Arsenal continue their title quest at the Theatre of Dreams, a venue that has proved nightmarish for them in recent decades, so can Manchester United shatter the Gunners’ aspirations?
Manchester United vs Arsenal match preview
Will Arsenal ensure the Premier League title race goes to the final day, ending their Old Trafford hoodoo in the process?
Last weekend, the Gunners ultimately swatted aside Bournemouth 3-0 at home, with Bukayo Saka converting a penalty, before second half goals from Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice secured the win.
That made it four successive league wins for Mikel Arteta’s team, who’ve accumulated 43 points out of a possible 48 in 2024, their sole non-wins coming in a draw at the Etihad and a defeat at home to Aston Villa.
However, this may not prove to be enough, because Arsenal will kick off second assuming Manchester City take care of business at Craven Cottage on Saturday which, considering the Sky Blues have won each of their last 15 encounters with Fulham, one shy a new English record for any club, seems a formality.
The Gunners’ fate is out of their own hands, but it’s important that they do their part, at least pushing Man City to the final day, hoping for a favour from Spurs (yes I know!) who the Citizens visit on Tuesday.
Amazingly, Arsenal haven’t won a Premier League match in front of fans at Old Trafford since September 2006, when a teenaged Cesc Fàbregas set up another hot-young prospect Emmanuel Adebayor for a late winner.
The gap between that goal and today (6,446 days) is larger than the distance between Anfield ‘89 and Arsenal’s sole appearance in a Champions League Final in 2006 (6,200 days).
Well, if ever the Gunners are going to beat any Manchester United team, it’ll surely be this one.
On Monday night, the Red Devils were dismantled 4-0 by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, lucky to concede only four whilst equally fortunate to score zilch.
Do you know what the most surprising part? It wasn’t a surprise at all.
Man United have now conceded 78 goals in all competitions this season (1.625 per game), their highest tally since 1976/77 when they shipped 81, but that was only an average of 1.37 per match.
Erik ten Hag’s team also have four matches still to play, taking on Newcastle and Brighton in the league after this, before the small matter of an FA Cup Final against Man City, highly likely to surpass that figure of 81 for the first time since 1963 when they shipped 84 and only narrowly avoided relegation.
Having only beaten bottom of the table Sheffield United since 9 March, the Red Devils are eight in the Premier League table, on course for their lowest finish in 34 years, currently reliant on winning the FA Cup to be in Europe next season which, realistically, isn’t going to happen is it?
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe having taken over football operations, a managerial change is surely coming this summer, but whoever comes in is increasingly likely to have no European football to content with next season.
So, all logic suggests Arsenal will leave Old Trafford victorious but, as they’ve shown against Liverpool twice, Man United are capable of logic-defying results, so can they pull off an upset?
Manchester United vs Arsenal Tips
As alluded to throughout, we are backing Arsenal to win this one, thereby claiming three successive Premier League victories over Manchester United since 1998.
Mikel Arteta’s team are unbeaten in eight Premier League away games, winning seven of them, most-recently claiming victory in the North London derby, needing another statement victory on the road here.
We’re also forecasting a high-scoring game, not least because the Gunners have kept just a solitary clean sheet in their last 14 Premier League outings at Old Trafford, this coming behind-closed-doors.
Arsenal have scored 88 goals already this season, their highest tally in a Premier League season, last surpassing 90 in a league campaign in 1963/64.
Their hammering of Chelsea last month was the seventh time the Gunners have won a match by five-clear goals in all competitions, their most-ever in a single campaign, scoring 3+ away at Bournemouth, Luton, West Ham, Burnley, Sheffield United, Brighton and Tottenham.
David Raya has secured the Premier League golden glove, just the third Arsenal goalkeeper to claim this accolade, after Wojciech Szczęsny and Petr Čech, keeping 15 clean sheets, ten of which have come in 2024.
Nevertheless, we’re not forecasting that he’ll add to this tally, given that Man United have only failed to score in five of 23 home games this season, netting at least once in 21 successive matches prior to Monday abomination, dating back to just before Christmas.
However, at the other end, Erik ten Hag’s team have conceded 3+ in 15 seperate matches this season while, if Arsenal have 15+ shots, Man United will have allowed more shots than that infamous Derby County team who were relegated with just 11 points did in 2007/08 (626).
Kai Havertz has never scored against Manchester United in four career appearances but, given the German’s recent form, we’re forecasting that will change.
His header in the North London derby means Havertz has now scored 13 times this season, bagging eight in his last 12 Premier League appearances, netting in seven seperate away games, so we’re backing him to score again.
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