Arsenal vs Manchester United
Date: 30/01/2021
K/O: 17:30
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Referee: Michael Oliver
TV: Sky Sports
Manchester United face Arsenal in Saturday’s evening kick-off, with the Red Devils looking to bounce back from defeat to bottom side Sheffield United on Wednesday. Hosts Arsenal will be hoping to continue their recent surge up the table and face the Red Devils in a buoyant mood.
Both managers faced serious pressure during difficult spells earlier in the season but appear to have steadied their respective ships, with the Gunners clambering up towards the European qualification positions, while United remain second in the table having gone unbeaten for nearly three months before Wednesday.
A win for Arsenal would take them to within seven points of their opponents, while a United victory could take them back to the summit if City drop points against Sheffield United.
Team News
Arsenal
Arsenal will be hoping to call upon Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Emile Smith Rowe with club captain Aubameyang back at the club following a spell on the sidelines to be with his mother; while Smith Rowe is a doubt having come off early against Southampton with a muscle problem. Martin Odegaard joined the club on loan in the last few days and could make his debut.
Bernd Leno is expected to continue ahead of Mat Ryan, while Kieran Tierney will be assessed ahead of a potential return at left-back. It was hoped that Pablo Mari would return to training this week but a return to the starting XI appears unlikely, meaning Rob Holding, David Luiz and Gabriel Magalhaes are set to battle for the starting berths once again.
Hector Bellerin and Cedric Soares have started recent games together, with Cedric covering the left in the absence of Tierney and lack of form of Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Tierney’s return will likely force Mikel Arteta to choose between Bellerin and Cedric on the right.
Thomas Partey suffered a knock against Southampton and will be assessed along with Dani Ceballos, with Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny in line to occupy the deep midfield roles if the pair are ruled unavailable. Nicolas Pepe impressed on the left in Aubameyang’s absence and could count himself unlucky if dropped to accommodate the Gabonese’s return, while Odegaard could make an immediate impact if chosen to start in the number 10 role if Emile Smith Rowe fails to recover in time, with Willian another option.
Alexandre Lacazette and Bukayo Saka are expected to continue upfront and on the right-wing respectively, with Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli likely to feature on the bench once again.
Manchester United
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may ring the changes following the embarrassing defeat on Wednesday, with Luke Shaw, Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Fred, Scott McTominay and Edinson Cavani among those in contention to return.
David De Gea should continue despite an unconvincing display in midweek, while Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka look nailed on to start in defence once again. Axel Tuanzebe appears set to make way for either Eric Bailly or Victor Lindelof in the middle, while Luke Shaw is expected to replace Alex Telles on the left.
The midfield duo of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic failed to fire against the Blades, with Fred and McTominay waiting in the wings should Solskjaer opt to refresh his personnel or formation. Bruno Fernandes will likely continue either in the number 10 role or on the wing, with Juan Mata and Donny van de Beek also available in midfield.
Edinson Cavani will be hopeful of an immediate return to the starting lineup, with any of Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood or Anthony Martial in the firing line after blunt displays on Wednesday. Daniel James remains a fringe option on the wing if Solskjaer opts for fresh legs and pace to target Arsenal’s full-backs.
Head to Head Record and Stats
- All-time Premier League H2H record: Arsenal 16-24 Manchester United (17 draws)
- Last 10 H2H record (all competitions): Arsenal 4-3 Manchester United (3 draws)
- Bukayo Saka’s goal against Southampton means he has scored in consecutive Premier League matches for the first time.
- Sheffield United have scored twice in just two Premier League matches in 2020/21 so far – both against Manchester United.
Predicted Starting XIs
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Leno; Bellerin, Holding, Luiz, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Willian, Pepe; Lacazette
Manchester United (4-3-1-2): De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Bailly, Maguire, Shaw; Fred, McTominay, Pogba; Fernandes; Cavani, Rashford
Score Prediction: Arsenal 2-2 Manchester United
Arsenal look rock solid at the back and menacing in attack at the moment but I expect a reaction from United. The last meeting between these two was a turgid 1-0 win for the Gunners at Old Trafford but I expect this to be a far more open affair.
