What a derby it once was… United go to the executioner, with Arsenal holding the sword

Once, in the era of Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, this was a title-deciding derby. Now Arsenal are marching steadily toward the crown, while United have been stuck in a transitional crisis for years — yet that fierce animosity remains, giving a special edge whenever the Gunners and the Red Devils collide.

This summer, the Premier League draw paired them in the very first round, in a match in which United played excellently and outplayed their opponents at the Theatre of Dreams, only for Arsenal to snatch a 1–0 win from a set piece through Riccardo Calafiori.

His availability for tonight’s game is still in doubt. Since then, Arsenal have kept winning and head into this clash from the top of the table with 50 points, while United sit fifth on 35. The importance of this match for both sides is clear: Arsenal want to pull seven points clear of Manchester City again, while United are aiming to stay in touch in the race for a Champions League spot.

While United, who have no competitions left to play this season other than the Premier League, were resting, the London side were in Champions League action midweek and eased past Inter 3–1 at the Giuseppe Meazza. It was a perfect warm-up for Mikel Arteta’s men ahead of the 208th meeting with United in all competitions. United have won 86 of those encounters, Arsenal 72, with 49 draws.

However, while Arsenal have been building toward a title for years now — finishing second in the league three seasons in a row — United continue to drift, searching for themselves amid changes in the club’s hierarchy and an ongoing attempt to redefine a lost identity. The fact is that Arsenal have become extremely difficult to beat in recent years, underlined by the statistic that United have not won a league game in London since December 2, 2017, when Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba were still in the team.

Tellingly, from that match there is not a single player left in either current squad — so much has changed. Arteta has spent years building a title-winning team, and this season he has been given significant depth; even a glance at Arsenal’s bench is intimidating, considering the options available to the Spanish coach.

Still, United’s victory over City is a timely warning for the hosts, who know their Old Trafford rivals have nothing to lose and, refreshed by a new tactical and structural approach under a revamped coaching staff led by Michael Carrick, could prove awkward opponents. It is also worth noting that Carrick, during his spell as interim manager four years ago, beat Arteta’s Arsenal 3–2 in one of the three matches he took charge of.

“Michael has come in and brought new ideas. When that happens, the intensity always rises. You could see it in the Manchester derby, especially in the way they played. We’re expecting a tough match and we’ll adapt to it, for sure. We’re playing at home and we know how important this game is for us,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

He faces a major dilemma in attack. Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are all available, giving him plenty of options and possible combinations.

“We’ve been waiting a long time for this, and with the number of matches ahead of us, all of them will get minutes and opportunities. It’s great that everyone is back, and it’s especially important that they’re all in good form,” Arteta added.

Arsenal’s trust in Gyokeres is dwindling, while interest in Spider is growing

The former United midfielder has made a quick impact. He has brought back a back four, made the team tactically fluid depending on whether they are in or out of possession, increased the tempo, and reintroduced Harry Maguire and young Kobbie Mainoo, with Bryan Mbeumo leading the attack. What United will look like at the Emirates remains to be seen.

“We have some ideas about what we need to do and how to be successful. Credit to Arsenal — they’re in a strong position, they’ve built an excellent group, and Arteta deserves a lot of praise for that. He’s done a fantastic job. We have ideas about how to play there, and we’ve been working on them these past few days,” Carrick said, without revealing details.

The return of Mbeumo and Amad Diallo from the Africa Cup of Nations has come at just the right time. Matheus Cunha is always a useful option, while Benjamin Sesko was left on the bench against City. Bruno Fernandes has been restored to his best position as a number ten, so there have been plenty of visible and positive changes since Ruben Amorim’s departure.

As for team news, Arteta said he will decide before kick-off whether Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori will feature, while United will be without centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, who is still recovering from a back injury that has kept him out for almost two months.

PREMIER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 23

Saturday

West Ham - Sunderland 3-1 (3-0)

/Summerville 14, Bowen 28 pen, Fernandes 43 - Brobbey 66/

Burnley - Tottenham 2-2 (1-1)

/Tuanzebe 45, Foster 76 - Van de Ven 38, Romero 90/

Fulham - Brighton 2-1 (0-1)

/Chukwueze 72, Wilson 90+2 - Ayari 28/

Man. City - Wolverhampton 2-0 (2-0)

/Marmoush 6, Semenyo 45+2/

Bournemouth - Liverpool 3-2 (2-1)

/Evanilson 26, Jimenez 33, Adli 90+5 - Van Dijk 45, Szoboszlai 80/

Sunday

17.00: (1.88) Brentford (3.50) Nott.Forest (4.30)

17.00: (3.60) Crystal Palace (3.80) Chelsea (2.05)

17.00: (2.05) Newcastle (3.75) Aston Villa (3.65)

19.30: (1.60) Arsenal (4.30) Man.Utd. (5.75)

Monday

23.00: (2.55) Everton (3.25) Leeds (3.10)

***odds are subject to change***