Enjoy!
UNITED V ARSENAL: YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE
Manchester United will be hoping to continue our winning run at home when we welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford on Monday.
The Reds have won the last three clashes at the Theatre of Dreams, admittedly with the latter coming via penalties against Rochdale in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, prior to the victories over Astana and Leicester City.
Monday’s meetings with the Gunners will also see us renew our old rivalry with the Londoners and, in fact, we’ve faced Arsenal more than any other side in our history.
Over the years, we’ve played out some classics with the capital club and this fixture could be another memorable meeting between the sides…
WHAT’S THE LATEST TEAM NEWS?
Marcus Rashford was replaced with a groin problem against West Ham United in our last Premier League outing and subsequently missed Wednesday’s meeting with Rochdale. Speaking ahead of the cup game, the boss confirmed he hoped to see Rashford back in the team ‘before the international break’. Elsewhere, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot and Angel Gomes are also likely to miss out through various injuries. Paul Pogba is back but Anthony Martial has remained sidelined. As always, for the latest team news, make sure to tune in to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s pre-match press conference, which will be live on MUTV this Friday.
As for the Gunners, despite being sent off in their last league outing against Aston Villa, Ainsley Maitland-Niles is available to play on Monday as his one-game suspension ruled him out of the midweek Carabao Cup meeting with Nottingham Forest. In that clash, Arsenal gave Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding and Kieran Tierney their first minutes of the season following long-term injuries. Somebody who will miss the game is Alexandre Lacazette, with the French striker ruled out until October with an ankle problem. Emile Smith-Rowe is also set for a period on the sidelines after he sustained a head injury against Forest on Tuesday, while Konstantinos Mavropanos and Sead Kolasinac are doubts for the trip to the Theatre of Dreams.+
FORM GUIDE
Last time out in the Premier League, the Reds suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat at the hands of West Ham. However, since then, Ole’s men eliminated Rochdale in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday via penalties after a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes. Prior to that, United had won the last two home matches 1-0, against Astana and Leicester City respectively. Overall, including the Rochdale tie, the Reds have emerged victorious from four of our five matches at Old Trafford this season.
WHAT ABOUT THE GUNNERS?
One thing Arsenal have guaranteed this season has been goals – in fact, in all of the north London outfit’s last four Premier League games, there have been at least four goals. The most recent was the 3-2 win over Aston Villa, when Arsenal twice came from behind to grab all three points. On the road, Unai Emery’s men have played three league games this season and have won, drawn and lost one respectively. From six matches in 2019/20, the Gunners have picked up 11 points and are fourth in the table, while, like United, they have advanced to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup and won their first Europa League group-stage game.
OUR RECORD AGAINST ARSENAL
There have been 230 competitive meetings, so far, between the sides, with the first match taking place in the old Second Division back in October 1894. In all competitions, United have 97 wins to Arsenal’s 82, while there have been 51 draws. In the Premier League, the clubs have met 54 times with 24 wins for the Reds, 16 draws and only 14 victories for the Gunners.
Last season, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard were on the scoresheet as the Reds twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw against the Gunners at Old Trafford. United then faced Arsenal away twice, winning 3-1 in an Emirates FA Cup fourth-round tie in January before losing 2-0 in the league in March.
CLASSIC ENCOUNTER
United blew Arsene Wenger’s Gunners away in August 2011, when we famously beat the Londoners 8-2. Danny Welbeck – who went on to play for Arsenal – got the scoring under way after 22 minutes, with Ashley Young and Wayne Rooney also netting in the first half. But it was in the second period that the Reds ran riot, with Rooney completing a hat-trick, Young grabbing another and Nani and Ji-sung Park also finding the back of the net, while Theo Walcott and future Red Robin van Persie scored for the visitors. Check out the highlights of that memorable day below.
WHO’S THE REFEREE?
