The FA Cup Round of 16 match between Arsenal and Manchester United will take place on January 12 at the Emirates Stadium in London. Arsenal vs. Manchester United: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Predicted lineups for Arsenal vs. Manchester United
Arsenal (4-3-3): David Raya – William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Jurrien Timber, Myles Lewis-Skelly – Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz – Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli.
Manchester United (3-4-2-1): Andre Onana – Lisandro Martinez, Leni Yoro, Harry Maguire – Diogo Dalot, Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte, Noussair Mazraoui – Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo – Rasmus Højlund.
Arsenal
Arsenal is the most decorated club in the FA Cup with 14 trophies. The team last won this tournament in the 2019/20 season, defeating local rivals Chelsea 2-1 in the final. Since then, the Gunners have lost interest in this cup and have not progressed past the Round of 16. Last season, Mikel Arteta's side was knocked out in their first stage, losing 0-2 at home to Liverpool.
- The club has only secured one victory in regular time in their last six matches in this tournament (1 draw and 4 losses).
- At least one team has failed to score in Arsenal's last six FA Cup matches.
- No more than three goals have been scored in regular time in Arsenal's last 12 FA Cup games.
Manchester United
The Red Devils have the second-highest number of FA Cup trophies, with 13 wins. Their latest victory came last year when they defeated local rivals Manchester City 2-1 in the final. Interestingly, the previous season's final also featured a Manchester derby, but City emerged victorious. Notably, this defeat to Pep Guardiola's side was the only loss in regular time for Manchester United in their last 14 FA Cup matches (9 wins and 4 draws).
- At least three goals have been scored in regular time in 9 of Manchester United's last 12 FA Cup matches.
- Both teams have scored in 10 of Manchester United's last 13 FA Cup matches.
- The club has suffered only one defeat in the first half in their last 18 FA Cup matches (7 wins and 10 draws).
Arsenal vs. Manchester United: Match Prediction
Arsenal is competing for four trophies by mid-January. The team is among the top four in the Premier League, aiming to catch up with Liverpool. A similar situation exists in the Champions League, where the Gunners need to finish in the top eight in the overall stage (currently third). In addition, Mikel Arteta's side has reached the semi-finals of the English League Cup, where they are vying with Newcastle for a place in the final. I believe that the FA Cup is not a priority for Arsenal, and they will not play at full strength in the upcoming match. The team has taken a similar approach in the last four seasons of this cup.
For Manchester United, however, the FA Cup is important. The club has reached the final of this tournament twice in the past two seasons, somewhat compensating for their league shortcomings in recent years. Additionally, the Red Devils have performed well away in the FA Cup – over the past 20 years, they have only lost by more than one goal in regular time once. Therefore, it's likely that the hosts will field a second-string team, while the first team prepares for the derby against Tottenham in three days in the Premier League. Ruben Amorim, on the other hand, will focus on progressing as far as possible in this tournament.
My prediction – Manchester United with a handicap (+1)
