Mikel Arteta is about for a landmark match as Arsenal tackle Manchester United on Sunday.
Arteta will oversee his two hundredth Premier League sport, changing into the second-youngest supervisor within the competitors’s historical past to take action.
For the reason that Spaniard took cost of the Gunners in 2019, he has solely gained one main trophy, however has taken them near the Premier League title twice, and led to a interval of stability that United would have relished.
Within the days of Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, United vs Arsenal was the nice Premier League rivalry.
However lately, there was an enormous gulf between the groups that used to so usually go toe-to-toe for trophies.
And although Arsenal are 13 factors behind leaders, Liverpool, after their slip-ups in February, they’re nonetheless approach away from a United staff that might be lucky to complete within the high half this season, with the Pink Devils seemingly destined for his or her lowest-ever Premier League end.
Arsenal returned to kind in sensational type within the week, hammering PSV 7-1 within the Champions League.
United, in the meantime, adopted up their FA Cup exit by the hands of Fulham with a 1-1 draw with Actual Sociedad of their Europa League final 16 first-leg tie on Thursday.
Right here, we name on Opta’s treasure trove of information to preview Sunday’s conflict at Outdated Trafford.
What’s anticipated?
United have misplaced their final 4 Premier League video games in opposition to Arsenal, their longest shedding run in opposition to the Gunners of their league historical past.
Arsenal gained the corresponding fixture 1-0 final season – they haven’t gained consecutive away league video games in opposition to Manchester United since February 1979.
Leandro Trossard scored Arsenal’s winner in that match final time period – the one Gunners gamers to attain a Premier League purpose at Outdated Trafford in consecutive campaigns are Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2019-20, 2020-21) and Emmanuel Adebayor (2006-07, 2007-08).
Arsenal have scored in every of their final 10 Premier League away video games in opposition to United (13 objectives), having solely managed to attain in 10 of their first 22 visits to Outdated Trafford within the competitors (11 objectives).
But when United do win, then they’ll declare their a hundredth victory in opposition to Arsenal in all competitions. The Gunners haven’t misplaced to another staff on as many events as they’ve United (99), whereas the Pink Devils have solely crushed Aston Villa extra (106).
Arsenal’s possibilities of by some means turning the title race on its head are ranked at simply 1.4% by Opta’s supercomputer, however the mannequin does fancy the Gunners to get again to successful methods within the league.
They’re given a 51% win chance, whereas United got here out on high in solely 23% of the supercomputer’s simulations.
The prospect of a draw is 26%.
Mikel’s milestone
Arteta will turn out to be the 14th supervisor to supervise 200 Premier League video games in command of one membership, and the thirty ninth supervisor to succeed in the milestone in complete.
At 42 years and 348 days, he would be the second-youngest supervisor to hit the landmark after Roberto Martinez (41 years, 111 days).
Arteta would be the fourth Spanish supervisor to succeed in 200 Premier League video games (after Martinez 265, Pep Guardiola 331 and Rafael Benitez 359).
Arteta has gained 118 of his first 199, already the fifth-most victories of any supervisor of their first 200 within the competitors (Guardiola 146, Jose Mourinho 137, Jurgen Klopp 127 and Alex Ferguson 122).
Certain, Arsenal have but to finish their lengthy await a league title, however they got here agonisingly shut in 2023-24, and led the best way for a lot of 2022-23, solely to be outdone by Guardiola’s Manchester Metropolis juggernaut.
Arteta has the most effective win proportion (59%) of any Arsenal supervisor within the Premier League. He additionally has the joint-best factors per sport (1.96), together with Arsene Wenger. His staff have averaged 1.89 objectives per sport within the league. Wenger’s Arsenal averaged 1.88 objectives per sport.
And he has a high-quality file in opposition to United. He has gained seven of his 10 Premier League video games in opposition to the Pink Devils (D1 L2), along with his first-ever victory for the Gunners coming in opposition to them (2-0 in January 2020).
Of all managers to face United not less than 5 instances within the competitors, Arteta has the very best win charge (70%).
Arsenal have had an premature wobble within the league, although. A defeat to West Ham adopted by a draw with Nottingham Forest has left them properly off the tempo within the title race, because the Gunners’ damage disaster hit residence.
Actually, Arsenal have failed to attain of their final two Premier League video games, amassing simply three photographs on track throughout these video games. The Gunners final failed to attain in three consecutive league video games in August 2021, whereas they final did so whereas within the high two of the desk for every match in November 2000.
UNITED HEADER
United, then again, may need returned to successful methods within the Premier League by overcoming Ipswich City 3-2, however they then went all the way down to Fulham on penalties within the FA Cup.
For the reason that weekend of Amorim’s first sport in command of United after the November worldwide break, solely Leicester Metropolis (13) have conceded the opening purpose in additional totally different Premier League video games than the Pink Devils (12).
The Pink Devils have struggled at instances in Amorim’s most well-liked 3-4-3 formation as their issues proceed to mount. In that point, they’ve confronted 25.65 xGA (anticipated objectives in opposition to) and conceded 27 objectives, with solely six groups letting in additional.
On the different finish, the staff have struggled to attain although, registering simply 19.37 xG throughout Amorim’s tenure, netting 21 objectives. And Rasmus Hojlund’s await a purpose goes on, as he has now failed to attain in his final 19 video games in all competitions.
Their lack of first-half objectives has contributed to that downside. After scoring within the first half in every of Amorim’s first three video games in cost, United have now solely completed so in three of the 21 video games since.
United are but to win consecutive league video games this season, with this their longest await back-to-back league victories since 1968-69 (video games 32 and 33).
A penalty shoot-out win over Arsenal within the FA Cup in January had given United a much-needed enhance, and in the event that they wish to keep away from a bottom-half end, they’ll want one other win on Sunday.
They at the moment have only a 5.1% likelihood of ending within the high half of the Premier League desk based on the Opta supercomputer, with seventh (0.2%) the very best they will end. If they can’t flip issues round although, as issues stand, they’re predicted to complete in fifteenth (22.2%).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes
Since his Premier League debut on 1 February 2020, solely Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne have extra Premier League assists than Bruno Fernandes (48).
Actually, since his first sport for the membership, solely Salah (120) has gained extra factors for his staff within the Premier League with objectives or assists. Fernandes has 108 Premier League purpose involvements in 185 video games, which have earned United 76 factors.
Fernandes has been integral to the facet in current weeks, and proved his value once more final weekend within the FA Cup, regardless of their exit. Together with scoring their solely purpose, the Portuguese led all United gamers within the sport for photographs on track (three), possibilities created (4), passes accomplished (48) and possession recoveries (10).
Arsenal – Ethan Nwaneri
With Arsenal’s damage troubles up entrance in current weeks, Nwaneri has stepped into the position, offering an outlet for the Gunners.
No participant has scored extra objectives for Arsenal in 2025 than Nwaneri (4 – stage with Mikel Merino), whereas his strike in opposition to PSV within the Champions League on Tuesday noticed him turn out to be the third-youngest participant to attain a knockout stage purpose within the competitors (17 years and 348 days).
Of their final Premier League sport in opposition to Forest, he accomplished 5 or extra dribbles for the second time in his final three appearances within the competitors (5 in opposition to Forest and 7 v Leicester), and he may show troublesome for United’s struggling backline.
