Neither Arsenal nor Manchester United will have too many complaints about their week, given the context of the 10 days between Arsenal’s meeting with Portsmouth and the win in San Siro, but desperation is already setting in after back-to-back draws in the league.
Manchester United welcome the second stint of Michael Carrick as interim coach with an impressive derby win over struggling City, extending the former midfielder’s record at the club to three wins and one draw, but an inevitable first loss is what the Gunners will hope to inflict on Sunday.
Arsenal and Manchester United clash in another installation of a famous Premier League rivalry, one that peaked in the era of their legendary managers, and maintains its reputation as one of the most anticipated fixtures season in and out.
Although both teams lost relevance at some point, they both still continually stage thrilling and unpredictable performances when they go head-to-head, like at the start of the season, when Riccardo Calafiori’s header made the difference, although United was the better team.
However, the departure of Ruben Amorim means the Red Devils have had to restart their project, and while Michael Carrick has so far been riding on the wheel of fortune, a first defeat is inevitably just around the corner.
For Arsenal, a challenging run of fixtures, which saw them become the first English team to play four away games across four different competitions in 10 days came to an end with a 3-1 victory over Inter, completing three wins and one draw.
Despite the only blemish in this run coming in the league, Mikel Arteta’s charge are still able to extend their lead at the summit, following losses for both Manchester City and Aston Villa, both of whom now trail them by seven points.
Nevertheless, should the two teams secure wins this weekend, Arsenal will only be four points ahead before kick-off against Manchester United, making this a must-win match for their title ambition.
The countdown has already begun, and for every Matchday where they can ensure that the gap-lead remains at least seven, takes them closer to the climax ending that has eluded them in 22 years.
Manchester United, who are 15 points behind the league leaders will hope that the match opens up, to well utilize their strength in transition, even against an Arsenal side with the best defence in the league.
Before their recent statements, the Gunners had conceded frequent goals, chipping in seven goals in six Premier League games, an anomaly in their season that will ultimately see them fall short in their quest to match the best defensive record in the league’s history.
Much of this poor recent clean sheet run has been down to the absence of their defenders, but with Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie now back in training, Mikel Arteta will again be able to field his preferred set in a back four.
Team news and injury updates
Ahead of Sunday’s game, all first-team players are reportedly in contention, with Kai Havertz also making his return a few weeks ago in the Emirates FA Cup at Portsmouth, followed by another cameo against his former club Chelsea.
Riccardo Calafiori has not featured this year and Piero Hincapie has been out since the draw with Liverpool. Both players are back in training, with youngster Max Dowman the only player unavailable for the hosts.
Manchester United’s injury list has also eased up, with Dutch center back Matthijs de Ligt the only regular currently sidelined, while his countryman Joshua Zirkzee recently suffered a muscle strain.
Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo, and Harry Maguire, have all returned to the team after missing the final weeks under Ruben Amorim due to injuries, while Amad Diallo, Noussair Mazraoui, and Bryan Mbeumo have also returned from the AFCON.
Form guide | Arsenal vs Man United
Arsenal are unbeaten in all 16 games in the Emirates Stadium this season, winning 13, while only Manchester City and Liverpool have taken points from there in the league — they beat Crystal Palace on penalties in the other draw.
However, the Gunners have struggled to find the back of the net against the traditional powerhouses in the league, beating United 1-0 and drawing 1-1 against 10-man Chelsea.
Mikel Arteta’s team also failed to score a goal over two legs against Liverpool, while a late Gabriel Martinelli strike was their only output in the draw with Manchester City back in September.
However, Liverpool, twice, and Forest, are the only two teams to prevent them from scoring this season, and only the Reds have done so when visiting the Emirates Stadium.
Manchester United has scored in their last 11 games across all competitions, but have never kept a clean sheet away from home this season, a real worry for Michael Carrick against one of the most balanced teams in the world.
The visitors have just one win in their last five games and even though that came in their only game under their interim coach, they haven’t won on the road in the last three attempts, losing at Brighton and Aston Villa.
Head to Head | Arsenal vs Man United
Arsenal has lost just one of their last six Premier League meetings with Manchester United, winning four, including all three at the Emirates Stadium.
Last time Manchester United won a Premier League game at Arsenal was December 2017, when Michael Carrick was still a United player and David de Gea set a record for most saves in a single game with 14.
Prediction
Arsenal are odds on to return to winning ways in the league by a 2-0 scoreline, but Manchester United will make it competitive as can be, because Michael Carrick has proven his teams have what it takes to rival anyone. He may have his days, but Arsenal should take this one.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
