Arsenal v Manchester United: Sanchez can inspire Gunners to victory

Arsenal v Manchester United
Saturday December 02, 17:30
Live on BT Sport 1

Arsenal and United's rivalry has lost its sparkle

Things move quickly in football, and it says a lot about the current state of affairs in English football that neither Arsenal nor Manchester United are certain of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League for next season. Arsenal suffered the ignominy of finishing fifth last term, and sixth-placed United only gained entry to the UCL party via their success in the Europa League. The brutal truth is that Arsenal haven't mounted a genuine title bid for years (they haven't been champions of England since 2004), and in the four seasons since Sir Alex Ferguson left the hotseat at Old Trafford, United have finished seventh, fourth, fifth and sixth.

United trail leaders Manchester City by eight points after 14 matches, while Arsenal are four points further back. According to the Premier League Winner market, neither team has much chance of overhauling Pep Guardiola's pace-setters. Man City are 1.17 to win the title, with United trading at 17.50 and Arsenal priced at 80.00.

Of course, there has been significant success in other competitions. Jose Mourinhodelivered two major trophies in his first season at the United helm, winning the EFL Cup and the Europa League, while Arsene Wenger has won three FA Cups in the last four seasons. These victories are not to be sniffed at, but there are fans of both clubs who remember the titanic struggles between Wenger and Ferguson around the turn of the millennium. Between the 1995-96 season and the 2003-04 campaign, United and Arsenal were the only Premier League champions, as Ferguson claimed six titles and Wenger racked up three. Time, and the emergence of high-powered rivals, has dulled the sheen of the Arsenal-United rivalry.

Gunners have the form, especially at the Emirates

Arsenal have hit a purple patch in the Premier League. They beat Tottenham thanks to a dominant display in the north London derby, they battled at Burnley in an impressive 1-0 win, and they eventually cut loose in a free-flowing 5-0 dismissal of Huddersfield Town. The Gunners have won five of their last six Premier League matches, and they have won every home game they've played in the division this term. Opta tell us their 12-match winning streak at the Emirates is their best run of Premier League home form for 12 years, and it's worth remembering they have won their last two home matches against Manchester United.

Mourinho tends to adopt a cautious approach away to fellow members of the so-called "big six", and the Opta stats show he hasn't won any of the last 11 away games against them. That's a run that stretches back more than three years, and this season United have drawn 0-0 at Liverpool and lost 1-0 at Chelsea. Although United won 4-2 at Watford in midweek, their recent away form is patchy, with three defeats in their last five road matches in all competitions.

Back the home win, with a bit of insurance

Arsenal are playing with confidence, and have been impeccable at the Emirates. It took mental strength to beat an in-form Spurs side in a high-pressure game, and then to grind out a 1-0 victory at an ultra-competitive Burnley outfit. Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are performing well, with Ozil particularly superb against Huddersfield, and Wenger has insisted neither will leave before their contracts expire at the end of the campaign.

United have great quality, but Mourinho's excessive caution holds them back in the big games. I think this will be tight, but I'll back the hosts Draw No Bet at 1.83.

Arsenal flair could buck the trend

The received wisdom is that Mourinho will make this as dull as he possibly can, and while the stats suggest that will be the case, I think Arsenal might be able to force the pace here. The Gunners have scored at least twice in every single Premier League home game, while United have scored nine goals in their last three league matches.

There's definitely an argument to back Over 2.5 Goals at 2.00.

Sanchez to lead Arsenal attack, while Lukaku won't be quiet for long

Alexis Sanchez has scored in the last three Premier League games, and with Alexandre Lacazette injured, the Chilean will be a focal point in the Arsenal forward line. He is trading at a hefty 2.80 to score in 90 minutes.

For all the talk of Romelu Lukaku's problems in front of goal recently, he still has eight Premier League goals this term, and at 2.72, I don't think he's a bad bet to score either.

Recommended Bets

Back Arsenal Draw No Bet at 1.83
Back Alexis Sanchez to score at 2.80