Arsenal need to get back to winning ways in the Premier League when they head to Old Trafford to face a struggling Manchester United side on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s men could trail leaders Liverpool by 16 points at kick-off, but the Gunners boss says they won’t give up the title chase until it is impossible to bridge the gap.
His side showed what they are capable of in a clinical dismantling of PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday, although the 7-1 final scoreline was a little flattering.
United have scored a total of seven goals in their last six league games at Old Trafford, losing four of those contests and beating only lowly Southampton and Ipswich.
Their troubled home life continued when they were dumped out of the FA Cup on penalties by Fulham last Sunday and their supporters will not tolerate another no-show against the Gunners.
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Sleepy United could be punished again
When Ipswich were presented with a gift-wrapped opportunity to take the lead at Old Trafford last month it was no great surprise to see Jaden Philogene open the scoring.
That was the seventh consecutive Premier League home game when United had conceded the opening goal.
Ruben Amorim’s side have fallen behind inside the opening five minutes in four of those seven matches – a ridiculous state of affairs that suggests something is seriously amiss with their pre-match preparations.
Unlike Ipswich, Arsenal would not be expected to relinquish control of the game if they can get on the scoreboard early and so it looks well worth taking the odds on offer for Arteta’s men to be leading at the break and the final whistle.
Clash looks Taylor-made for a late caution
Referee Anthony Taylor will be the man in the middle for this clash and his record shows he is not particularly card-happy at the moment.
The Manchester official averages 3.08 cards per game in the Premier League, but he has actually only booked six players in his last six top-flight outings.
And none of those cautions were issued before half-time, or even prior to the 57th minute, which suggests he does not feel the need to lay down the law early on.
Given there has not been a meeting of these clubs without at least one yellow card in the last 10 years, there should be some value in backing the first card to come out from the 30th minute onwards.
Gunners skipper is firing again
Martin Odegaard’s productivity appears to be on the up again amid a less-effective campaign that has been blighted by injuries to himself and key colleagues.
The Norwegian’s tally of goals and assists would no doubt be higher if Bukayo Saka was occupying his usual right-wing berth and Odegaard has taken a while to rediscover his top form after a two-month autumn lay-off of his own.
But the Arsenal skipper looked back to his best on Tuesday as he scored two and set another up in the Gunners’ 7-1 win over PSV Eindhoven.
Odegaard has scored twice against United in the past, including one strike at Old Trafford, and he will be desperate to make amends for the costly missed penalty in normal time of Arsenal’s FA Cup third-round defeat to Amorim’s side in January.
And he is likely to be facing Andre Onana, who failed to get near any of Fulham’s four penalties in the FA Cup last week, and not United’s third-round hero Altay Bayandir should he be required to take another spot-kick on Sunday.
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