Manchester United will be looking to end a three-game losing streak against Arsenal when the two sides go head-to-head in the Premier League later today.
Manchester United will travel to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium later today. The Gunners have won the last three Premier League clashes between the two.
It will take 3 points against Manchester United to prevent them from falling further behind. The Red Devils appear to be rising under Ruben Amorim’s new leadership. United thrashed Everton 4-0 over the weekend, as Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee both scored goals.
Entering match week 14, United were ninth in the table, just four points off the Premier League top four. That means victory away to Arsenal would be a huge win for the Red Devils.
However, they will miss the services of both Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez for this clash, after the duo was suspended for picking up their fifth yellow card during the match against Everton on the weekend.
So, how could Amorim perform his toughest test as United boss so far? Let’s take a look…
Arsenal vs Man United lineups and score predicted
Arteta confirmed that Bukayo Saka was “fine, no problems”, after the victory over West Ham United, but a few Arsenal players face fitness tests ahead of the Man United match.
To complete this prediction and overall injuries and suspensions, Arteta said he would manage the minutes of Riccardo Calafiori, who is coming off a knee ligament injury. Gabriel might be benched, after being withdrawn against West Ham and will need to be checked, Mikel Merino missed the West Ham game and was hard-pressed to pass the fitness test just three days before the match.
Arsenal predicted lineup
4-3-3, right to left formation, with their starting XI: Raya (GK); Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Jorginho, Odegaard, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
Injuries: Tomiyasu (knee), Calafiori (fitness), Merino (knee), White (knee), Gabriel (knee)
Suspended: None.
Manchester United’s predicted lineup
3-4-3 right to left formation, with their line-up as follows: Onana (GK); Mazraoui, De Ligt, Amad Diallo, Casemiro, Ugarte, Dalot; Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund.
Injured: Evans (knock), Lindelof (leg), Shaw (undisclosed).
Suspended: KobbieMainoo, L. Martinez,
Tyrell Malacia is still building up full fitness but might be with the squad. The same was said of Luke Shaw but the full-back is injury-prone and has reportedly suffered another setback.
New signing Leny Yoro is nearing a return to the pitch and could at last make his Man United debut in this match as Ruben Amorim confirmed, the young defender has a chance of making the trip to north London.
Amorim’s statement on Leny Yoro
Supporters will also be waiting to watch Yoro in action, with the £52million signing from Lille having not yet played a competitive game for Man United after undergoing surgery on a foot fracture sustained during the defeat by Arsenal during the pre-season tour of the United States.
“Maybe Leny Yoro is going to be in the squad,” Amorim said. “I felt that he is in a good moment now, his fitness is better, so I think he’s going to be in the squad.
“I think he’s a special talent. We have to be careful in this first moment because we didn’t have too much training together, so he is training not alone but with a small group of players.
” He’s a modern defender, he’s really fast, and that is good when you want to press high and you leave a lot of strikers, especially in this league, one against one. I think he can manage that. He is very good with the ball, so I am very excited”.
Head-to-head
- Arsenal can win four successive league games against Manchester United for the first time.
- United have lost seven of their past nine Premier League away games against Arsenal.
- Their four most recent wins in this fixture were under previous managers: Jose Mourinho (April 2018), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (January 2019), Michael Carrick (December 2021) and Erik ten Hag (September 2022).
Arsenal
- This will be their 500th match in all competitions at the Emirates Stadium.
- Arsenal can win three successive league matches for the first time this season with a 69%-win prediction against Manchester’s 12% prediction.
- The Gunners have scored eight of their past 11 Premier League goals before half-time, including all five goals against West Ham last Saturday.
- They are unbeaten in 15 Premier League fixtures versus other established top-six opposition since a 4-1 defeat at Manchester City in April last year.
- Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has won six of his nine Premier League games against Manchester United, with his first victory for the Gunners coming in this fixture in January 2020.
- Arteta has the highest win rate of 67%, among the coaches to face the Red Devils at least five times in the Premier League.
- Bukayo Saka has scored three Premier League goals and set up two against United. Only Thierry Henry, with 12, has more goal involvement in this fixture for the Gunners.
- Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz are Arsenal’s joint-leading Premier League goal scorers for this campaign with 5 goals each. Eight of those 10 goals were conceded at the Emirates Stadium.
- Arsenal’s 20 goals from corners and Gabriel’s five from corners are the most by a team and a single player in the Premier League.
Manchester United
- United have won six of their past 7-midweek league matches, which have produced 38 goals in total.
- Manchester United can earn back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time this season.
- Marcus Rashford has scored three goals in two league appearances under coach Amorim, and one in the previous season.
- They have won just two of their last eighteen Premier League games in London. Both victories were at Fulham, with goals scored in stoppage time.
- United’s last seven Premier League goals were assisted by either Amad Diallo, with 4, or Bruno Fernandes, with 3.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Arsenal vs Manchester United is scheduled for an 8:15pm GMT (11:15pm EAT), and will kick-off tonight, Wednesday December 4, 2024.
The match will be played at the Emirates Stadium in north London.
Pre-season match: Arsenal vs Manchester United
Their pre-season game was played in SoFi stadium in California. The first half was closely contested though the best chance of the opening stages fell to Kai Havertz who somehow missed the target from a few yards after latching onto Bukayo Saka’s cross. As the first half went on, United grew in confidence, and just before the break, a moment of individual brilliance put the Gunners ahead.
A goal down, Arsenal came out in the second half much stronger. Man United had Andre Onana to thank for staying a goal ahead, with the ‘keeper making a handful of important saves to keep their lead intact. But, Onana didn’t shower himself in glory with 10 minutes to go when Gabriel Jesus scored in the 81st minute to put Arsenal ahead with a 2:1 win.
