeepers Tom Heaton and Altay Bayindir are also sidelined, along with Jonny Evans, who has not played since scoring in the Carabao Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur before Christmas.
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta capitalised on Arsenal’s rout against PSV to rest several key players ahead of this weekend’s showdown.
Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino, Thomas Partey, and Jurrien Timber were all substituted in midweek to keep them fresh for upcoming fixtures.
However, Myles Lewis-Skelly, who narrowly avoided a third red card this season, could be given a break from the spotlight.
Meanwhile, Riccardo Calafiori made a strong case for more playing time, capping off his substitute appearance with Arsenal’s seventh goal.
The Italian defender has struggled with injuries but may finally have the opportunity to prove himself in the Premier League.
Ben White continues to build his match fitness, while Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Raheem Sterling returned to the bench, adding depth to Arteta’s options.
However, the rest of Arsenal’s team selection will be dictated by the club’s own injury crisis, with Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz among the notable absentees.
Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain sidelined as they work their way back to full fitness.
Head to Head
Arsenal will step onto the Old Trafford pitch with history firmly on their side as they look to extend United’s misery in the Premier League.
The Gunners have won their last four league meetings against United – a record-losing streak for the Red Devils in this fixture.
A fifth consecutive defeat would underline the widening gap between the two clubs. Arsenal’s consistent goalscoring form at Old Trafford will also bolster their confidence.
They have scored in each of their last ten Premier League visits to the iconic stadium, netting 13 goals in that span.
Their previous trips to the Theatre of Dreams were far less fruitful, managing to score in only 10 of their first 22 league games there (11 goals).
The numbers paint a grim picture for United. Amorim’s side have struggled against teams starting the day above them in the table, winning just one of their last eight home league games in such encounters (D1, L6).
They have lost each of the last four, a trend that will concern fans hoping for a late-season revival.
Defensive frailties have been another Achilles’ heel for United, particularly since Amorim took charge.
No team has fallen behind more often in that period, with the Red Devils conceding the first goal in 12 different league matches.
Another slow start against Arsenal could once again prove costly.
Perhaps the most telling part of United’s inconsistency this season is their failure to secure back-to-back league wins.
They have yet to win consecutive Premier League matches in this campaign, marking their longest wait for successive victories since the 1968/69 season (games 32 and 33) – a staggering statistic for a club of their stature.
Meanwhile, Arteta has established himself as one of the most successful managers against United in Premier League history.
The Arsenal boss has won seven of his 10 league meetings with the Red Devils, boasting the highest win rate (70%) of any manager to have faced them at least five times in the competition.
Arsenal fans will also have fond memories of Leandro Trossard’s decisive goal at Old Trafford last season.
If the Belgian finds the net again, he will join an elite group of Gunners, with only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Emmanuel Adebayor previously scoring in consecutive Premier League seasons at United’s fortress.
United predicted starting line-up:
(3-4-2-1): Andre Onana; Leny Yoro, Matthijs De Ligt, Victor Lindelof; Noussair Mazraoui, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot; Joshua Zirkzee, Alejandro Garnacho; Rasmus Hojlund.
Arsenal predicted starting line-up:
(4-3-3): David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timber; Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Declan Rice; Leandro Trossard, Mikel Merino, Ethan Nwaneri.
