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Who: Manchester United vs Arsenal
What: English Premier League
When: Sunday at 4:30pm (16:30 GMT)
The place: Previous Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom
Observe Al Jazeera Sport‘s dwell textual content and photograph commentary stream.
Arsenal will search to keep up their problem for the Premier League at Manchester United in certainly one of English soccer’s fiercest match-ups.
The groups have been locked collectively as title rivals within the Nineties and early 2000s earlier than the Gunners’ competitiveness light. United underwent the same slide after the departure of Alex Ferguson in 2013 – the final time the Purple Devils received the league.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, nevertheless, have completed second within the league for the previous two seasons and need to go one higher this yr. Al Jazeera takes a more in-depth take a look at Sunday’s sport at Previous Trafford:
Amorim expects extra stress than Arteta endured
Manchester United supervisor Ruben Amorim doesn’t imagine he’ll get as a lot time to show issues round at Previous Trafford as his reverse quantity on Sunday, Arteta, was given to revive Arsenal’s fortunes.
The 40-year-old Portuguese has struggled since succeeding Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford in November with the Purple Devils languishing at 14th within the desk and out of each home cup competitions.
The Europa League is the one remaining path to silverware and, realistically, continental qualification for a threadbare facet as they put together to tackle an Arsenal group second within the Premier League and buoyed by a 7-1 Champions League last-16 win at PSV Eindhoven.
Arteta has made the Gunners a pressure once more with some eye-catching choices as he reshaped the squad after being appointed in late 2019, together with eliminating senior gamers.
Requested if he noticed similarities between Arteta’s place and his job at United, Amorim mentioned: “I don’t really feel that. I can’t have the time that Arteta had. I really feel that. It’s a unique membership.
“So we simply have to survive with the gamers on Sunday and through these video games.
“It’s a unique membership. In that facet, the way in which Arteta handled that’s an inspiration for everyone. I can’t have the time like Arteta had.”
What’s Man Utd’s current type?
United secured a 1-1 draw away to Actual Sociedad within the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie.
They have been with out 11 first-team gamers in Spain, the place the shortage of choices of their 18-man travelling squad and up to date exertions took their toll.
“We have to survive Sunday,” mentioned Amorim, who has made a transparent choice that United will probably be rebuilt in his playing style. “The group was so drained within the final 20 minutes. We have now to arrange Sunday after which take into consideration this essential sport for our season on Thursday” within the return leg towards Actual Sociedad.
What’s Sunday’s deliberate protest at Previous Trafford about?
A protest towards United’s American house owners, the Glazers, is deliberate across the sport by the 1958 fan group.
The American household took over United in 2003, and regardless of Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS acquiring footballing control of the club in December 2023, it stays solely a big minority shareholder whereas the Glazers stay the bulk shareholders.
“I feel for everyone in our membership, it’s a extremely robust second,” Amorim mentioned when requested concerning the deliberate protest. “It’s every thing on the similar time. The one factor I can do and our gamers can do is carry out effectively and win.
“Individuals have the fitting to protest. I feel it’s an excellent factor to do this. It’s a part of our membership. All people has a voice.
“However our job and my job is simply to enhance the group and provides them one thing on this second as a result of they deserve it and they’re superb.”
Arteta’s Arsenal is not going to take United calmly
Arteta has praised United’s character and legacy earlier than Sunday’s conflict whereas highlighting the enhance his facet obtained from their midweek win at PSV Eindhoven as the important thing to sustaining momentum.
Arteta’s facet begin the most recent spherical of matches 13 factors adrift of Liverpool with a sport in hand within the Premier League standings and 6 factors forward of Nottingham Forest in third.
Regardless of their 21-point lead over 14th-placed United, the Spaniard is just not taking Amorim’s facet as a right.
“The historical past of United speaks for itself,” Arteta mentioned at a information convention on Friday. “The gamers they’ve, the membership they’re – there’s a legacy of overcoming tough conditions, they usually’re at all times a harmful opponent, particularly once you least anticipate it.
“Watching their current video games, you may see the character of their squad. They’re greater than able to placing in a robust efficiency and beating you on the day.”
What’s Arsenal’s current type?
The Gunners have misplaced solely two of their 11 matches since they have been eradicated from the FA Cup on penalties at Manchester United on January 12.
These two defeats have are available Arsenal’s final 5 fixtures, of which they’ve received solely two. Arteta, nevertheless, says Arsenal will attempt to keep on the optimistic momentum from their beautiful demolition of PSV.
“What occurred was we have been tremendous efficient within the field, and that’s an enormous energy, particularly within the Champions League, and that’s why we received the sport with that margin,” he mentioned.
“The style of the way in which we did it lifted everyone, however that’s prior to now sadly. It’s about what we do at this time, the preparation for tomorrow and attempting to copy an excellent efficiency once more on Sunday.
“However [against PSV], issues have been coming on the proper second, on the proper time, in the fitting approach, and that’s very useful, however each sport is totally different.”
Head-to-head
That is the 243rd assembly between the 2 golf equipment. Manchester United have received 99 of these encounters whereas Arsenal have received 89.
The Gunners have received their final 4 Premier League conferences – together with a 2-0 win in December within the reverse fixture this season.
United did emerge victorious within the final battle between the edges, although, with that FA Cup win.
Manchester United group information
Amorim mentioned he doesn’t anticipate any of his injured gamers to be slot in time to face Arsenal after Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte this week joined the prolonged casualty record at Previous Trafford.
Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Lisandro Martinez, Mason Mount and Luke Shaw stay out as do Jonny Evans, Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton whereas Patrick Dorgu is suspended for the go to of the Gunners.
Arsenal group information
Myles Lewis-Skelly returns from suspension for the Gunners.
Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all nonetheless absent by harm.
