Embattled Manchester United host a confident Arsenal side in a crunch English Premier League match Wednesday night at Old Trafford.
Preview
United' season seems to have stagnated after losing one and drawing two in the last five matches increasing pressure on Jose Mourinho, while the Gunners continue to extend their unbeaten run to 19 matches, including 15 wins, in all competitions.
Unlike Mourinho, Unai Emery has impressed in his limited outing, proving his mettle as not only a creative manager but also a fearless boss at the Emirates.
In contrast to United's dwindling fortunes, the Gunners seem to grow in confidence with each passing game. In their respective last outings, United were held to a 2-2 draw at Southampton, while Arsenal beat Tottenham 4-2 in a North London derby at home.
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Looking back, United have not lost to Arsenal at Old Trafford since September 2006 to keep the record at eight wins and three draws. But this season, United has a rather poor home record, winning only three so far from six matches. They have lost twice and drawn once. Meanwhile, Arsenal have lost only once on the road so far, winning four times in six away league matches.
Besides, Arsenal have also established a reputation of grinding out wins in the second half, a trait United used to have until the recent past. In fact, out of 32 goals they have scored this season, 24 have come in the second-half.
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In this particular fixture last season, the home side had won 2-1 when Arsene Wenger was still in charge. The win made it a league double over the Gunners. At the Emirates, Mourinho orchestrated a 3-1 win to inflict more misery to the outgoing manager.
All You Need To Know About The Match:
Match: Manchester United vs Arsenal, Premier League match
Date: December 6 (Thursday)
Time: 1:30 AM IST
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
TV Guide: Star Sports Network
Live Streaming: Hotstar
Key fact:
Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the leading scorer in the league with 10 goals. Anthony Martial is United's top scorer with six goals.
League standings:
Manchester United: 8th (22 points - 6w, 4d, 4l with -1 goal difference)
Arsenal: 4th (30 points - 9w, 3d,2l with +14 goal difference)
Likely XIs:
Manchester United: De Gea; Dalot, Smalling, Jones, Shaw; Matic, Herrera, Pogba; Lingard, Lukaku, Martial
Arsenal: Leno; Sokratis, Mustafi, Holding; Bellerin, Torreira, Guendouzi, Kolasinac; Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang, Lacazette
Referee: Andre Marriner
