Arsenal v Manchester United predictions: Gunners can claim hard-fought home win

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Arsenal v Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 12.30pm Saturday

Best bets

Arsenal to win & under 3.5 goals
2pts 2-1 Betfair

Scott McTominay to be shown the first card
1pt 11-1 Hills

Team news

Arsenal
Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney are injured. Takehiro Tomiyasu is working his way back to full fitness so Cedric Soares should start at right-back.

Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo returned to training this week after compassionate leave. Raphael Varane and Scott McTominay are in line for their first starts after injury layoffs but Paul Pogba joins Fred, Edinson Cavani and Luke Shaw on the sidelines.

Match preview

Arsenal's chances of a top-four finish in the Premier League were boosted by some generous defending from Chelsea on Wednesday and the Gunners can expect more opportunities when they host a ragged Manchester United side.

Three straight defeats to Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton opened the door for Arsenal's top-four rivals Tottenham and United so the 4-2 midweek win at Stamford Bridge was just the kind of morale-boosting result they needed.

Young striker Eddie Nketiah benefited from some sloppy Chelsea defending while fellow tyros Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka, who won and converted a late penalty, were also on the scoresheet in west London.

Mikel Arteta's men will be desperate to follow up with a home win over United, particularly as three of their next four fixtures are tricky away trips to West Ham, Spurs and Newcastle.

Arsenal are solid favourites to see off a United side who beat them 3-2 in a chaotic reverse fixture at Old Trafford in December and backing the home side to win a game featuring under 3.5 goals looks a decent bet.

Ralf Rangnick's visitors head to north London on a run of three straight away defeats, having been utterly outclassed in a 4-1 derby loss at Manchester City and Tuesday's 4-0 rout by Liverpool at Anfield.

Given the gulf in class between the Premier League's top two and the rest, those were hardly shock results. More worrying for United was a limp 1-0 defeat at relegation-threatened Everton where, despite dominating possession, they never looked like getting back into the game after Anthony Gordon's 27th-minute opener for the Toffees.

Cristiano Ronaldo could return to the starting 11 after missing the defeat at Liverpool on compassionate leave and United's only victories in their last nine matches in all competitions came thanks to Ronaldo hat-tricks in 3-2 home wins over Tottenham and bottom club Norwich.

That statistic is symptomatic of the disjointed nature of Rangnick's Red Devils and they look vulnerable against an energetic young Arsenal unit.

The Gunners hit a flat spot in their defeats to Palace and Brighton but were unfortunate to lose 1-0 at Southampton, where they had 23 shots at goal and Saints keeper Fraser Forster was in inspired form.

The win at Chelsea should galvanise Arteta's squad for the run-in and they can extend an impressive home record. They have lost at the Emirates Stadium against City, Liverpool and Chelsea but won ten of their other 13 home league matches, conceding only eight goals in those fixtures.

Midfielders Paul Pogba and Fred are sidelined so Scott McTominay may return to the United line-up ahead of schedule after a foot injury and the Scotland international is an eye-catching price to receive the first card.

Arsenal's fleet-footed attacking midfielders should test the fitness of McTominay, who has picked up nine yellow cards in his last 16 Premier League appearances including the only booking of the game in December's home win over the Gunners.

Key stat

Manchester United have kept only four clean sheets in their last 20 away Premier League matches.

Inside info

Arsenal

Penalty taker Bukayo Saka/Alexandre Lacazette
Free-kick wizard Martin Odegaard
Set-piece aerial threat Gabriel
Card magnet Granit Xhaka

Manchester United

Penalty taker Cristiano Ronaldo
Free-kick wizard Cristiano Ronaldo/Bruno Fernandes
Set-piece aerial threat Harry Maguire
Card magnet Scott McTominay

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