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Storied rivals Manchester United and Arsenal will lock horns at Old Trafford on Sunday and it's set to be a cracking encounter. The Gunners are unbeaten in the new season and are currently sitting at the top of the Premier League table.
But their unbeaten streak could get snapped by Manchester United, who seem to be getting back on their feet after conceding successive losses in their first two games of the new campaign. The Red Devils have since picked up wins against Liverpool, Southampton and Leicester City.
Their performances in the last three games were marked by grit and organization. Sunday's performance against Arsenal is expected to be no different as it is yet another chance for Erik ten Hag and co. to showcase their desire to improve.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five reasons why Manchester United will win against Arsenal tonight.
#5 First real test for Arsenal this season
The Gunners have won all five of their Premier League matches so far this season. While that is a reflection of their consistency, the fact that they've had a relatively easy set of fixtures to navigate cannot be ignored.
Mikel Arteta's side have only come up against relatively weaker opposition so far. Arsenal have picked up wins against Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Bournemouth, Fulham and Aston Villa. Fulham are presently the best placed among those teams in the Premier League table.
The Cottagers are 10th in the table. Bournemouth are 13th while Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Leicester City are 15th, 17th and 20th respectively. United are no doubt the toughest team they've had to face this season and Arteta's men will need to raise their game tonight if they are to eke out a result.
Manchester United, on the other hand, have already beaten Liverpool and hustled their way to a win against Southampton. They are likely to be more mentally and physically prepared for the game against the Gunners.
#4 Manchester United are tough to break down
After conceding six goals in their first two games of the season, Manchester United have managed to shore up their defense. The new centre-back partnership of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez has helped bring a lot of stability to their backline.
The duo started a game for the first time against Liverpool and the only goal they've conceded since came from a set-piece. United full-backs Diogo Dalot and Tyrell Malacia have been in good form too.
Together, Ten Hag's defenders now seem to possess a newfound sense of hunger and desire to keep cleansheets. This was reflected in the way the defenders celebrated successful tackles and blocks against their opposition in recent games.
Casemiro is likely to sweep in front of them and he is a world-class defensive midfielder. This means that United's backline will have added protection against the Gunners.
The Red Devils have defended compactly and have been very organized during defensive transitions which is quite a departure from last season.
#3 Arsenal's injury concerns
Arsenal have quite a few injury concerns heading into Sunday's game. Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey have been ruled out. Worse yet, Arsenal are sweating over the fitness of Martin Odegaard, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Aaron Ramsdale.
Both Ramsdale and Odegaard will be assessed on Sunday and only then will Arteta make a final decision. The duo sustained knocks in the midweek game against Aston Villa.
Zinchenko hasn't played in the last two games. Arteta revealed (via Football London) on Friday that he hadn't trained with the team.
#2 Pacy United attack could pose real problems for the Arsenal defense
Although the Red Devils have managed to score only four goals in their last three games, their attack has looked way more potent than the scorelines would suggest. United are very dangerous on the counter.
They have plenty of pace in their attack. Jadon Sancho is in good form and Marcus Rashford is starting to affect games once again. Anthony Elanga is likely to make way for Antony tonight as the Brazilian is tipped to make his United debut today.
Bruno Fernandes hardly ever slows the game down and while his hurriedness can be a little frustrating at times, it can also be incredibly effective. Christian Eriksen is excellent at picking out his attackers and playing balls in behind the defense as well.
Arsenal are likely to keep a hold off the ball for large spells but this could make them susceptible to Manchester United's ferocious counter attacks.
#1 Old Trafford is not one of Arsenal's favorite hunting grounds
Manchester United have won just one of their last eight Premier League games against Arsenal. They have lost four and drawn three. While those numbers could suggest that the Gunners are odds-on favorites to win tonight's game, that may not be the case.
That's because Arsenal have had very little fortune at Old Trafford. They have registered just a single win in their last 15 Premier League visits to the Theater of Dreams. The Gunners have lost more Premier League away games only against Liverpool.
Old Trafford has not exactly been a fortress in recent times but the importance of restoring it to its glorious days cannot be lost on Ten Hag's men.
