Looking forward to one of the biggest challenges to their unblemished run under Ruben Amorim, Manchester United travel to the Emirates for a Premier League encounter against Arsenal on Wednesday night.
In the gameweek 13, both English giants triumphed enormously because; the Gunners defeated West Ham United 5-2 and the Red Devils processed a stunning 4-0 win against Everton at Old Trafford.
Had Arsenal not momentarily deviated from the pace that saw them beat West Ham 6-0 in the same fixture last season, Mikel Arteta’s side was on the brink of a more emphatic victory after leading 4-0 after just 36 minutes of Saturday’s derby clash.
However, somewhat in the same incompetent way that they knocked seven past a very poor Sporting Lisbon side in the Champions League, the Gunners snuffed out their opponents’ hopes of the great escape through a Bukayo Saka penalty to complete a breathtaking seven goal first half, equaling a Premier League record in the process.
This bore an ideal second scoreline for the Gunners as they moved within three points range of Chelsea, and further into the all-win streak across competitions- all by three goals or more- in each of their games post the restart Arteta’s men are anyway the next best side after Liverpool on the basis of goal difference.
Much as international breaks are often seen as a drawback by football enthusiasts, Arsenal have been a changed side since the break in November and now have the prospect of playing a historic match at the Arsenal Stadium, more famously known as the Emirates which is expected to host its 500th competitive club match on Wednesday night.
Of the 20 clubs in the top-half, Arsenal joint with Brentford and Brighton as the only side with an unblemished home record; further, of the past seven Emirates encounters six triumphs have been achieved and the Gunners are on a rich scoring run across competitions with 12 successive matches.
During the early phases of his Mancunian journey, newly appointed Man United manager Amorim has presided over the resuscitation of two faltering strikers, while Arsenal as a whole has been revitalized since Premier League football returned.
In fact, Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee both scored braces in Sunday's 4-0 victory over relegation-threatened Everton. This victory was Man United's fourth straight home win in all competitions, following Amorim's Europa League debut against Bodo/Glimt, which ended 3-2 in the Red Devils' favor.
The less said about their road exploits, the better. Man United's impressive eight points from their last four Premier League games has moved them out of the bottom half of the Premier League table and into ninth place, just four points behind Brighton & Hove Albion in the final Champions League spot.
The 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town in Amorim's first game extended Man United's losing streak on the road across all competitions to six games, five of which ended in a draw. So far this season, the Red Devils have only defeated Southampton away from Old Trafford.
As has been all too common for Arsenal this season, the Gunners left the London Stadium with a few fresh injury worries. Gabriel Magalhaes had to be substituted at halftime after a problem he had acquired against Sporting worsened throughout the first half.
The more recent head-to-head record is also unpleasant for Manchester United supporters, as they have lost all three of their Premier League encounters with Arsenal and haven't won at the Emirates since a 3-1 FA Cup victory in January 2019 in which Alexis Sanchez scored against his former employers.
Amorim has stated that he anticipates Fernandes to be healthy for this match, but Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez, who were both suspended after receiving landmark yellow cards during the triumph over Everton, are unquestionably out.
Fortunately for Amorim, Harry Maguire has recovered from his injury and might replace Martinez in defense. Leny Yoro (foot) may also finally make the matchday squad, although Victor Lindelof (groin) and Jonny Evans (knock) might also miss out once more.
Luke Shaw also struck the visitors an all-too-familiar blow on Tuesday night when he disclosed that he would probably miss the last few weeks of the season due to a fresh muscular ailment.
