Man Utd v Arsenal predictions: Gunners can avoid defeat at Old Trafford

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

Where to watch

Amazon Prime, 8.15pm Thursday

Best bet

Arsenal or draw double chance
1pt 4-5 general

Team news

Man United
Harry Maguire is set to return from suspension but Raphael Varane and Paul Pogba are injured and Luke Shaw and Edinson Cavani are major doubts. Mason Greenwood could be in line to feature.

Arsenal
Bukayo Saka has been awaiting the results of a scan on a thigh problem while Granit Xhaka and Sead Kolasinac will definitely miss out.

Match preview

Incoming interim boss Ralf Rangnick would have surely loved to begin his Manchester United tenure against age-old rivals Arsenal but work visa delays mean the German will have to watch the game away from the sidelines and he may not like what he sees at Old Trafford.

Michael Carrick is set to take charge for a third game on the spin, having beaten Villarreal and held Chelsea to a draw in his first two assignments.

But those results do not paint the full picture.

In the 2-0 win over Villarreal, the Red Devils were again bailed out by Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted their first goal in the 78th minute, and they were facing a side struggling for consistency in La Liga this term.

As for the 1-1 draw with Chelsea, United were gifted their goal and were toothless throughout the entire game, starting on the back foot with a static defensive trio of Fred, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic in midfield.

Their expected-goals figure at Stamford Bridge was a miserly 0.82 and had Chelsea shown the attacking verve they have had for most of this season, United could have been hammered.

Arsenal, who lost 4-0 to Liverpool at Anfield last month, will be a less daunting prospect but the Gunners should have enough in their locker to take at least a point off a United side in disarray.

Primed with the youngest squad in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta still has a lot of work to do in north London, but a tally of five wins in their last six games suggests things are taking shape.

Aaron Ramsdale has been rock solid in goal while Arteta seems to have found his best back four in front of the former Bournemouth shot-stopper.

That combination has translated to six clean sheets in 13 league games this term - only Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City have managed more.

How the Premier League top-four battle is progressing

And Arsenal's defence should not have too much to deal with at Old Trafford.

Carrick's reluctance to shower Ronaldo with game time is perhaps a sign of things to come under 'Gegenpressing' godfather Rangnick and United have drawn blanks in three of their last four home league contests.

Neither of these sides are the forces they were in the days of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger but this is still a big fixture and United have not performed well against bigger clubs this term.

Since mid-October, they have lost 4-2 to Leicester, 5-0 to Liverpool and 2-0 to Manchester City, and they have managed only two wins in six league games on home soil in 2021-22.

As for Arsenal, wins over north London rivals Tottenham and Leicester in the league this term suggest a growth in confidence and getting something from this match will only strengthen that sentiment.

They won the corresponding fixture 1-0 at Old Trafford last season, meaning United are now winless in their last six Premier League meetings with Arsenal and, for the first time, that streak could stretch to seven games this week.

Key stat

Manchester United have scored only once in their last five matches against Arsenal.

Inside info

Manchester United

Penalty taker Cristiano Ronaldo/Bruno Fernandes
Free-kick wizardCristiano Ronaldo/Bruno Fernandes
Set-piece aerial threatVictor Lindelof
Card magnetFred

Arsenal

Penalty taker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Free-kicks wizard Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang/Martin Odegaard
Card magnet Albert Sambi Lokonga
Set piece aerial threat Gabriel

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