Manchester United take on Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday, looking to extend their three-match win streak in the Premier League. However, the North London club has thus far remained undefeated, and sit at the top of the table after five games. United are in the eighth position but top-flight teams like Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, and Liverpool – who are all above United currently on the table – have each played six games.

Speaking about the upcoming fixture, at the conference after the United-Leicester game, which the Reds won 1-0, coach Erik ten Hag said, “I have seen Arsenal, a tough opponent, they have started really well as we all know in the season and you can see there is a team who are [a] long [time] together, with a coach who brings his philosophy in the team. So, this is a good test and I’m really looking forward [to it].”

Arsenal’s last game was on September 1, while United played a day after them, making this fixture incredibly close for either team to have been well rested before they face-off. 

While United have faced Liverpool, winning the game 2-1, Arsenal have not yet faced any of the top-flight PL teams. 

Mikel Arteta is aware of the challenge ahead, and of United’s visible change in form, under the former Ajax manager. He said, “When you look at the squad that they have, the players that they have signed the amount of money they have spent in the market, it is no surprise – they are going to win a lot of football matches. The history of Manchester United tells you this is going to happen” but added, “They are a big rival, we know that and we are going to compete with them.” 

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In the upcoming game, Arsenal have history working against them. In the last 15 PL away fixtures against United, the North London club won only one, in November 2020. 

Arteta seemed unfazed when asked about the psychological barrier of a game at Old Trafford, saying, “I don’t think so. We have gone through things like that when we hadn’t won at Stamford Bridge for 20 or something years, but you need to believe that you will do that. If you can play the way you want to play, you will win football matches. We’ve done it, and that’s the belief that we have.” 

Arsenal Predicted lineup

While Arteta might have liked to keep his winning lineup unchanged, injuries will force him to play others from the squad. 

Oleksandr Zinchenko won’t be part of the game, the Spanish coach confirmed, saying “Again after missing two games and not being able to be ready yet to train with the team, unfortunately, that is the situation that we have”. 

Thomas Partey will be out for weeks as well, Arteta confirmed, but the coach hopes for a quicker-than-expected return from the Ghanian midfielder. Mohamed Elneny is out for months and will miss the upcoming game. 

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Aaron Ramsdale and Martin Odegaard are doubtful, but if the Arsenal captain is missing, Emile Smith Rowe could step in. Similarly, Ben White would do well in place of Partey. 

The Gunners are most likely to have Ramsdale as their goalkeeper, since he’s travelled with the team to Old Trafford, and play Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney on the right and left flanks, while William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes link up as centre-backs. 

White would team up with Granit Xhaka as Arsenal’s pivot, while Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli start in wide roles and Smith-Rowe plays no 10 against United. Gabriel Jesus is expected to be the sole striker for the game. 

Manchester United predicted lineup 

Erik ten Hag hasn’t minced words in saying that Frenchman Anthony Martial is set to miss the Arsenal game also, after sustaining an injury in the Liverpool match. 

However, the Dutchman has got himself a team that’s been working in the past few games and will likely give the same players a shot. 

David de Gea is expected to be the keeper of choice, despite United’s last-moment signing of Martin Dubravka. The Raphael Varane–Lisandro Martinez combination is expected to remain since their defensive performances have helped United keep a clean sheet in the last two games. Diogo Dalot and Feyenoord transfer Tyrell Malacia are expected to be on the flanks. 

Thus far, ten Hag hasn’t given Casemiro a start, so it remains to be seen if the Real Madrid transfer is on the bench with Scott McTominay playing as the central defensive midfielder. 

Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes are both expected to start, with the former having delivered consistent performances, and the latter recently taking on the captain’s mantle as Harry Maguire remains benched. 

Antony, United’s latest and most expensive transfer this season, hasn’t made his debut yet, and ten Hag thus far remained non-committal about the Brazilian winger’s chances of starting the game. “Today, he did his first training, individual[ly]. Tomorrow, we have a team session and Saturday we have a team session, so I will think about it and then we will take a decision”, he’d said after the Leicester game. 

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In all likelihood, Antony will come on as a substitute, and Jadon Sancho will be starting. Similarly, Marcus Rashford is expected to start as the sole striker, but ten Hag has the option to bring on Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be remaining with the Reds despite his desperate bid to secure a move to a club that’s playing in the Champions League. Anthony Elanga will play on the other wing for United. 

During the Alex Ferguson-Arsene Wenger era, the United-Arsenal rivalry was a delight to watch and Arteta commented on whether the upcoming fixture has the same edge, saying “I think that there have been moments when the history and the media were talking about it, and the special rivalry between certain players built a certain momentum into it. But in England, it doesn’t get much better than that.”