Arsenal Vs Manchester United : Tactics, Squad News and Predictions

Premier League leaders Arsenal are strong favourites to claim their first league title since 2004, but they face an unexpected and unpredictable challenge from Manchester United on Sunday, January 25, at the Emirates Stadium.

They have 50 points while Manchester United has 35 points.

Even before Ruben Amorim’s dismissal, the Red Devils had begun to show signs of revival, climbing from a disappointing 15th-place finish last season to mounting a genuine challenge for a Champions League spot in this season.

Arsenal currently sit four points clear of second-placed Manchester City after their victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, with a game in hand still to play.

They were also handed a significant boost last weekend by Manchester United, who defeated their cross-city rivals.

That result, achieved under the interim guidance of Michael Carrick, has lit a fire to Sunday’s encounter, rekindling memories of an era when clashes between the Gunners and the Red Devils defined English football around the turn of the century.

Managers Takes

Arteta: “Michael coming in will bring new ideas. Always, the intensity rises. You could see that in the Manchester derby, the kind of behaviours and the game that they played, so we will expect a really tough match and we’ll adapt to that for sure.

At the end, the individuals are the ones that make the difference or the ones that make the game in a certain way and we’re going to try to be ourselves, be very dominant like we always want to be, impose the game that we want to play and regardless of what they want to do, we want to take the game in the areas that are very good for us.”

Carrick: “I’m looking forward to the game. They’ve got so many strong points to (Arsenal’s) game, and to their squad.

It’s a big challenge; they are where they are for a reason and where they are in the Champions League for a reason, so we’re fully aware of that and not taking that lightly at all.

We feel we’re in a good place, and we’re looking forward to the game, so it’s where we want to be, with that real positive energy and enthusiasm, to go there and be positive, but for sure we know it’s not going to come easy.”

Tactics

Arsenal

Arsenal’s tactics under Mikel Arteta focus on controlled possession, intricate build-up from deep using inverted fullbacks/center-backs, fluid player rotations (like a 3-2-5 or 2-3-5 in attack), and high pressing with a strong “rest-defense” for quick transitions, often utilizing new signings like Zubimendi to provide more central creativity and verticality, making them hard to break down while still being direct when needed.

They shift between formations like 4-3-3 and 3-4-3, emphasizing control, dynamism, and exploiting space with quick passes and intelligent movement.

Manchester United

As of January 2026, Manchester United, under Michael Carrick’s interim guidance, has adopted a possession-oriented, 3-2-5 attacking structure, emphasizing building from the back, high pressing, and swift, direct attacking transitions to create space.

The tactical approach leverages technical players like Mainoo and Fernandes to facilitate rapid play, often using wide overloads and third-man runners to breach defenses.

Squad News

Arsenal

Having been without Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie so far in 2026, Mikel Arteta will assess them in the final few days leading up to the game to see if they can feature in his matchday squad.

Max Dowman remains out with his hamstring injury, while fellow academy product Ethan Nwaneri has joined Marseille on loan for the rest of the season.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Man Utd (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyökeres, Trossard.

Manchester United

Carrick has a pretty full squad to select from, but Joshua Zirkzee is struggling with a knock which saw him sit out last weekend’s derby day win over Manchester City.

Matthijs de Ligt is the only other injury concern, as the Dutch defender has been out since the end of November with a back injury, which is set to sideline him for a couple more weeks at least.

Man Utd predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo.

Arsenal vs. Man Utd Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)

Arsenal: 3 wins
Man Utd: 1 win
Draws: 1

Last meeting: Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal (Aug. 17, 2025)-Premier League

Current Form (All Competitions)

Arsenal

Inter 1-3 Arsenal – 20/1/26

Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal – 17/1/26

Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal – 14/1/26

Portsmouth 1-4 Arsenal – 11/1/26

Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool – 8/1/26

Manchester United

Man Utd 2–0 Man City – 17/1/26

Man Utd 1–2 Brighton – 11/1/26

Burnley 2-2 Man Utd – 7/1/26

Leeds 1-1 Man Utd – 4/1/26

Man Utd 1-1 Wolves – 30/12/26

Predictions

At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal holds the advantage in clashes against Manchester United, with 64 wins in 115 games. Manchester United has won 30 of these encounters.

In all English league matches between the two teams, 193 games have been played, with Arsenal winning 69, Manchester United 77, and 47 ending in draws

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