Old hostilities resume on Sunday as Manchester United take on Arsenal at Old Trafford. From Sylvain Wiltord securing the Premier League title for the Gunners in 2002 to United humiliating Arsenal 8-2 in 2011, this fixture always manages to produce memorable moments.
The match on Sunday should be no exception. Man Utd look revitalised after three wins in a row, while Arsenal have won their first five league games for the first time since 2004 and are sitting pretty at the top of the table.
Take a look below at our preview, team news, stats and the best markets we’re offering at Bet9ja for Sunday’s clash:
Manchester United vs Arsenal, Sunday 4th September 16:30:
After all the doom and gloom due to losing the first two matches of the season, the Eric ten Hag era seems to be taking off. The turning point was the impressive 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Liverpool a couple of weeks ago. It was an excellent team display from the Red Devils, with Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford getting on the scoresheet. That was before 1-0 wins at Southampton and Leicester respectively, where ten Hag’s men showed glimpses of classy football but also that they are able to grind out victories.
The defence looks solid and settled with Diogo Dalot and Tyrell Malacia coming into the side, while Bruno Fernandes has been able to pull the strings from the number 10 position now Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t featuring as heavily. Casemiro made a cameo appearance against Leicester after signing from Real Madrid, while Antony arrives from Ajax for £82m. Ten Hag’s signings look more astute than in previous year, especially for a top four push.
For Arsenal, things are looking very promising. Mikel Arteta’s men have made the perfect start to the season, winning all five matches and scoring 13 in the process. The balance of the team looks very good, with William Saliba impressing in defence and Martin Odegaard excelling just behind Gabriel Jesus. Since signing from Manchester City in the summer, Jesus has hit the ground running with three goals and three assists from his first five Premier League matches. That includes the opener in the recent 2-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium against Aston Villa.
But the real test comes on Sunday. Arsenal have a poor recent record against fellow ‘big six’ clubs. Last season, they won only once in five matches away from home. That was against Chelsea, while they were thrashed 5-0 to Man City, 4-0 to Liverpool and 3-0 to Tottenham. A result at Old Trafford on Sunday will be the real sign of how much progress the Gunners have made.
Head-to-head:
The recent five Premier League meetings at Old Trafford between the two teams have all been close, with Man Utd winning twice, Arsenal once and two draws. However, the Gunners have only won one of their past 15 league away trips to Man Utd. Overall in 60 Premier League meetings, Man Utd have 25 wins to Arsenal’s 17.
Team news:
There are no fresh injury concerns for Man Utd, with new signing Antony expected to appear on the bench. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw should to return to the bench.
For Arsenal, Oleksandr Zinchenko should be fit enough to return, while Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny face an extended period on the sidelines.
Expected starting line-ups:
Man Utd: (4-2-3-1) De Gea, Malacia, Martinez, Varane, Dalot, Casemiro, Eriksen, Sancho, Fernandes, Elanga, Rashford
Arsenal: (4-2-3-1) Ramsdale, Zinchenko, Gabriel, Saliba, White, Lokonga, Xhaka, Martinelli, Odegaard, Saka, Jesus
At time of writing, we are offering odds of 2.64 for a Man Utd win, 3.50 for a draw and 2.65 for an Arsenal victory. Given Arsenal’s poor recent record at Old Trafford, Man Utd’s resurgence but also the Gunners’ strong start, a draw might be the most sensible option for this. That would make 1-1 in the Correct Score market a decent option at 6.60. You can also delve into the Double Chance, Over/Under, Total Goals, First team to Score, Goal, Corner markets and so much more.
Also check out our Goalscorer market which is new to the 2022/23 season. For first goalscorer, Gabriel Jesus is 6.70 or 3.00 to score anytime and keep up his good start to the season. Marcus Rashford is 3.50 to score anytime and Fernandes 3.60. While goalscoring isn’t his speciality, Casemiro is 10.00 to net at anytime on his home debut for those brave enough to back it.
Enjoy the big match in style at Bet9ja and make the most of our markets. Log in today or sign-up and deposit to be eligible for a 150% Welcome Bonus, the biggest in Nigeria!
