Arsenal travel up to the North West on Sunday to face a rejuvenated Manchester United. This has to be one of the stand-out matches of game week six. The fixture itself has all the ingredients to be an absolute classic. We’ll never forget the battles both these clubs endured in the late 90’s/early 2000’s!
United seem to have turned a corner after the recent thumping at Brentford. Back to back away victories against Southampton and Leicester put the Reds back in with a shout of claiming victory here. The calming influence of Cristian Eriksen in the midfield has helped the shift in momentum, as well as the defensive line, now claiming two clean sheets in these games. Ten Hag has now added further depth to the squad towards the back end of this window too. Casemiro, Antony and Dubravka all have made the late move to Manchester. The Brazilians may make their full starting debuts here but the defensive midfielder Casemiro is most likely after gaining minutes in the last couple. Antony’s work permit has now gone through and is permitted to play if required.
On the other hand, we have the Gunners who sit top of the Premier League table. They’ve beaten every single team they’ve faced. Although, they are yet to meet any of the supposed bigger teams, but what else could they have done?! The settled starting XI seems to be in place now for Arteta and we can imagine they can punish United with the talent at their disposal. In an attacking sense, they possess multiple weapons in Gabriel Jesus, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli, to name just a few. Although, the Norwegian is a doubt having picked up an ankle injury against Villa in midweek. Each player has contributed significantly in the opening matches in terms of G+A. In defence, they’ve been much more assured than in previous seasons. The introduction of William Saliba into the first team has been a huge plus and both he and Gabriel Magalhaes have been on the scoresheet. This shows that goals can come from all areas within the team and that they aren’t solely relying on just the forward players.
Manchester United v Arsenal Bet Builder Tips
Both Teams to Score
A solid selection for this bet builder has to be both teams score. This has returned a winner in 7 out of the last 8 H2H matches at Old Trafford. There’s every reason for us to believe this will happen once more on Sunday. The attacking talent on either side is unquestionably up there with the best seen in recent times. Having touched on a few of these players earlier in the piece, I see both teams unlocking the door at either end of the field in what could be a high scoring match.
United have managed to score in 14 of their previous 15 Premier League games at Old Trafford. Considering their ‘apparent’ under par performances in the last campaign, they were still scoring goals in front of their fans. Currently, Jadon Sancho is one of the form players in the attacking line, having found the back of the net against Liverpool and Leicester in recent outings. He’ll be hoping to pin down his starting berth with another strong performance, up against the form team in the league. Other players of note are Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Antony. Ronaldo has featured in short spells recently but could be given a start here. There’s no doubting the talent this world superstar possesses and even at the age of 38 can still put the ball in the back of the net. Antony will be keen to prove a point if featuring, he’s another with goal scoring prowess. He netted 8 times in the Eredivisie last season for Ajax, a goal every 0.36 matches.
With Arsenal in such bullish form, I see them having no problem putting the ball in the back of the net here. Jesus and Martinelli are the pick of the bunch, both now scoring 3 goals each since the beginning of the season. They’ll fancy their chances to both add to their tallies; a key area that can be exposed is down the attacking left side. Martinelli can give Diogo Dalot the run around and can easily find himself behind the United backline. He’s attempted 17 dribbles so far and has a success rate of 70.6%, clearly outlining the high probability that this may well happen. If so, then he’s definitely in with a shout of scoring a goal himself.
I really cannot select a winner in this game, so I’ve turned to the pick of both teams to score which I can see coming good once again with the recent history to back it up!
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Prediction: Both Teams to Score
Christian Eriksen to have 2+ Shots
A real favourite of mine is Eriksen to have 2+ shots. The Danish international has been in great shooting form this season and has had 10 shots in the first 5 fixtures. He’s also played nearly every minute, which is of great importance to give us the maximum chance of reaching the line of 2 here. Now, it is exactly 2 shots per game that Eriksen is currently averaging, with 2+ being reached in 4 out of the 5 games. I believe any dangerous free kicks in the attacking may come his way, if this transpires then these are quite easy ways of us seeing shots land.
