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Arsenal vs Manchester United Preview: Odds, Tips and Predictions

SportsBoom looks ahead to the Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, 4 December 2024. As anticipation builds ahead of kickoff, Premier League betting enthusiasts are eagerly analysing the odds and evaluating both teams for the best value. Don’t miss our in-depth coverage for all the key insights.

Leonard Solms
Leonard Solms

Last Updated: 2024-11-29

Chad Nagel

5 minutes read

Manchester United v Arsenal FC - Premier League

Manchester United v Arsenal FC - Premier League//Getty Images

Manchester United travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on Wednesday, 4 December. Both teams are in limbo at the moment, with Arsenal struggling to recapture their form over the past two seasons while Manchester United look to find rhythm under new boss Ruben Amorim.

Arsenal did the double against United last season and will be looking to get another win under their belt against the Red Devils to regain confidence.

Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability: Arsenal Heavy Favourites

  1. Arsenal 13/25 (1.52) - 65.8%

  2. Draw 7/2 (4.50) - 22.2%

  3. Manchester United 5/1 - 16.7%

  4. *Odds courtesy of Betway, subject to change

Head-to-Head Record

Last five meetings (Premier League)

  1. 12/05/24: Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal

  2. 03/09/23: Arsenal 3-1 Manchester United

  3. 22/01/23: Arsenal 3-2 Manchester United

  4. 04/09/22: Manchester United 3-1 Arsenal

  5. 23/04/22: Arsenal 3-1 Manchester United

Arsenal: Current Form - LDLDW

Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday (23 November) was their first Premier League win since 5 October, when they beat Southampton 3-1.

The Gunners were up there with Manchester City as early season favourites. However, they have failed to capitalise on City’s poor form. At the time of writing, they are fourth in the Premier League.

Key Players to Watch

Bukayo Saka – Saka is reaping the rewards of giving himself time to recover over the international break. The winger controversially pulled out of the England squad, citing injury. He hit the ground running upon his return with a goal against Nottingham Forest.

Ethan Nwaneri – Having netted his first Premier League goal against Forest, 17-year-old attacking midfielder Nwaneri has the opportunity to step up and play a key role in rescuing the Gunners’ title ambitions.

Martin Odegaard – The key creative lynchpin in the Arsenal team, Odegaard is precisely the sort of leader the Gunners need to lean on against a fired up Red Devils.

Martin Odegaard controls the ball against Marcus Rashford

Martin Odegaard and Marcus Rashford//Getty Images

Arsenal Team News

Riccardo Calafiori returned to action for Arsenal during the win over Nottingham Forest. Arsenal have been short of defenders, so this was a welcome development. Ben White, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu all missed the win over Forest.

Manchester United: Current Form - WLDWD

Manchester United had their first game under Ruben Amorim against Ipswich Town on Sunday, 24 November. Marcus Rashford opened the scoring in the second minute, but Omari Hutchinson equalised in the 43rd to share the points. It was another setback in a stop-start season for United after a 3-0 win over Leicester City in their previous Premier League game.

Key Players to Watch

Marcus Rashford – Rashford hit the back of the net against Ipswich. Although he has yet to fully deliver on the lofty expectations set of him early in his career, he still has time to be a key player for United in the Amorim era at 27 years old. DID YOU KNOW? Rashford scored twice against Arsenal in his Premier League debut in 2016 – a match United won 3-2.

Bruno Fernandes – Fernandes’ role as captain will be vital under Amorim. He was signed by United from Sporting CP, which was the last club Amorim coached with much success. He will help lead the transition from Erik ten Hag’s 4-3-3 formation to the 3-4-3 which Amorim seemingly intends to switch to.

Amad Diallo – Diallo got the assist for Rashford’s goal against Ipswich. The new era under Amorim offers him an opportunity to start afresh and make his mark for the Red Devils and the fixture against a fierce rival will be a perfect opportunity.

Manchester United Team News

Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo and Tyrell Malacia returned to the squad on Sunday. However, Lisandro Martinez’s return date from a back injury is unclear. Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are other defensive players whose return dates are unclear.

Predicted Line-Ups

Arsenal: 4-3-3

Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Jorginho, Merino; Saka, Havertz, Trossard

Manchester United: 3-4-3

Onana; Mazraoui, de Ligt, Martinez; Diallo, Ugarte, Eriksen, Dalot; Fernandes, Garnacho, Rashford

Suggested Bets

If you love betting on the Premier League, follow our betting tips to find which bets you can place at some of the top football sportsbooks.

Both Teams to Score: There have been goals at both ends in four of the last five fixtures between these two sides in the Premier League. (79/100 with) (79/100 with SupaBets) (17/20 with 1Win)

  1. Draw: United have drawn two of their last three Premier League games and Arsenal two of their last four. (Betway 7/2) (SupaBets 353/100) (1Win 31/10)

  2. Manchester United +1.5 Handicap: Given the relatively even form between Arsenal and United, there is value in backing the Red Devils to finish within a goal of the Gunners at the very least. (Betway 3/5) (SupaBets 29/50) (1Win 29/50)

Value Bets

  1. Marcus Rashford – Anytime Goalscorer: Rashford was back on the scoresheet against Ipswich and has scored four goals in his last three Premier League appearances against Arsenal. 

  2. 1st Goal – Manchester United: United have scored the opening goal in five fixtures in a row after their draw with Ipswich. (Betway 2/1) (SupaBets 52/25) (1Win 56/25) 

  3. Correct score: 1-1 Both teams recently drew 1-1 to Chelsea and they are relatively even in terms of quality, making this a strong value bet. (Betway 39/5) (SupaBets 248/50) (1Win 17/2)

Prediction: Draw and Both Teams To Score

Arsenal have had the better of this fixture in recent years, but they do not look like the Gunners of old currently. Manchester United had a poor start to the season but are gradually finding their feet. Ruben Amorim’s methods might take some time to adjust to, but United are capable of matching Arsenal at the Emirates even though Mikel Arteta’s men have the favourites tag. With both sides containing several defenders who have had injury issues this season, there will likely be goals at both ends.

Leonard Solms
Leonard SolmsSports Writer

Leonard Solms is a freelance journalist who has been covering local and international sport from South Africa since 2015. Best known for his work for ESPN, he has also written for Al Jazeera, The Continent, New Frame, Planet Rugby and GiveMeSport among several other publications.