With just four gameweeks of English Premier League action left to be played, the stakes are high for teams involved in battles at both ends of the table.
For Manchester United, there’s a real chance of finishing inside the top four and thus earn an automatic Champions League place for next season; but they must surely come away from this game with their old rivals Arsenal with at least a point.
The Gunners themselves have an outside chance of finishing inside the top four – that’s why this game is so intriguing – as they sit six points behind fourth-placed Manchester City with a game in hand, but realistically they must win here to have any chance of closing the gap.
There is another interesting narrative at play here: Arsene Wenger’s job is on the line at Arsenal, and while the decision to sign a new contract rests in his hands the results of his team in their next four matches will determine whether he puts pen to paper or not.
So read on to see how we think this match will play out, and how you can make the most of your betting courtesy of bet365.
Arsenal vs Manchester United
Premier League – Sunday 7th May 2017 – 5:00pm
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Draw Best Odd of: 5/2 at Ladbrokes |
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Arsenal
Manchester UnitedArsenal vs Manchester United: Team News
The key factor that could define this contest is the number of injuries currently being endured by Manchester United. Top goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic is definitely out for the rest of the season as is Marcos Rojo, while the likes of Paul Pogba and Eric Bailly will need to pass fitness tests in order to be included in Jose Mourinho’s starting eleven. Reports suggest that long term absentees Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are no closer to returning.
So the advantage lies with Arsenal, and while they will be without Santi Cazorla and Shkodran Mustafi for this game they are certainly in the driving seat as far as available players is concerned.
Arsenal vs Manchester United: Current Form
Arsenal’s mini revival of late came to the worst possible end last week in the North London derby against bitter rivals Tottenham, who continued their own fine form in a 2-0 win. That result will have been a bitter blow for Wenger’s men, and they will need to pick themselves up for this match.
Perhaps they can take confidence from their run before the Spurs game, when they won three games in a row against Manchester City, Middlesbrough and Leicester.
Manchester United’s form is well documented: they haven’t lost in the Premier League since October 23. But you wonder with all their injury problems – and a Europa League semi-final to recover from – if this is the most vulnerable they have been for a while?
Arsenal vs Manchester United: Best Bets
Given the list of absentees, we are happy to side with Arsenal here given that they are generally very good in front of their own fans. At odds of 1.95, they are worth investing in.
But one thing we do know about Manchester United, courtesy of Jose Mourinho’s conservative style, is that the Gunners may find their opponents tough to break down. So Under 2.5 Goals is another good bet at 2.00.
These odds were supplied by bet365, and you will struggle to find better prices for this game. Sign up with bet365 today and land a 100% bonus on your first deposit!