Manchester United will be aiming to disrupt Arsenal's charge towards the Premier League title when they travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
United, who are the only side to have beaten the Gunners in the league so far this season, winning 3-1 at Old Trafford back in September, will make their second trip to the capital in the space of just five days looking to get back to winning ways after Wednesday night's 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace. Michael Olise netted a late free-kick to cancel out Bruno Fernandes' opener, ending the Reds' nine-game winning run in the process.
The Reds, who have won just two of their last eight meetings with Arsenal, therefore, missed out on the chance to climb up to second place. They could, depending on the outcome of Manchester City's clash with Wolves earlier in the day on Sunday, be as many as six points off second place by the time they kick-off in north London at 4:30pm.
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Manager Erik ten Hag, after springing a few surprises with his team selection against City last weekend, reverted back to a more familiar looking line-up against Palace, recalling Lisandro Martinez to the fold and deploying Fernandes back in his natural position at the tip of the midfield. The former Ajax chief could do the same again.
David de Gea, who was cruelly denied his ninth Premier League clean sheet of the season against Palace, is a certain starter between the sticks once again. He has started every league game since the start of last term and that run is set to continue against the league leaders.
Ahead of the Spaniard, Ten Hag could stick with the same back-four that faced Palace, meaning Luke Shaw might continue in his natural left-back berth, opposed to returning to the centre of the defence to partner Raphael Varane. Diogo Dalot has missed the last two games through a muscular injury and Ten Hag, when addressing the media after the draw at Palace, was vague on whether or not he would return against the Gunners, meaning it remains to be seen if he will be included in the travelling squad.
Whether he makes the cut or not, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been excellent in the last two matches, continuing his own resurrection. He deserves to keep his place.
Ten Hag will be forced into at least one change in midfield because of Casemiro's suspension. He collected his fifth booking of the campaign on Wednesday evening and will serve a one-game ban, meaning he could be replaced by Scott McTominay in the engine room. The Scot is likely to join Christian Eriksen and Fernandes in forming the midfield-three.
In attack, Ten Hag could choose the same front-three that started against Palace, though he will expect much more productivity from each of them. United struggled to get going in the second half in midweek and will need to do more to get the likes of Marcus Rashford, Wout Weghorst and Antony in the game.
Anthony Martial's fitness state remains unclear, with Ten Hag, who was also vague on this subject, not speaking to the media since Wednesday night. It remains to be seen if he will, just like Dalot, be available for selection.
United predicted line-up vs Arsenal: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; McTominay, Eriksen, Fernandes; Antony, Weghorst, Rashford.
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