Manchester United v Arsenal Match Result
Odds of around 1.72 that Arsenal claim a victory at Old Trafford will look like a value bet to many. The Gunners are regarded as having a 58% chance of securing a success, although some customers will think that percentage should be a good deal higher. After all, this is a team that went to the Netherlands on Tuesday and came away with a massive 7-1 success.
There’s been plenty of talk about a lack of cutting edge with Arsenal who are missing Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz right now, although the north London side bounced back from a 1-0 home reverse to West Ham and a goalless draw away to Nottingham Forest to claim a stupendous success where the Gunners were brutally efficient in this Champions League tie.
They had eight shots on target and scored with seven of them. Being three up after thirty minutes was breath-taking and they managed to ease to a big success with the players now having a good deal of recovery time before Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford. However, perhaps this match is a different proposition despite Manchester United’s tame form.
Ruben Amorim continues to have difficulties as the Red Devils manager and perhaps he will need a summer transfer window to improve matters at the club. However, this is traditionally a match where United are able to raise their game and they will certainly have to play an attacking brand of football as the home side.
Previously to exiting the FA Cup at the hands of Fulham thanks to a penalty shootout, there was a 3-2 win over Ipswich Town where a victory was landed despite United operating with ten men for half the clash. However, the slight concern is that the home side’s goals came from two central defenders and an Ipswich player.
Goals Under/Over
Despite Arsenal’s 7-1 victory away to PSV in the Champions League, the bookmakers are not anticipating a goalfest at Old Trafford. After all, the previous four games involving the Gunners were all Under 2.5 Goals, with Mikel Arteta’s side losing 2-0 away at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup before claiming a victory by the same scoreline away to Leicester City.
The London side then drew blanks when losing 1-0 at home to West Ham before showing some defensive steel to hold Nottingham Forest to a goalless draw. On that occasion, the Midlands side had two shots on target and the Gunners had just one. Against the Hammers, Arsenal only got two shots on goal but perhaps the floodgates will open here.
Manchester United’s fourteen home games have involved a sum total of forty-four goals which suggests that Over 2.5 Goals might be the value although it’s trading as the outsider pick in this two-way market.
BTTS
The bookies are leaning towards the probability that BTTS No is likely to happen. In fairness, there’s not a lot between the odds of that selection compared to BTTS Yes, although the former covers the prospect of a goalless draw along with wins to nil for either side. Arsenal are generally strong from a defensive point-of-view and recorded a goalless draw at the City Ground which is a tougher fixture than Old Trafford this term.
Previously to that 7-1 win away to PSV, the four matches involving Arsenal had ended in BTTS No. David Raya remains a smart operator between the sticks in front of arguably the strongest central defensive partnership in the Premier League, with William Saliba and Gabriel having proven brick wall-like for the majority of the time.
Manchester United will not want to fall a goal behind against such opposition, although the previous three games involving the Red Devils have seen BTTS Yes happen. They came from behind to draw 2-2 at Goodison Park before a 3-2 win over Ipswich, with a 1-1 draw then coming against Fulham in the FA Cup.
First Goalscorer
Let’s start with that Arsenal 7-1 victory at PSV. Martin Odegaard hasn’t been among the goals hugely this season, although the Norwegian was able to bag a brace in the Netherlands and perhaps he’ll be hungry for more at Old Trafford. The Gunners captain did previously score as part of a 5-1 win over Manchester City along with a Champions League goal against Dinamo Zagreb.
A star is starting to be born in the form of Ethan Nwaneri and the seventeen-year-old now has eight goals on the board for the Gunners. We previously saw the teenager on the scoresheet in that win over Manchester City and he will surely be given the license to run at the Manchester United defence, with Mikel Merino also worthy of consideration after the Spaniard scored two goals at Leicester.
As far as Manchester United are concerned, Bruno Fernandes remains the player most likely to score and the captain was on target when equalising against Fulham. Rasmus Hojlund continues to draw blanks for the Red Devils, with Harry Maguire a potential outside bet considering the centre-half has managed to bag a couple of goals in his previous five games.