Arsenal host Manchester United as they begin their hunt for a record 15th FA Cup trophy. Kicking off at 15:00 GMT on Sunday, the Gunners will still be smarting from their EFL Cup defeat to Newcastle United, and will be eager to replicate their 2-0 victory over the Red Devils last December. Here is our Arsenal predicted lineup vs Manchester United.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs Manchester United in FA Cup 3rd Round
How Arsenal Have Lined-up Recently
David Raya is still Arsenal’s No.1 despite Arteta hinting at giving Neto some playing time in his latest press conference, saying the Brazilian is “doing so well”. Meanwhile, Jurrien Timber returned from suspension against Newcastle, once again Arsenal’s right-back of choice. William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes continue their partnership at centre-half, with Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly sharing the left-back berth in recent matches.
Martin Odegaard took the captain’s armband in midfield, supported by Declan Rice and Thomas Partey. Merino was given a rest after a recent spell in the first team. Jorginho likewise started on the bench and came on in the 59th minute as Arteta’s side searched for a response.
Up top, Kai Havertz made his first start after his recent illness and came close on a number of occasions against Newcastle. Leandro Trossard made a second successive start, while Gabriel Martinelli made his 27th appearance of the season, striking the post in the 29th minute.
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Arsenal Recent Form and Tactics
The 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United has dealt a blow in what was an unbeaten run of six matches for the North London outfit. That said, the Gunners had struggled with three draws in their last seven matches.
Arteta did not see a lot wrong with his team’s effort or set-up despite the disappointing defeat. He said: “The reality is that they were super efficient with the chances that they had and we weren’t”.
But what was unusual about the manager’s explanation behind the missed chances was not psychological or to do with players making the wrong decisions. Instead, it was to do with the football itself.
He said: “I think we kicked a lot of the balls over the bar and it’s tricky because this ball flies a lot”.
And it is potentially further bad news for Arsenal since their next match will feature a special FA Cup Ultimax Pro Winners ball – assigned to this match especially for the current holders of the FA Cup, Manchester United.
This quirk set aside, the Gunners will no doubt continue in their offensively minded 4-3-3 set-up to take the front foot against Ruben Amorim’s side.
Arsenal Injuries and Absentees to Consider
Two rays of hope in Arsenal’s dismal defeat last time out were Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling’s returns to the Arsenal matchday. Havertz played the full 90 minutes after recovering from illness, while Sterling watched on from the bench.
This brings down what was becoming an extensive injury list, with key first team stars Ethan Nwaneri, Bukayo Saka, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu all still recovering from their respective injuries.
Arteta revealed no further illnesses or injuries in his latest press conference.
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Arsenal Predicted Lineup Vs Manchester United
GK: David Raya
DEF: Jurrien Timber
DEF: William Saliba
DEF: Gabriel Magalhaes
DEF: Riccardo Calafiori
MID: Martin Odegaard
MID: Declan Rice
MID: Mikel Merino
FW: Gabriel Jesus
FW: Gabriel Martinelli
FW: Raheem Sterling