Kevin Friend has been appointed to oversee Monday night’s proceedings. The 48-year is yet to referee a United match this season and last took charge of one of our games in February, when we beat Chelsea 2-0 in the Emirates FA Cup. Last year’s FA Cup final official hasn’t actually been in the man in the middle at Old Trafford in just over a year, since last season’s 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Friend will be assisted on Monday by Scott Ledger and Richard West, while Chris Kavanagh will fulfil the role of fourth official. Meanwhile, Mike Dean and Stephen Child are set to oversee VAR proceedings from their Stockley Park base.
I know that they’re trying to be professional and respect their opponents before the match. But once they see xhaka on the team sheet, victory is guaranteed for them. By how much, it’s up to us. We can only do Our bit to lessen the humiliation.
Well Ole already knows that Xhaka, and Luiz are starting. Emery never bothers assessing their performances, so I’m sure he’ll target those two, and rightly so.
Xhaka being our worst midfielder, and Luiz being our worst defender, makes it really tough to win this as they will continue making ridiculous mistakes!
It doesn’t matter how bad Utd are, we always struggle against them. I can see Utd winning this one, given how poor we’ve been. Villa were all over us even before the sending off, now we’re off to Old Trafford. I can see us getting battered!
Utd 3-1 Arsenal
A combined Arsenal and Man utd team when everyone is fit would be
De Gea
Bellerin. Holding. Maguire. Shaw
Guendouzi Xhaka
Pogba
Pepe. Lacazette. Aubameyang..
But with current injuries should be
De Gea
Bissaka Luiz Maguire Kolasinac
Xhaka Guendouzi
Ceballos
Pepe Aubameyang James(🤔)
Do you think Shaw is more talented than Tierney and Bellerin is better than Bissaka?
As long as Martial/ Rashford are sidelined and we use 4-2-3-1, I’m confident of the game
SMH you’re forgetting the British Michael Jackson who loves scoring against us no matter how useless he is.
You’re confident of the game? As if we’ve not played a far worse United team only to lose shamelessly.
One thin is certain, Xhaka is starting that game after being named captain.
Expect the wrestler and Side show Bob to feature.
If anyone should sit for Holding, it has to be the wrestler.
Luiz should be more calm and composed besides Holding.
Hoping Saka starts upfront too.
Though United are there for the taking, I’ll be so pissed if our “Good Ebening” crooner ends up picking a defensive lineup
The british Michael Jackson!! 🤣 love it, Eddie 👍👍 Shamone 🤣
Xhaka captain or not should not start.
Leno
Chambers holding luis
Bellerin guendouzi Ferreira tierney
Ceballos
Pepe auba. Or….
Leno
bellerin chambers holding tierney
Guendouzi Luis
Pepe ceballos martinelli
Auba
2nd is a great 11 in my opinion.
I’ve always felt 2nd as our best team and formation too!
We have more than enough emunitions to gun Man U down, but they are home and we have a disaster as a coach who can’t pick right team. To draw those 3 games is scary to me. To draw 2 games on “giveaways” cost us 4 points and we all saw how scary Aston Villa game saw, lucky us.
Let’s get realistic, Emery can’t pick a team, without that red card on AMN, Chambers would not have a chance to show his superiority. Now that he has is more players available, he’s gona get more confused to make right pick. Oh Gee Unai!
Mike Dean😲😲VAR…😣😣
@sol. Oh no! Mike Dean on the VAR? Maybe our goose is cooked then. Or maybe not. Especially if we play well.
Whoever gets picked by Unai Emery will be wearing an Arsenal jersey. So let’s see to it that we support everyone of the boys throughout the match.
Old Trafford is already difficult enough, don’t let the fans make it more difficult by being more hostile to our own player.
Let the boys play without fear and let the Red Devils get picked to pieces in front of their fans.
@Gunnerphilic. This is a good time to play Man U and the boys should have to give 100%.Most of all Unai’s decision is what matters…Ars 2 United 1