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.