Arsenal vs Manchester United Picks and Predictions: Cagey Affair at the Emirates

Arsenal vs Manchester United is one of the classic Premier League matchups and we have the latest instalment this Sunday. These are two of the most supported teams on the planet and they have a fierce history against one another.

You could argue that neither team has been as good since the period of their great rivalry but don’t let that fool you, this will be a great game. Don’t miss our EPL free picks and predictions for Arsenal vs. Man Utd.

Arsenal vs Manchester United best odds

Arsenal vs Manchester United picks and predictions

Some matchups are just Premier League heritage and Arsenal vs. Man Utd, perhaps above all others, is the definitive clash in the Premier League’s history. It conjures up great memories of Ryan Giggs, Thierry Henry, Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. It’s a rivalry that has lasted decades and although neither team is as good as they were in the mid-90s and early noughties, these are two giant clubs.

Last season Arsenal looked for so long like they might be able to win their first Premier League title in recent memory but they didn’t manage to succeed. Behind them in the Premier League table was Man Utd who finished third but they have started very differently this season. Arsenal entered the weekend with seven points from three games, and have largely looked fairly impressive, albeit not quite as smooth as they looked last season. Mikel Arteta’s team has injuries and they’re looking to bed in new players.

They’ve certainly looked better than Man Utd who have been awful in all three games, that said they’ve somehow managed six points, which should give them hope of a positive season if they can get their performances back to the level expected. Our best bet focuses on one of United’s key players, Casemiro, and we’re backing the Brazilian to pick up a card at a nice price of +140.

At first, when Casemiro arrived at Old Trafford last season there were cries of it being a waste of money. After all, it was a large fee for an aging player, even if he has real quality. Throughout the season Casemiro showed it was money well spent and he gave the Man Utd midfield a leader, a smart, defensive star on which the other players could build.

This season the 31-year-old hasn’t really hit the highs that we know he’s capable of and has underwhelmed in all three games. He doesn’t look quite as fit as he has previously and perhaps needs a run of games to get into a better condition. That makes the fact he hasn’t yet been booked this season even more surprising.

In 28 Premier League games last season, four of which were from the bench, we saw the former Real Madrid man pick up seven yellow cards and two red. He plays on the edge and he plays with real intensity, which is why it’s such a shock to see that he’s yet to find his name in the referee's book. I don’t see that lasting long and on Sunday I fully expect him to get booked as he faces the toughest test of the season so far. 

We know from history that Casemiro is a booking risk. This is a man with 100 bookings in his career for club and country. The referee for Sunday’s game is Anthony Taylor who has so far blown up for 19 fouls per game and dished out 17 yellow cards in just three games.

With Taylor being a booking machine and Casemiro, himself a card magnet, facing a seriously tough test against the likes of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, we are getting a great price on a Casemiro card at +140.

My best bet: Casemiro  (+140 at TonyBet)

Arsenal vs Manchester United same-game parlay

Casemiro card

Arsenal moneyline

Both teams to score

+500 at bet365

Our Same-Game Parlay for Arsenal vs. Man Utd isn’t huge but at +500 it feels like real value. 

First up we’re starting with our best bet for the game which is for Man Utd’s Brazilian defensive midfielder Casemiro to get shown a card. If you’ve read above then you’ll know all about the Brazilian’s past, the fact he’s yet to get booked this season, and referee Anthony Taylor's average of 5.67 cards per game in the Premier League this season.

Next up we’re backing Arsenal to win. They won this fixture last year and frankly through three games, they’ve been displaying far better performances than Man Utd, even if the Premier League table only shows a one-point gap between the clubs. United feel close to crisis and Arsenal should have enough about them to get the win on home soil.

Our final leg in the same game parlay is for both teams to score. All four of the previous Premier League meetings between these clubs have ended with both teams finding the back of the net and with the talent on display we can expect that again. Man Utd have been poor but they’ve still averaged over a goal scored per game.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Arsenal vs Manchester United side and Over/Under analysis

Arsenal to win is available at -143 and although I think it’ll happen I simply can’t recommend wagering on it at those odds, they’re just not big enough. We’ve seen previously that Man Utd can up their performances against Arsenal and it wouldn’t be the biggest shock ever if that happened. That said I won’t be backing them at +335 or the draw either at +300.

Over 2.5 goals also doesn’t appeal with odds of -182 even though I think we’re likely to see at least three goals here. There are so many interesting angles you can take on this game with player props, such as the Casemiro card that makes up our best bet, that I’d personally recommend staying away from the likes of the Total Goals market.

Arsenal vs Manchester United game info

Arsenal vs Manchester United key injuries

Arsenal: Jurrien Timber DEF (Out), Mohamed Elneny CM (Out), Eddie Nketiah STR (Questionable)
Manchester United: Tyrell Malacia LB (Out), Ramus Hojlund STR (Out), Amad Diallo FWR (Out), Mason Mount CAM (Out), Luke Shaw LB (Out), Raphael Varane CB (Out)

Arsenal vs Manchester United recent league form

Teams	Recent Premier League Form
Arsenal	D-W-W
Manchester United	W-L-W

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