United's defeat at Selhurst Park was the latest low point in a season filled with them. Crystal Palace, a team not known for dominating, tore apart United's shaky defense, scoring four unanswered goals. It was their first-ever league double over United, and Michael Olise, rumored to be a United target in the summer, was a standout with two goals.
Jean-Philippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell also scored, making it a night to forget for Erik ten Hag and his team. The loss was United's 18th in all competitions this season and their 13th in the Premier League, setting an unwanted record.
United's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League were already dashed before this game, and their recent form isn't helping their chances of any European competition.
They've won just one of their last seven Premier League games and sit eighth in the table, tied with Chelsea but behind on goal difference. Their only shot at Europe could come through the FA Cup, where they face Manchester City in a repeat of last year's final in two weeks. If Ten Hag can't win that game, his time at United could be up.
The defensive collapse against Crystal Palace took United's goals conceded across all competitions to 81, their worst since the 1976-77 season. However, Arsenal can't take anything for granted at Old Trafford; United have scored in every Premier League home game this year.
Arsenal, on the other hand, had a tough time breaking through Bournemouth's defense in their recent match. It took a controversial penalty to get them on the scoreboard, with Bukayo Saka converting from the spot.
After that, Declan Rice set up Leandro Trossard for a goal and then scored one himself to secure the win, even though Bournemouth had a goal questionably ruled out. The victory was Arsenal's fourth in a row in the Premier League, keeping them a point ahead of Manchester City, though City can reclaim the top spot with a win over Fulham on Saturday.
Arsenal's away form has been stellar, picking up 22 out of 24 possible points since the start of the year. A win at Old Trafford would set a new club record for Premier League victories in a single season with 27. Arsenal's last trip to Old Trafford ended in a 3-1 loss, breaking their perfect start to the 2022-23 season, but they got their revenge with a 3-1 win at the Emirates in September.
Arsenal hasn't done the double over United since the 2006-07 season when Emmanuel Adebayor scored the winner at Old Trafford. If they can pull it off on Sunday, it would be a significant boost for their title hopes and another blow to United's turbulent season.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
It's been a rough month for Manchester United, but fans finally got some good news: Marcus Rashford (ankle), Lisandro Martinez (calf), Bruno Fernandes (wrist), and Scott McTominay (knee) are back in team training, giving the squad a much-needed boost.There's even a chance that Anthony Martial might play, as he's been training after recovering from groin surgery. However, Erik ten Hag has said that Sunday's game is too soon for Martinez, who is still working his way back from injury.
Several players remain on the sidelines, including Tyrell Malacia (knee), Willy Kambwala (unspecified), Victor Lindelof (thigh), Raphael Varane (muscle), Harry Maguire (muscle), Luke Shaw (thigh), and the latest addition to the injury list, Mason Mount. Because of this, Ten Hag may have to continue using Casemiro at centre-back, even though his performance against Crystal Palace was far from ideal.
On the flip side, Arsenal could show up at Old Trafford with a full-strength squad. Mikel Arteta hinted that Bukayo Saka and Takehiro Tomiyasu were slight doubts, but that could be just a bit of mind games from the Arsenal manager.
Jurrien Timber is also in question after returning from an ACL injury. He's played a couple of games for the Under-21s but wasn't in the squad for the Bournemouth game. Even if Timber is fit, he'd likely start on the bench, as Arteta is unlikely to change a winning lineup. This means Thomas Partey should continue as the holding midfielder, despite Jorginho signing a contract extension.
Saka, who has 20 goals in all competitions this season, has a strong track record against Manchester United. He's had five goal contributions against them in the Premier League—three goals and two assists. Only Thierry Henry has more, with 12 direct contributions in this fixture for Arsenal. Despite his supposed injury scare, it's hard to imagine Saka not starting on Sunday.
POSSIBLE LINE-UP
Manchester United possible starting lineup:Onana; Dalot, Casemiro, Evans, Wan-Bissaka; McTominay, Mainoo; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Trossard
EXPERT PREDICTION
Manchester United 1-3 Arsenal
With key players returning to Manchester United's attack, Arsenal's defense might be in for a tough time. The Gunners were lucky not to concede against Bournemouth, but this weekend, it's Manchester United's backline that could be in real trouble.
United's defense is leaking more shots and goals than they'd like, largely due to injuries. Arsenal, known for their high-octane attack, should be able to take advantage of that vulnerability. Expect Arsenal to bring their scoring touch to Old Trafford and keep Manchester City feeling the heat in the title race.
