Manchester United will do battle with Arsenal on Sunday as we look to move up the league table. We currently lie 15th after only achieving seven points from the opening five games.

United are in a buoyant mood after the 5-0 win against RB Leipzig in the Champions League. In what could be described as the best performance so far this season.

After the humiliating defeat against Tottenham before the international break, United are unbeaten in the last four games. With many in media and pundits predicting we would face an uphill struggle against the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and RB Leipzig. United used the defeat to bring the turnaround in form.

Since the win against Newcastle, we have collected maximum points from our two Champions League games. We had earned a point against fellow top-four contenders Chelsea.

Whilst United and Solskjær would be relatively content with the game against the Blues, the thumping win against RB Leipzig has raised the expectations going into Sunday’s game. We have scored 11 goals for the loss of two since the international break. The game could be regarded as a must-win as we look to move up the table.

Opposition Preview

Arsenal will be looking to move up the table and spoil the party at Old Trafford. They suffered two defeats in the last two league games against Leicester and Manchester City respectively. On Thursday evening, they came through with a victory against Dundalk in the Europa League.

Match Details

Teams: Manchester United vs Arsenal

Date: November 1st, 2020 (Sunday)

KO Time: 16:30 BST

Competition: Premier League

Stadium: Old Trafford

Referee: Mike Dean

Managers: Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Mikel Arteta

United Team News

Solskjær confirmed the majority of the squad came through the test of RB Leipzig and will be fine to take on the Gunners. Alex Telles will not feature in the game as reported on Wednesday, he has tested positive for Covid-19.

In an interview for MUTV, Ole said about the squad, “Alex won’t be ready, no. There was no injuries [from Wednesday] which of course is a big plus when you think of every game we play and the intensity. We’re getting better and better, I think everyone is seeing now that our fitness and sharpness is more up to speed and we should be ready for that game [on Sunday].”

Anthony Martial remains absent as he serves the final game of his suspension. Bailly and Lingard on the sidelines as they recover from their respective injuries.

Solskjær is likely to stick with the same formation that works so well against RB Leipzig with Mason Greenwood supporting Marcus Rashford in the attack.

Pre-Match Press Conference

The pre-match press conference saw Ole asked how the rivalry between both teams has changed over the years, “When I played it was between us and Arsenal to win the league. That was a very fierce rivalry. There were all sorts of stories about what has been happening and I don’t have to rip up any of them. The passion, the excitement, and the importance of those games… of course, we knew if we beat Arsenal and got six points from them that would be us winning the league more or less, and vice versa.”

It will be Solskjær’s 100th game in charge at United and was asked how he summed up his time so far at the club. He said, “Of course, I’m surprised it’s 100 – it’s gone really quick, even though a lot has happened. Let’s hope I can celebrate no.100 with a good performance and a win. I’ve enjoyed it so far.”

With United being able to use five substitutes in Europe but only three in the Premier League. Ole expressed his desire that he would have liked to have the same amount of subs in the league, “One hundred percent. And I don’t understand, and cannot believe, that the vote went against because we have to look after the players; we have to think about the players. This season is the most demanding season of all. I can see the point why clubs voted against, but if you take a step back and think about these professional footballers and their mental and physical health, I think the only sensible solution would have been to give us the opportunity to rest players more.”

Arsenal Team News

For Arsenal, the main concern is with David Luiz who is struggling to recover from a muscular injury. Defenders Calum Chambers, Rob Holding, and Pablo Mari are on the sidelines with no return date set as yet.

Bukayo Saka who has shaken off a knock is expected to return and play down the left. Arteta may consider dropping either Aubameyang or Lacazette with Willian now back in contention.

Form Guide

Manchester United Premier League form: LWLWD

Manchester United form (all competitions): WLWWDW

Arsenal Premier League form: WWLWLL

Arsenal form (all competitions): DWLWLW

Interesting Facts

• United are unbeaten in the last 13 home games against Arsenal with us not tasting defeat since September 2006.
• We have the best win percentage of any Premier League team when playing on Sunday with  54% (152 of 280 games).
• This is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s 100th game in charge of Manchester United.
• Sunday’s game will be the 233rd competitive game between the teams and United will want to record their 100th win over the Londoners.

Predicted Lineup

De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Pogba, McTominay, Fred, Fernandes, Greenwood, and Rashford.

Prediction

United are in confident mood heading into this game given our performance on Wednesday. This will be an intriguing battle between both sides as we look for the win.

With Arsenal’s defensive frailties, our attack of Fernandes, Greenwood and Rashford will look to exploit this. I believe we get all three points and move up into the top half of table come Sunday night.

Predicted Score: Manchester United 3-1 Arsenal