Prediction: Arsenal vs Manchester United

With just one point separating the two sides in the Premier League standings and both teams eager to remain close to top 4 positions, chances are we will see a highly entertaining affair at the Emirates. Even if the two rivals will be missing some important players, neither manager will be able to use that as an excuse should they end up empty-handed.

Having ended the long trophy drought last season and in turn signed some high-quality players in the summer, Arsene Wenger and his charges probably believed they could mount a serious title challenge in the Premier League this term, but eleven games into the new campaign and that already looks mission impossible. Even if there were clearly some mitigating circumstances with regards to important players getting injured, the Frenchman has nobody else to blame but himself for failing to sign a replacement for Thomas Vermaelen and not being able to recruit a new defensive midfielder. Inconsistency has proved to be a major issue this season as the Gunners just could not put in several impressive performances in a row, and with games against Man Utd, Dortmund, WBA and Southampton arriving in quick succession, Arsenal will need to seriously raise their game if they are to return to the right track. While Alexis Sanchez has continued scoring goals for fun, Wenger can also be buoyed by Jack Wilshere’s performances for England, while Aaron Ramsey clearly goes through a very difficult patch at the moment. With Calum Chambers utterly disappointing at right-back against Swansea, Wenger is tipped to pair the summer signing with Per Mertesacker in the centre of defence and play young Hector Bellerin on the right.

With Louis van Gaal having led the Netherlands to third-place finish at the 2014 World Cup, the Dutch coach was seen as saviour at Old Trafford following a thoroughly disappointing season under David Moyes, but the reality is the experienced manager hasn’t done a lot better than former Everton boss so far. The Red Devils did sign some very good footballers in the summer, but they surprisingly opted against reinforcing the shaky back line and they have been down to bare bones following injuries to Jones, Evans, Rafael and Rojo. Oddly enough, while failing to impress in those smaller games, Manchester United showed a great deal of promise in high-profile matches against Chelsea and Manchester City, but it is perfectly clear that Louis van Gaal is still searching for his preferred starting eleven. There have been more bad news for the Red Devils as the likes of Di Maria, De Gea, Shaw and Blind all suffered injuries on international duty, but while the Netherlands international has been ruled out, the other three footballers have a chance of facing Arsenal. Chris Smalling is available after serving a suspension, while Michael Carrick and Radamel Falcao should be fit to play.

Conclusion

There are no doubts both Arsenal and Manchester United will be very motivated to record what would be a valuable win at the Emirates, but I have a feeling they will cancel each other out. This should be a very close game and draw does seem the most likely outcome.

Verdict: Draw (X)

Best Odds: 21/10

Bookmaker: William Hill