Arsenal vs Manchester United Predictions
- Arsenal have won 15 of 18 league games this season
- Arsenal and both teams to score has been a winning bet in nine of the Gunners’ last 11 home matches
- Manchester United have scored in their last nine Premier League away games
- Martin Odegaard has scored five goals in his last seven league matches
Arsenal showing no signs of easing off
Manchester City’s defeat in the derby last week has put Arsenal firmly in charge of the Premier League title race and Mikel Arteta’s side will fear no one in the second half of the campaign, including Sunday’s opponents Manchester United.City’s 2-1 loss at Old Trafford opened the door for the Gunners and they thoroughly deserved their 2-0 win at local rivals Tottenham on Sunday, which took them eight points clear at the top.
United are the only team to have beaten Arsenal this season – they posted a 3-1 win in September when Marcus Rashford scored two goals – and Erik ten Hag’s team have turned the tide with a string of good results since the World Cup break.
However, the Gunners have the win in their sails. Newcastle are the only team to have left the Emirates with anything in the league this season when they earned a recent goalless draw, but Arsenal’s home matches tend to be entertaining affairs.
With United having scored in their last nine away matches and with title ambitions of their own, it could be a good call to back the Gunners to win and both teams to score, which has happened in all but two of their last 11 home league matches.
United have the ability to find the Gunners’ net
United should be full of confidence about taking on the league leaders, although influential midfielder Casemiro will be missing after he picked up his fifth booking of the season in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace.Ten Hag’s side were pegged back by Michael Olise’s late free-kick, which prevented the Red Devils from chalking up a tenth successive win in all competitions.
Even though a controversial goal helped them to a 2-1 win over City last week, that victory gave United an extra spring in their step as the Citizens were by far the best team they had beaten on that run.
United have scored in their last nine Premier League away games and should have put their game against Palace to bed long before the Eagles struck in injury time.
And the belief they have gained in the last few weeks should ensure they adopt a positive attitude, so there could be some merit in backing a 2-1 correct score in favour of the home team.
Odegaard proving a great asset for Arteta
The Gunners suffered a bow when striker Gabriel Jesus returned injured from the World Cup, but Arteta has a team with goal threats in many areas.Wide midfielders Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka seem to get better week by week, but one of the most notable contributors has been Martin Odegaard, who continues to grow into the English game.
His 20-yard strike against Tottenham provided Arsenal with a two-goal cushion on Sunday and the Norwegian is a great attacking outlet as he has proved in recent weeks with five goals in his last seven games.
That run included both goals in a 2-0 win at struggling Wolves in November and he has picked up great responsibility since Jesus’s injury, so the 24-year-old former teenage prodigy looks like a good choice to find the net once again.