Arsenal v Manchester United: Premier League – live

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Niall McVeigh

Set pieces are dominating the Premier League this season, with almost 30% of goals coming from corners, free-kicks, penalties or long throws. The leaders, Arsenal, are kings of the dead ball, scoring 17 of their 40 league goals from set pieces (including penalties). But what makes Mikel Arteta’s side so effective in these areas, and what can opponents do to stop them? The data provides some answers.

Team news

Gabriel Jesus, who scored twice against Internazionale in the week, starts ahead of Viktor Gyokeres. That’s one of four changes from last week’s goalless draw at the City Ground. Piero Hincapie, Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka replace Ben White, Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke.

No great surprise that Michael Carrick sticks with the Manchester United team that beat Manchester City so impressively.

Arsenal (4-3-3) Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Jesus, Trossard.

Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, White, Eze, Marinelli, Gyokeres, Madueke, Merino, Lewis-Skelly.

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

Subs: Bayindir, Heaven, Malacia, Mazraoui, Yoro, Ugarte, Mount, Sesko, Cunha.

Referee Craig Pawson.

Michael Carrick has revealed that Ole Gunnar Solskjær has been fully supportive of his appointment as Manchester United’s interim head coach because the Norwegian, who was also interviewed for the role, is a close friend.

The pair were at United together during the 2006-07 season and Carrick was a member of Solskjær’s coaching staff when the Norwegian was first the club’s caretaker manager then a permanent appointment from December 2018 to November 2021.

When Solskjær was sacked Carrick managed United for three games but he departed after Ralf Rangnick took over, stating that loyalty to Solskjær was a factor. Carrick was asked whether he had spoken to his former teammate since beginning his second interim tenure.

“Yes, I spoke to him,” he said. “I’m close, we’ve been through a lot together, so he’s been fully supportive as you’d expect. He’s some man and I respect him an awful lot. He wished us all the best and he was happy that we got the right result against Manchester City.”

Mikel Arteta says nobody is more driven than him to win the Premier League this season as he promised his Arsenal players would not be distracted by talk of them as champions-elect.

The signs for Arsenal are extremely promising despite the inevitable anxiety among their fanbase, which has been felt during the past two league matches – the 0-0 draws against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Pep Guardiola, whose Manchester City are second, described Arsenal as “the best team in the world” on Friday and Arteta has heard the line about how it is their title to lose. Arsenal last won the league in 2003-04.

‘Where do you want you statue, Michael?’

The problem Manchester United have – after 13 years and seven managers of failure – is that for whatever action they take now, there is a bad precedent. Keep Michael Carrick on, and it’s just another Ole Gunnar Solskjær situation. But replace him and, for almost whoever they appoint – be it a Premier League veteran, foreign maestro, renowned past-his-best winner, Red Bull-adjacent gegenpresser, austere Dutchman or Portuguese ideologue – they have done it before and it hasn’t worked. It’s almost like the biggest problem at the club isn’t the manager.

Carrick’s start was undeniably impressive. There was pace and zip and creativity. The relief of players being released from the 3-4-2-1 was akin to one of those videos of cows being allowed back into the pasture after being kept in a barn over the winter. Who could possibly have predicted that Amad Diallo would excel as a right-sided forward, or that Bruno Fernandes might thrive as a No 10? United didn’t just beat Manchester City 2-0; they hammered them.

Preamble

Fun fact: only one of the first Premier League meetings between Arsenal and Manchester United was televised in England. Since then, it has been an and-it’s-live banker: this afternoon’s game at the Emirates is the 59th consecutive league meeting to be shown live on Sky.

Arsenal v United is a unique fixture – the biggest south/north match in English football, but also a game that is largely sold by its past. We all remember the golden age of Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira, Remi Moses and Peter Nicholas – if you don’t, click here – and at times it has felt sad, even pathetic, that such a great fixture has to be sold through nostalgia.

The resurgence of Arsenal under Mikel Arteta has changed that. Since 2022 this game has usually been relevant to the title race, no matter what state United are in, and today is no exception. If Arsenal win they will restore their seven-point lead over Manchester City; but if Michael Carrick’s United™ do unto Arsenal as they did unto City, it will change the mood of this season’s title race. Arsenal, who have drawn their last two league games 0-0, would love a dominant victory to remind everyone what time it is.

United have plenty to play for as well. Despite everything, they are fifth in the table* and will go fourth if they win. It’s not 1st v 2nd, like it was so often between 1997 and 2005. But given the context, 1st v 5th is appealing enough.

Kick off 4.30pm.

* Before the 2pm games