Manchester United against Arsenal: Preview, prognostications, and lineups

The Gunners are still in contention with Manchester City for the top spot in the table but find themselves trailing by a couple of points after Pep Guardiola’s team secured a win against Fulham over the weekend. With City maintaining a narrow lead, any further missteps at this stage could be detrimental.

Historically, a visit to Old Trafford has posed a formidable challenge for Arsenal. However, Manchester United is currently entrenched in a crisis as they prepare to host Arsenal this weekend. Their recent 4-0 defeat to a resurgent Crystal Palace marked a new low for the Red Devils, who are at risk of missing out on European qualification this season. Even winning the FA Cup final later this month might not be sufficient to save Erik ten Hag from dismissal.

Arsenal emerged victorious in the first encounter between these teams in early September, securing a 3-1 win with stoppage-time goals from Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus. A repeat of that outcome would be warmly embraced by the north London club.

Manchester United’s recent struggles on the field have been compounded by a string of injuries, especially in their defensive lineup. Ten Hag’s squad remains depleted this Sunday, with key players like Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Willy Kambwala, and Tyrell Malacia absent from the backline.

In the attacking department, Anthony Martial remains sidelined, and the absence of Mason Mount adds to their challenges after he suffered another injury setback.

Nevertheless, there’s a silver lining for Ten Hag as captain Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, and Scott McTominay have all recovered from their injuries. McTominay, in particular, might be deployed in the centre-back position if needed.

There are some injury worries ahead of Sunday’s match, as Bukayo Saka and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both uncertain to play following the recent game against Bournemouth. Saka suffered from a harsh tackle by Ryan Christie at the Emirates but is expected to recover in time.

Jurrien Timber is nearing a comeback from an ACL injury that has sidelined him since the start of the season. However, despite playing in some academy matches, he has yet to make it back to the Gunners’ bench.

Manchester United will aim to keep this game competitive, although a win would likely secure the Premier League title for their rivals, Manchester City. However, their defensive issues, diminished confidence, and lack of team unity make a favorable result unlikely.

Arsenal have been in excellent form lately, even amidst increasing pressure, and theoretically, they should have no trouble overcoming a struggling Manchester United team. The last five encounters between these two sides have ended with scores of either 3-2 or 3-1, suggesting that Sunday’s match might produce a similar result.