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Prior to winning the reverse fixture 3-2, Manchester United were winless in six league games against Arsenal. The Gunners are unbeaten in three home matches against the Red Devils, keeping a clean sheet each time; they’ve never kept clean sheets in four successive home games against Manchester United.
Both teams to score is 7/10.
Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals is 6/5.
Arsenal to win and over 2.5 goals is 9/4.
Bukayo Saka is 7/1 to break the deadlock and 9/4 to add to his 11 goals this season.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored eight goals against Arsenal, including a brace when he last visited the Emirates for a Champions League semi-final in 2009. He is 9/2 to open the scoring and 11/8 to add to this tally.
Match preview
The Gunners were seemingly in the box seat to finish fourth, before losing three in a row against Crystal Palace, Brighton and then Southampton.
Given this untimely slump, a midweek trip to Stamford Bridge, on the surface, appeared far from ideal.
Nevertheless, Arsenal put in, without doubt, their best performance for a long while, leading twice in the first half before being pegged back both times.
Eddie Nketiah opened the scoring, pouncing on some very lackadaisical defending, before Emile Smith Rowe finished off a fantastic team move.
Nketiah then restored Arsenal’s lead just after the break before, in the dying embers of stoppage time, Bukayo Saka wrapped up a fabulous 4-2 win.
Excluding behind closed doors matches, this is Arsenal’s first away win over a ‘big six’ opponent since January 2015.
So, despite having lost four out of five before this, Mikel Arteta’s side are now level on points with Tottenham, who they face on 12 May.
With six games to go, Arsenal can’t afford many more slip-ups if they’re to pip their North London neighbours to Champions League qualification.
Manchester United meanwhile are, in theory, still part of the chasing pack, even if they’re not playing as if this were the case.
On Tuesday, the Red Devils faced their biggest rivals Liverpool, but were steamrollered at Anfield, leaving humbled following a 4-0 drubbing.
Across the two games, Man United lost 9-0 to Liverpool, only losing by a higher aggregate scoreline to anyone once in their league history.
For context, this came in 1892/93 when a club known as Newton Heath F.C. were beaten 5-0 and 6-0 by champions Sunderland, with Newton Heath finishing bottom.
In the present, Ralf Rangnick’s side have only won two of their last seven league games, both 3-2 home wins featuring Cristiano Ronaldo hat-tricks.
The Red Devils beat Tottenham in mid-March before a remarkably similar victory over Norwich a week ago; their last away win was over two months ago.
So, Manchester United are three points below both Arsenal and Spurs, really needing to win this one to leap back into contention.
The visitors are currently unbeaten in 13 league visits to London, dating back to a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on New Years’ Day 2020.
Will Arsenal end that unbeaten streak with a priceless victory at the Emirates?
Arsenal team news
With Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey all long-term absentees, Mikel Arteta’s options are limited.
After scoring his first-ever Premier League brace at Stamford Bridge, Eddie Nketiah will surely continue up front, chosen over Alexandre Lacazette.
Mohamed Elneny was the surprise name on the team sheet in midweek; his only other Premier League starts this season came at Old Trafford.
But, after a characteristically solid display, the Egyptian could continue as Granit Xhaka’s partner with Albert Sambi Lokonga missing out.
Rob Holding was the other man drafted in against Chelsea, starting in any competition for the first time since 23 January.
However, for this one, it would be no surprise if Ben White moved back into the middle with Cédric returning at right-back.
At the other end of the pitch, it’ll be Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka and either Gabriel Martinelli or Emile Smith Rowe.
The latter has scored seven times at the Emirates this season with Arsenal winning all seven of these matches.
Also, Smith Rowe can become the first Englishman to score home and away against Manchester United since Malcolm Macdonald in 1977/78.
Manchester United team news
Manchester United meanwhile make the journey south far from at full strength.
Cristiano Ronaldo sat out Tuesday’s trip to Liverpool after tragically announcing that one of his newborn twins had died at birth.
Ralf Rangnick confirmed on Friday that he is available for this one, so is likely return in place of Marcus Rashford.
Midfield is their biggest area of concern though with Fred almost certainly out and Scott McTominay only just back following a foot injury.
Meanwhile, Paul Pogba hobbled off just ten minutes into the midweek game, so may have played his last game for the club.
So, Nemanja Matić’s partner could be Jesse Lingard who’s scored five times against Arsenal, the joint-most against any opponent.
At the back, Phil Jones was drafted into a back three against Liverpool for just his second Premier League appearance since January 2020.
With Raphaël Varane and Luke Shaw still out, there could be a makeshift look to their backline again.
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