Manchester United had this match circled on their calendar for weeks, knowing they would be facing the league leaders on the road with a chance to pull themselves into the title race.
It all seemed destined for a top-drawer clash, until the final hurdle, and they slipped. Now, the Red Devils will have to face the Gunners with their title chances on the line after a disappointing draw having lost their most critical midfielder in the process.
A last-gasp equaliser by Crystal Palace forced United to share the points on Wednesday, and they saw Casemiro trigger a yellow card suspension in the process. Manager Erik ten Hag was positive after the match, backing the Red Devils to snatch a second win over Arsenal this season without the Brazilian midfielder, but his absence is sure to be felt.
Arsenal, for their part, will be licking their chops at the chance to snatch not only another massive three points in the title charge, but also grab revenge for the 3-1 loss back in September, their only league defeat of the season thus far.
LIVE: Arsenal vs Man United score updates and highlights
Arsenal vs Man United odds
While these two teams are both at the heart of the title chase, Arsenal are somewhat heavy favourites on the moneyline thanks to United's recent slip against Crystal Palace and loss of Casemiro to suspension. The odds have slightly slid towards Man United in the days leading up to the match, but not by much, as the Gunners hold onto the perceived advantage.
Goals are expected, which is often the case in matchups between two top club teams. That's despite the fact that Arsenal have the second-best defensive record in the Premier League, having conceded just 14 total goals in 18 league matches this year.
Odds via BetMGM (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), SkyBet (UK), and Neds (Australia).
| BetMGM | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | Neds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal win | -120 | -120 | 17/20 | 1.80 |
| Draw | +270 | +273 | 11/4 | 3.70 |
| Man United win | +320 | +293 | 3/1 | 4.20 |
| Both teams to score Y / N | -145 / +105 | -156 / +100 | 8/13, 6/5 | 1.60. 2.20 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals | -135 / +100 | -130 / +103 | 8/11, 1/1 | 1/70. 2.15 |
| Arsenal -0.5 | -130 | -118 | — | — |
| Man United +0.5 | -110 | -108 | — | — |
Arsenal vs Man United: 3 things to know
Arsenal vs Man United match facts
- Date: Sunday, January 22
- Kickoff Time: 11:30 am ET / 4:30 pm GMT / 3:30 am AEDT (Mon, Jan. 23)
- Location: The Emirates Stadium (London, England)
- Official: Anthony Taylor
Arsenal vs Man United team news
Arsenal have a nearly fully fit squad for this big match. The only notable miss is Gabriel Jesus, who continues his recovery from a knee injury suffered at the World Cup. Eddie Nketiah has done the job in his stead, playing his role and letting others star around him. The only other worries for Mikel Arteta are Mohamed Elneny and Reiss Nelson who are still being assessed after recent injuries.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will be kicking himself for allowing Casemiro to earn a yellow card suspension, leaving the Brazilian midfielder on too long against Crystal Palace and seeing him pick up a fifth booking of the season in the final match before the card threshold is extended.
United will also be without Donny van de Beek who is out for the year with a knee injury, while Jadon Sancho is unlikely to start but has returned to training. Diogo Dalot is a doubt with his hamstring injury suffered in the World Cup, and he will have a fight on his hands once fully recovered as Aaron Wan-Bissaka has performed admirably in his stead.
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Arsenal vs Man United key stats
- Arsenal are 5th in the Premier League in passes completed per game (492), but 2nd in the Premier League in passes completed in the final third per game (129).
- Bruno Fernandes is third in the Premier League with 4.89 xA on 49 chances created, for 0.998 xA per chance. He is behind only Kevin de Bruyne (9.24 xA on 60 chances created) and Kieran Trippier (5.53 xA on 51 chances created). Martin Odegaard of Arsenal is fourth with 4.23 xA on just 38 chances created, for 0.111 xA per chance
Arsenal vs Man United prediction
- Moneyline lean: Arsenal (-115)
- Against the spread lean: Arsenal -0.5 (-130)
- Score prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Man United
Manchester United looked spotty in the attack against Crystal Palace, and very well could have lost if not for the brilliance of David de Gea and Aaron Wan-Bissaka at key junctures. The Red Devils were second-best after halftime in particular, and Arsenal may attempt to grind the game down early before taking advantage of any openings later in the match.
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Arsenal vs Man United: best bet
- Pick: Half with most goals — 2H
- Odds: +100 (BetMGM)
This is always a solid play no matter the match, but in this game, there's reason to back both sides in the second half.
Arsenal are second in the Premier League on expected goals behind Man City, but they are first in the league in second half expected goals, hitting for 19.4 xG and scoring scoring 24 goals.
United fall off in the second half scoring-wise by expected goals, but they have scored some vital late goals in recent matches. Their most in-form player, Marcus Rashford, has made a habit of scoring late goals, scoring the winner against Man City in the 82nd minute, plus a 76th-minute winner against Wolves.
Three of the last five meetings between these two teams have seen more goals in the second half, with only one of those featuring more goals in the first half (the other was a scoreless draw).
Arsenal vs Man United prop bet
- Pick: Arsenal over 1.5 goals
- Odds: -130 (BetMGM)
Arsenal are in great attacking form, while Manchester United looked shaky against Crystal Palace and will be without Casemiro.
The Brazilian has been loose in possession, but was sensational shielding the back line last time out, and they will miss his presence dearly. Fred is an extreme defensive downgrade, making just one tackle per match compared to Casemiro's 3.4, and winning just 44 percent of his ground duels compared to Casemiro's 54 per cent.
Meanwhile, Arsenal's best weapon right now is the midfield trio of Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey, and Martin Odegaard, who should find joy through the middle. Manchester United will have to keep up with Arsenal's attack to come away with a result.
Arsenal vs Man United flier bet
- Pick: Martin Odegaard to score or assist
- Odds: +100 (FanDuel)
- Pick: Gabriel Martinelli to score or assist
- Odds: +105 (FanDuel
- Pick: Bruno Fernandes to score or assist
- Odds: +155 (FanDuel)
How about a three-for? We can't parlay these picks together, but we can make three individual bets to profit from. In order to make a positive return, we would need two of these to hit, but in a fixture that has featured oodles of goals recently, it's hard to see that not happening.
All three of these players are in the Premier League's top five in expected assists this season, and they are all threats to score as well. Bruno Fernandes scored for Manchester United just last time out, while Odegaard and Martinelli have 15 combined goals on the campaign.
Fernandes has also scored or assisted in two of United's last three matchups with Arsenal, while Odegaard was on the scoresheet in that span as well. If the goals start flying, this could be a profitable venture.
Arsenal vs Man United live stream, TV channel
MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with fuboTV in USA
MORE: Watch Arsenal vs Man United match live with fuboTV in Canada
| TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|
| USA | NBC | Peacock, fuboTV |
| Canada | — | fuboTV |
| UK | Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League | Sky Sports |
| Australia | Optus Sport | Optus Sport |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport Premier League | Sky Sports NOW |
| India | Star Sports Select 1, Star Sports 3 | Hotstar VIP, JioTV |
| Hong Kong | Now Premier League 620, 621 | Now E |
| Malaysia | Astro SuperSport 3 | Astro Go, sooka |
| Singapore | 221 Hub Premier 1, 222 Hub Premier 2 | StarHub TV+ |