During the game itself, any balls that fall to may fall his way outside the box, we can anticipate shots to be fired off. 60% of the shots we’ve seen have come from these positions. Over the years this has certainly been his trademark, with many efforts being struck from range. Occasionally these have flown into the back of the net and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he were to do this again here. With the link set at around 14 for the number of shots United will take, I believe 2+ is well within reach for us to see this selection home.
This game is set to flow from end to end throughout with no clear favourite to take all 3 points. I believe both teams may have to chase the game at points. This may mean it could end up quite frantic and over the years in these particular patterns of play, high numbers of shots can be attained. In this instance, I’m backing the Dane to produce the goods once again.
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Prediction: Christian Eriksen to have 2+ Shots
Gabriel Martinelli to have 1+ Shots on Target
A man who has certainly had his shooting boots on this season is Gabriel Martinelli. He’s had at least 1 shot on target in each of the matches he’s played this season, a brilliant return. I believe the price of 4/6 to be excellent value in our bet builder. This selection poses a 100% winning record and there’s nothing I love more than this.
As I mentioned earlier, he’s set to start out on the left wing for Arsenal. This means his 1 v 1 battle down this flank will be against Dalot. The Portuguese defender has been cautioned in his last 3 consecutive games. This clearly displays his struggles to defend against pace and skill. This is something that the Brazilian possesses in abundance. Fouls made on Harvey Barnes, Luis Diaz and an accumulation of challenges against Southampton show that he’s found it tough against these types of wingers. In turn, this may well allow Martinelli the opportunity to shoot if getting past his opponent. There’s also the strong possibility he scores a goal within this game, if doing so that will also count as a shot on target and that’s all we’re after.
The link up play between the forward players of Arsenal has been a joy to watch in the opening weeks. There’s a strong chemistry bond between the individual players and the tricky winger has been at the heart beat of this. He seems to have nailed down his starting berth in the XI under Arteta, and I’m banking on him to have at least 1 shot on target in this encounter.
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Prediction: Gabriel Martinelli to have 1+ Shots on Target
Over 3.5 Cards
Paul Tierney is at the whistle for this game on Sunday and he’s been dishing the cards out in the matches he’s officiated thus far. A total of 16 yellow cards and 2 red cards have been brandished, so I feel he won’t be shy to hand these out. The game is set to be a fiery one and we’ve seen tempers flare in matches between these two rivals over the years.
Manchester United have the worst disciplinary record of any team in the entire Premier League. They’ve accumulated a total 17 yellow cards in just 5 games. They’ll do anything it takes to win in these types of games and I can easily see a number of bookings coming their way. The main offenders have been Dalot (as mentioned), McTominay, Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martinez. Between them, collecting 10 bookings in total. No doubt, they’ll be up to their usual tricks against Arsenal. It’s likely to be feisty from the off, with so much on the line for both sides. One player that may be targeted by the Red Devils is Gabriel Jesus due to his affiliations with ex club Manchester City. Not only this, his superb attributes within his game will contribute to United having to bring him down in certain situations in the match. This only adds further tension and may lead to a number of yellow cards given out.
In contrast, the Gunners have picked up 8 yellow cards in their games. Although, they have not featured in a game that will be quite as intense as this one. The likelihood in these types of matches is that these numbers/averages rise. An obvious candidate is Granit Xhaka who has one of the worst disciplinary records in recent years. Last season he accumulated 10 yellow cards and was booked in the reverse fixture at the Emirates.
Add over 3.5 cards to your bet builder, as we hope for another winning one this week!
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Prediction: Over 3.5 Cards
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Predicted Line-ups
Manchester United predicted XI (4-2-3-1) : De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Malacia; Casemiro, Eriksen; Sancho, Fernandes, Ronaldo; Rashford
Arsenal predicted XI (4-2-3-1) : Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Xhaka, Lokonga; Saka, Smith Rowe, Martinelli; Jesus
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing *
How to watch Manchester United v Arsenal in the Premier League?
📅 When is Manchester United v Arsenal? / Sunday, 3rd September 2022, 4:30PM
🏟 Where is Manchester United v Arsenal? / Old Trafford (Manchester)
📺 What TV channel is Manchester United v Arsenal on? / Sky Sports Main Event
🟨 …And who is the referee for Manchester United v Arsenal? / P. Tierney 🏴
