Ruben Amorim is expected to face his first toughest test on Wednesday night when Manchester United lock horns with rivals Arsenal in a crunch Premier League clash.
Amorim, who replaced Erik Ten Hag a few weeks ago, travels to the Emirates Stadium brimming with confidence.
The Portuguese tactician has picked up two wins and a draw in all competitions since starting his job at the club in November.
He guided the Red Devils to a huge 4-0 win over Everton in their most recent match that was played on Sunday, December 1 at the Old Trafford Stadium.
Prior to that convincing victory, Amorim and his charges had secured a narrow 3-2 win over Bodo/Glimt and a disappointing draw against Ipswich Town.
However, despite Manchester United starting to find their foot after showing a lot of inconsistency during the final stages of his predecessor’s reign at the club, they will find it extremely difficult to beat Arsenal, who have re-discovered their form after enduring a brief winless spell.
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The Gunners are currently firing on all cylinders, thrashing clubs both in the UEFA Champions League and the domestic assignments.
The Mikel Arteta tutored side has scored an impressive 10 goals and conceded three in their two latest fixtures. They hammered Sporting 5-1 in the Champions League one week ago before thrashing West Ham United 5-2 last Saturday.
Here are the key details you need to understand ahead of the eagerly anticipated showdown.
What time does Arsenal vs Manchester United start?
The game is scheduled to start at 11:15 PM EAT on Wednesday night at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal vs Manchester United team news
The hosts will miss the services of several of their players in this crucial match including the defensive duo of Ben White (knee), Myles Lewis-Skelly (unspecified) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee).
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Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey and his Spanish counterpart Mikel Merino are also likely to sit this one out due to muscle and knee issues.
Furthermore, Arteta is expected to make last minute decisions with regard to the involvement of Brazilian central defender Gabriel Magalhães, who was substituted in the win against West Ham United after being punched on the head by the Hammers goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
On the other hand, Kobbie Mainoo and Argentine FIFA World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez are unavailable for Manchester United as a result of yellow cards accumulation.
Besides Mainoo and Martinez, Amorim is also likely to travel to North London without the injured trio of Jonny Evans (knock), Leny Yoro (leg) and Victor Lindelof (groin).
Possible Starting Lineups
Arsenal: Raya, Calafiori, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Havertz
Manchester United: Onana, Diallo, Maguire, De Ligt, Mazraoui, Shaw, Casemiro, Ugarte, Rashford, Bruno, Hojlund
Arsenal vs Manchester United head-to-head
Manchester United and Arsenal have played against each other three times in all competitions since 2023 with the Gunners winning all the matches.
The last meeting between the two heavyweights, which was played in July this year, ended 2-1. Arsenal’s goals were scored by Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli while Rasmus Hojlund was on the score sheet for the Red Devils.
Arsenal: 3
Draw: 0
Manchester United: 0
Arsenal vs Manchester United current form
Arsenal: LDWWW
Manchester United: WWDWW
Arsenal vs Manchester United prediction
Arsenal are the favorites to collect all three points in this match since they are enjoying excellent form at the moment.
However, the visitors should not be ruled out of picking anything from this tie because they have a genius coach and experienced players.
Therefore, football fans should expect a thrilling game that is likely to end with both sides failing to keep a clean sheet.
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