Manchester United host long-time rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford, with Ruben Amorim eager to put a poor 2024/25 EPL season behind them.
Best bets for Manchester United vs Arsenal
- Arsenal to Win at odds of 2.01 with BetWinner
- Under 2.5 Goals at odds of 1.98 with BetWinner
- 2nd Half (Half With Most Goals) at odds of 2.00 with BetWinner
The Gunners will emerge victorious at Old Trafford with a 2-0 win.
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Our analysis: Form of both teams
Manchester United and Arsenal will continue their long-term rivalry this weekend in their 25/26 Premier League opener at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
United ended last season in 15th place, having lost 18 of their 38 EPL games. It was difficult for new boss, Ruben Amorim, to implement his ideas. The Portuguese coach has worked hard to rebuild his squad for 25/26, with an entirely new attack expected to face Arsenal.
The likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko will aim to add more dynamic and powerful play to Amorim’s 3-4-3 system. Lisandro Martinez is sidelined due to injury, while Andre Onana is working to be fit for the opening day. Altay Bayindir will be ready to play if Onana fails a late fitness test.
Arsenal have had a rather less busy transfer window this summer. Their main goal was to sign an elite number nine. Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres finally signed with the club after months of discussion. The Swede is expected to play against his former Sporting boss, Ruben Amorim, on Sunday.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta also replaced the departed Thomas Partey with Real Sociedad’s dependable defensive midfielder, Martin Zubimendi. The Spaniard has been loyal to Sociedad for several seasons, but playing in this Arsenal side could elevate his performance this season.
Probable lineups for Manchester United vs Arsenal
Manchester United expected lineup: Onana; Shaw, de Ligt, Yoro, Dorgu, Diallo, Ugarte, Fernandes, Mbeumo, Cunha, Sesko
Arsenal expected lineup: Raya; Timber, Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel, Saliba, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Gyokeres
Gunners to get the job done
Manchester United have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six competitive meetings against Arsenal. This alone is a bad sign for Ruben Amorim’s men, who want to start the season strongly.
United have only won two of their last seven home Premier League games against the Gunners. Despite their new attackers, they will take some time to adjust to each other.
In contrast, Arsenal have the advantage of a very settled side. Nine of their likely starting XI this weekend will have been regulars last season. The fit and confident Gyokeres will lead the Gunners’ attack and will be supported by Saka, Odegaard, and Martinelli. Therefore, there’s sure to be too much firepower for United’s defenders to handle.
- Manchester United vs Arsenal Bet 1: Arsenal to Win at odds of 2.01 with BetWinner
Tense opening day encounter
Four of the last five competitive meetings between Manchester United and Arsenal have featured two or fewer goals. This shows how weak United’s attack has been in recent seasons.
It’s also a demonstration of the solidity of Arsenal’s backline. The Gunners ended the 2024/25 season with the best defensive record in the league, having conceded just 34 goals in 38 games.
With Gabriel and Saliba set to continue as Arsenal’s starting centre-backs, the Gunners should be similarly hard to score against in 2025/26. Given the results of their last five meetings and Arsenal’s defensive record, backing Under 2.5 goals is a smart play. The betting markets suggest there’s only a 51.28% chance of this happening, and that seems particularly low.
- Manchester United vs Arsenal Bet 2: Under 2.5 Goals at odds of 1.98 with BetWinner
Second-half goal action expected
Based on last season’s data, Arsenal scored in the first half in only 42% of their away games. However, they managed to score in the second half of 63% of their away fixtures.
At Old Trafford, Manchester United scored in the first half in less than a third of their games last season, which is 32%. However, they did manage to score in 47% of second halves at home. Since this weekend’s fixture is the season opener, it’s likely to be even cagier than usual in the opening 45 minutes.
Considering all these facts, it’s surprising to be able to back the second half to feature more goals than the first half at an odds-against price. The betting markets currently give this potential outcome a probability of only 48.78%. This is the value play of this trio of Manchester United vs Arsenal predictions.
- Manchester United vs Arsenal Bet 3: 2nd Half (Half With Most Goals) at odds of 2.00 with BetWinner