United will welcome Arsenal to OT for the PL tie tonight at 1:30 (IST), The Reds will look to close the eight point gap between them while Arsenal sit at the fourth position with 9 wins and 30 points in total.
Jose will have a bit of an injury crises to deal with as Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly are all doubtful after missing the game against Southampton, while Victor Lindelof has been ruled out of the upcoming clash with a groin problem. Nemanja Matic, Marcos Rojo and Matteo Darmian are the options available to fill the gap. Ashley Young serves a one-game suspension, Phil Jones is reportedly nursing an injury and both Luke Shaw and Romelu Lukaku were forced off with knocks on Saturday.
The Gunners are unbeaten in all competitions since August but Jose Mourinho is unbeaten in five previous meetings with Unai Emery all of which came during his time at Real Madrid.
Manchester United came back from two goals down to 2-2 draw against Southampton while Arsenal are returning from defeating their arch rivals Tottenham Hotspurs 4-2 on Sunday.
United will have to start well and play a strong game rather then depending on the last minute comeback to avoid letting Arsenal have all three points but the Gunners will try their chances of a first league win at Old Trafford for over 12 years.
Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka is suspended after getting five yellow cards and Mesut Ozil is unlikely due to because of back spasms.
Jose Mourinho: “We will have a very difficult match. They are a good team who have had a good run of results. But in spite of our selection issues, they know it won’t be easy either.
“We don’t need a miracle [to finish in the top four] at all. I think we need a good run of results and we don’t need to waste points where we shouldn’t be wasting them.”
Unai Emery: “It will be a very big challenge for us and it will confirm our good moment, or whether we need more.
“It is very difficult to win there because they are a very big team with big players and have a big atmosphere pushing them, but it is an exciting match and my motivation is very big.”
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- This will be the first meeting in which neither of the long-serving managers is involved since 23 August 1986, when the Gunners won 1-0 in a league game at High bury.
- Manchester United are unbeaten in 11 home league matches against Arsenal since September 2006.
- However, the Gunners did win at Old Trafford in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in March 2015.
Manchester United
- United have conceded 23 goals in their opening 14 Premier League games – only the bottom five (prior to the latest round of matches) have a worse record.
- Last season it took the Red Devils until 10 March – and 30 matches – until they conceded 23 league goals.
- They have conceded six goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches this season, a joint-league high with Fulham.
- Jose Mourinho’s side are win less in three league games for the first time in 12 months.
- Their only home league defeat this term was the 3-0 loss to Spurs on 27 August.
Arsenal
- A win would give the Gunners 16 away points – as many as they claimed in total on the road last season.
- They have already equalled last term’s total of four away victories in the top flight.
- Sunday’s triumph against Spurs was only Arsenal’s fourth win in their last 29 league games against other sides from the established top six.
- The Gunners are unbeaten in their last 12 league games, and 19 matches in all competitions.
- They are one of four teams to have kept just two Premier League clean sheets this season (along with Manchester United) – only Fulham, with none, have a worse record.
- They have scored 24 second-half goals in the Premier League this season, more than any other side.
- Arsenal has lost their last three-midweek league games, conceding three goals in each defeat.
- Pierre-Aubameyang has scored with his last 10 shots on target in the Premier League – no goalkeeper has saved against him since West Ham’s Lukasz Fabianski in August.
Facts Credit: BBC