Sunday’s Premier League programme caps off with a mouth-watering showdown between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.
Despite trailing their upcoming rivals by a whopping 15 points, Man Utd will take this trip in high spirits after beating Manchester City 2-0 on Michael Carrick’s touchline debut.
Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu scored beyond the hour mark to inspire the Red Devils to a well-deserved derby victory after a couple of disallowed first-half goals.
In doing so, Man Utd arrested an underwhelming four-game winless run in domestic action (D3, L1) and closed the gap on fourth-placed Liverpool to a single point.
However, table-topping Arsenal will put United’s top-four credentials to the test this weekend, with the Gunners entering the field as 3/5 favourites with Betwinner Zimbabwe and other bookmakers to bounce back from consecutive league draws.
Mikel Arteta’s side defied long odds to beat Inter Milan 3-1 at San Siro in midweek UEFA Champions League action, securing automatic qualification for the round of 16.
That triumph restored a feel-good factor in North London after Arsenal wasted two golden opportunities to extend their seven-point lead over second-placed Man City.
Perhaps Man Utd could reluctantly hand their city rivals a title boost here, though they would have to do that against the odds, as they come into this match as 9/2 outsiders.
New Dawn
According to the Daily Express, Carrick’s vision for Man Utd success has already impressed Sir Jim Ratcliffe, solidifying the 44-year-old’s position in the dugout immediately after winning the Manchester derby.
Ruben Amorim’s successor must now prove it was not just beginner’s luck, as he hopes to guide the Red Devils to back-to-back league victories for only the second time this season.
That could prove easier said than done, considering the 20-time English champions have failed to win any of their last three Premier League outings away from home (D2, L1).
Overall, the visitors have only won three of their 11 road games this term (D5, L3), though it’s worth noting that one of those wins came at the expense of reigning champions Liverpool.
Carrick must find a cure for Man Utd’s travel sickness to bolster their chances of returning to Europe’s top table after a miserable 15th-place finish last season.
Unstoppable Rival
Arsenal have gone into overdrive since their last Premier League defeat. Indeed, they’ve pieced together a scintillating 12-game unbeaten run in all competitions since a 2-1 loss at Aston Villa in early December (W10, D2).
More importantly, Arteta has turned the Emirates into a fortress, with Arsenal yet to lose a single home match in any competition this season (W14, D2), including a scoreless draw against Liverpool last time out.
The Spaniard has based the Gunners’ home success on an impregnable backline that has conceded a league-low five goals so far, whilst racking up a clean sheet in six of their 11 games at the Emirates.
Such an impressive home record can only inspire further confidence around the Gunners camp, as they seek a fifth successive top-flight home win over Man Utd.
Arsenal beat United 2-0 in their 500th match at the Emirates last season, registering a fourth consecutive multi-goal margin league appearance against the Red Devils in the capital.
Team News
Long-term absentee Riccardo Calafiori and summer signing Piero Hincapie were unavailable for selection on Tuesday and are unlikely to feature for Arsenal on Sunday.
However, Arteta can find comfort in Gabriel Jesus’ match-winning performance against Inter, with the Brazilian threatening to dislodge Viktor Gyokeres from the starting line-up.
According to the Evening Standard, United will be without Matthijs De Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee, though Noussair Mazraoui returns to the squad after Africa Cup of Nations duties.
With De Ligt out, Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez are the likeliest candidates to start at the back following a solid display against Man City last weekend.
Potential Starting Line-ups
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Scally; Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Trossard, Gabriel Jesus.
Man Utd (4-2-3-1): Lemmens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Dorgu; Casemiro, Mainoo; Diallo, Fernandes, Mbeumo; Cunha.
