Manchester United host Arsenal at Old Trafford in an early Saturday kickoff as Jose Mourinho goes up against his arch nemesis, Arsene Wenger
Manchester United would be hoping they are able to put their recent forgettable form behind them as they host Arsenal in an early Saturday kickoff. Arsenal are on a brilliant run of form and would have been the favourites going into the game against any opponent and at any stadium except the proposition they face on Saturday.
Old Trafford is almost a haunted stadium for the Gunners, especially in the league, and add to that the presence of Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger goes into the game, again in hunt for an elusive win against the Portuguese. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the fixture that is Manchester United vs Arsenal and the various news surrounding it.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to miss the crucial clash, having accrued five yellow cards with the last one coming in a 3-1 win over Swansea. The Swede apologised to the fans for the yellow card, which meant that he will miss the Saturday fixture. Ibra’s absence could leave the door open for Rashford to lead the United attack in a fixture that clearly marked his rise last season with the player scoring a brace and setting one up for Herrera as United won the match 3-2.
Alternatively, Mourinho could opt for Wayne Rooney, who has an exemplary record against Arsenal. The United captain favours the matchup, with the club second the list of the opponents against whom the former Everton man has scored the most goals.
Meanwhile, the centre-back duo of Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling are set to miss the fixture due to injuries while Antonio Valencia faces a race to be fit ahead of the match. Luke Shaw indirectly confirmed his fitness through his tweet and it would be interesting to see if Mourinho deems the player as match fit or otherwise. Marouane Fellaini remains a doubt for the game.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1 / 4-3-3): De Gea; Darmian, Phil Jones, Rojo, Blind; Herrera, Carrick; Rashford, Pogba, Mata; Rooney
Arsenal
Arsenal have fewer injury concerns to take care of and Wenger would be glad to see Alexis Sanchez return from international duty. Mesut Ozil is set to return against Manchester United while Hector Bellerin could prove to be a costly absence.
Wenger has already signaled in his presser that Jenkinson may take Bellerin’s place while Santi Cazorla is unlikely to feature for the Gunners on Saturday. Elsewhere, Danny Welbeck will not be lining up against his former club with the England international still nursing a knee injury.
New signing Lucas Perez and Per Mertesacker are both out for the game with injuries to their ankle and knee respectively as Wenger aims for a first win over Mourinho.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Cech; Jenkinson, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Xhaka, Coquelin; Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi; Sanchez
Key Stats
- 0 – Arsene Wenger is yet to register a win against Jose Mourinho, who is undefeated in 11 contests against the Arsenal manager.
- Arsenal are the only club in the current season of the Premier League that have not gone behind at any moment away from home.
- If Manchester United are to lose the game, their points tally of 18 points from 12 games would tie with their lowest tally recorded in the Premier League, with the previous occasion coming in the 2004-05 season wherein United ultimately finished third.
- Wayne Rooney currently has 247 goals and needs just two more to level Sir Bobby Charlton as the top goalscorer in the club’s history.
- Manchester United have lost to Arsenal just once at Old Trafford in the Premier League in the past decade with their last win coming in 2006 as Adebayor scored the one and only goal of the game.
Best Bets:
Favourable Bets:
1. Under 5.5 Cards @ 1.83
2. Over 10.5 Corners @ 2.00
3. Manchester United Asian Handicap 0.0 @ 1.80
Prediction
Manchester United 2 – 0 Arsenal
It promises to be an even match. The history between Manchester United and Arsenal along with the record between Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger gives the Red Devils a slight edge. United may struggle to cope with injuries but Mourinho is a known expert in the field of eking results against top sides.
The Red Devils are likely to take a slim 1-0 lead and sit back to absorb pressure while they may be able to add another goal as Arsenal attempt to get back in the game.