Man United renewing their rivalry with Arsenal
Reds hope to bounce back following mid-week defeat
Table of Contents
Shaking it off
Manchester United look to get back in the win column this weekend as they travel to London to battle Arsenal on Saturday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side is coming off a tough 2-1 loss to Sheffield United earlier in the week.
That defeat dropped the Red Devils into second place a point behind their biggest rivals Manchester City.
The Reds will need to forget about that quickly as they battle a team starting to find its rhythm in the Premier League.
Lineup News
Heading into Saturday there’s some potentially good news for Solskjaer’s side on the injury front.
Brandon Williams is back training and could be available.
Victor Lindelof continues to recover from back issues and may not be ready.
Eric Bailly missed Wednesday’s match with a knock but Solskjaer says he could be back for this game.
On the other side, Mikel Arteta could be without one of his biggest weapons on Saturday.
Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed Tuesday’s 2-1 win against Southampton for personal reasons and his manager couldn’t confirm if he’d be back this weekend.
Emile Smith Rowe left with an injury in their last game and might not be fully recovered in time for this one.
Defender Pablo Mari along with midfielder Dani Ceballos are both doubtful with injuries.
That means it’s likely Arsenal will insert Norwegian Martin Odegaard into the lineup.
The Gunners picked him up this week on loan from Real Madrid.
Coming into Form
Both sides are in fine form heading into this match.
The Reds may have had their 13-match unbeaten run in the Premier League snapped but they are still in pretty good shape moving forward.
United is just a point back of City in the title chase and their strong form has them 10 points above the Gunners in the standings.
Mikel Arteta’s side seems to have found its game after a lot of growing pains.
After winning just two of its last nine Premier League matches in 2020 the Gunners have turned over a new leaf in 2021.
Arsenal is unbeaten in its first six matches in all competitions this year.
They’ve got 16 points out of a possible 18 in their last six Premier League fixtures.
Arteta’s men have been strong defensively and upfront lately.
Bernd Leno has four clean sheets in their last five EPL matches.
The Gunners have scored three goals or more in four of their last six Premier League affairs.
Chasing History
Man United remains the only team in the Premier League not to lose a road game this season.
If they can get a result at the Emirates this weekend it’ll set a new club record.
The Red Devils haven’t lost in their last 17 league matches away from Old Trafford.
By Committee
Both teams are scoring plenty of goals in the league of late.
For Arsenal, they’re firing on all cylinders and are getting goals from various sources.
Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette have goals in five of their last six EPL matches.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also has two goals in his last two Premier League games.
For United Paul Pogba has two game-winning goals in his last four EPL encounters.
During their 13-match unbeaten run, the Reds found the back of the net 29 times and were only kept off the scoresheet twice.
10 difference United players scored in that stretch.
Struggling
Bruno Fernandes has hit his first slump since joining Man United just over a year ago.
The Reds number 18 is without a goal in his last four Premier League fixtures.
He’s still getting his touches but he’s not been as dynamic in the past few games as United are used to seeing from him.
Fernandes has plenty of reasons to perform at an elite level.
£67.6 million reasons to be exact, that’s how much he stands to make if he’s able to meet certain performance indicators in his contract.
Bitter Rivals
Through the years United and Arsenal have had their share of big matchups.
Lately, the Gunners have had the upper hand going unbeaten in their last four Premier League fixtures against the Reds.
United is scoreless in its last two EPL matches in North London and hasn’t won at the Emirates since a 3-1 win in the FA Cup back in 2019.
A win for the Reds on Saturday would be their 100th in all competitions against the Gunners.
Moving Forward
Heading into this game United’s leaders are emphasizing the importance of focusing on what’s ahead.
Skipper Harry Maguire says they can’t dwell on their defeat to Sheffield United.
“When you get kicked down it’s how quick you bounce back and Saturday’s a big one.”
“We have to get three points,” says Maguire.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer echoed those sentiments.
“A big performance is needed against Arsenal, they’re in good form and we have to lift ourselves,” says Solskjaer.
Match Info
Saturday’s game kicks off at Emirates Stadium at 5:30 pm. (JSL).
