Arsenal have more quality than any other team in the Premier League at the moment.

They’ve won 11 of their last 13 in all competitions. Their home record in the Premier League is outstanding, having won 11 and drawn two this season, only conceding five goals in those games.

They have the tools, with their set pieces, to break down an organised defensive team. It was a set-piece goal that saw them beat Manchester United at Old Trafford on the opening day of the season. They’ve won six of the last seven against United at the Emirates. They’re a really good price to get the win at 1.57, I’d have had them at 1.44 personally.

There is too much hype around United for me at the moment. We see it every time they get a new manager. For me, Arsenal have got too much strength in depth, too much quality, and I think it will tell when the two sides meet on Sunday.

Arsenal’s success from corners is well documented, with the Gunners relying on set-piece goals for 30% of their total goals in the Premier League this season. Mikel Arteta’s side are seeing exactly 8.00 corners per game across their 11 matches at the Emirates this season, and are likely to use this avenue again here.

Arsenal covered this line themselves in their most recent Premier League assignment as they racked up nine corners in their 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest. Forest also pitched in with four corners on that occasion, taking the total corner count to 13 at the City Ground. 

Manchester United conceded six corners against Manchester City last time out, and also only had 32% of the ball, so we can expect them to be pragmatic again here. The meeting between these sides on the opening weekend of the season saw seven match corners, with Arsenal also getting their winning goal from a corner in that clash.

Arsenal have hammered the corner count in each of the last two clashes between the sides at The Emirates, with Arsenal registering 12 corners in the FA Cup clash between the sides and 13 in the league meeting last term. 

We all know about Casemiro and his doggedness and determination to get involved.

This has led to him committing two or more fouls in eight of his last ten Premier League starts. He also landed this selection against Arsenal on the opening day of the season.

It might be pointed out that Arsenal’s midfield don’t tend to pick up many fouls, players like Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard, for example. But we could well see Mikel Merino on the pitch, and he’s winning an average of 1.85 per 90 in the Premier League.

On top of that, I think we’re going to see a huge emphasis on Manchester United to be defensively solid in the middle of the park, and I think that’s going to lead to a lot of competitiveness in there, and when that happens, Casemiro, I think, is bound to pick up multiple fouls.

Timber has been one of the best fullbacks in the Premier League this season and has been fouled in three of his last five Premier League appearances. He’s been hauled down 22 times in total across his 19 appearances in the top flight, working out to an average of 1.14 fouls won per 90.

Timber didn’t start in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Manchester United on the opening day of the season, but came on for the final 20 minutes and had three foul involvements, including being fouled once. His clash against Patrick Dorgu is really intriguing here. Dorgu was deployed on the left wing by Carrick to great effect against City last time out, and he’s expected to reassume that role here.

Dorgu has committed 17 fouls across his 13 starts in the Premier League this season (1.22 per 90), making him an ideal candidate to haul down Timber at least once here. Dorgu will be supported in his defensive efforts by Luke Shaw, who has committed a foul in each of his last five Premier League appearances, committing multiple fouls in three of these games.

Martin Zubimendi has been one of Arsenal’s most important players this season, and one of the signings of the summer transfer window by extension. He does a lot of work on the ball for Arsenal, but I think he’ll have a key role when out of possession here.

Michael Carrick’s main attacking tactic against Manchester City was to put Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo right on top of Rodri, knowing that City often leave him with a lot of space to cover. Rodri struggled with managing the duo, and was cautioned in the encounter. Manchester United should set up with a similar system here, making Zubimendi an excellent candidate for a caution.

Zubimendi has picked up four yellow cards across his 21 Premier League appearances this season with his most recent caution coming against Bournemouth in Arsenal’s 3-2 win over the Cherries. 

The Spaniard committed two fouls in the most recent head to head meeting between the sides, and I can see him being challenged to a similar degree here with a real opportunity for Zubimendi to pick up a card as a result of a tactical foul when Manchester United break.

Casemiro has seen a real improvement in his overall performances this season, but is still a very reckless and occasionally clumsy player as we can see from his foul and card record this season.

Casemiro has picked up five yellow cards and one red card in the Premier League this term - the joint most cautions of any Manchester United player. He’s committed 29 fouls across his 19 starts in the Premier League (1.87 per 90), making him a likely candidate for a few fouls and a card in this clash.

Casemiro didn’t feature in the league meeting between these sides at the Emirates last season, but both Manchester United midfields in that clash picked up a caution. It’s likely to be a busy area of the pitch with United expected to sit in a low-mid block in this encounter, just as they did against Manchester City last time out.

Michael Carrick made a bold decision to leave out Cunha and persist with Dorgu on the wing against Manchester City last time out, and it was a very effective move from the interim manager. 

Dorgu has a lot of traits that can make him a top Premier League player, he’s really strong and always has a willingness to make late runs into the box. I always felt as though he was a bit limited as a fullback in terms of the effect he could have in the final third, and Carrick is willing to trust him in those forward areas. 

This is where Dorgu’s goal against Manchester City last time out came from, with the 21 year old getting on the end of Cunha’s cross to secure United’s victory. He had two shots on target in that game, and can be an effective outlet for Manchester United here when they do break forward.

Dorgu has had previous success when playing in an attacking role, having netted against Newcastle from three shots on target - and registering an assist against Burnley, which was a game that also saw Dorgu find the target from three shots.