Manchester United might be coming off a win against Rochdale in their EFL Cup debut earlier this week, but the opponent for Monday will represent a steeper challenge. The Red Devils will play at Old Trafford against Arsenal, knowing that a win is the only result needed to move up in the standings after an inconsistent start to the season. The Gunners, however, won’t be an easy opponent after losing just one of their first six Premier League encounters so far. Kick-off for this match is slated at 20:00 hrs BST.
Team News
Paul Pogba has been listed as doubtful for Monday’s match, but he will likely be part of the matchday squad. Anthony Martial and Phil Jones are out until the international break. Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw are progressing well on their rehabs, but remain out as well. Meanwhile, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Eric Bailly remain as long-term absentees.
On the other hand, Arsenal have positive news regarding injuries. Rob Holding, Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney all appeared during the EFL Cup win over Nottingham Forest. All three could be in contention for a squad spot in this match. French striker Alexandre Lacazette is still out, though, and both Konstantinos Mavropanos and Emile Smith-Rowe are considered as doubtful. The former has bigger chances to feature on Monday, however.
Form guide
Manchester United have been extremely inconsistent so far this season. They own a W2, D2, L2 mark in the Premier League, and already sit quite far from the top of the standings. United have had success at the Cup level, however. The Red Devils won their UEFA Europa League opener against FK Astana and also defeated Rochdale in their EFL Cup debut. They are coming off a 2-0 away loss at West Ham in their most recent league match, however.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are coming off a 3-2 win over Aston Villa in their previous Premier League match. The Gunners have 11 points from their first six Premier League matches (W3, D2, L1). And, just like Manchester United, they won their first two Cup matches – their Europa League opener against at Frankfurt and their EFL Cup debut against Nottingham Forest. One thing to note is that Arsenal’s last seven matches have produced over 2.5 total goals.
What is our recent record against Arsenal?
It is worth noting that Manchester United are undefeated at home against Arsenal in the Premier League since the 2007/08 season. The Red Devils have registered eight wins and four draws over that span.
There have been 230 competitive meetings between these sides. United hold the edge with 97 wins, against Arsenal’s 82 and 51 draws.
Predicted outcome
These games between Top Six foes are usually very hard to predict. Neither side has performed according to expectations during the first few weeks of the season, but Arsenal have been slightly better. Considering the form of both clubs, all signs point towards this match being a very tight one. Therefore, I wouldn’t be surprised if this match ends with Manchester United playing out a draw against the London-based giants.
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