Manchester United will be aiming to secure a fourth successive victory when they welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
United, who lost 3-1 against the Gunners the last time the two sides met, will be looking to build on the 1-0 victory over Leicester City on Thursday night. Jadon Sancho scored the only goal of the game to give Erk ten Hag's side the win, meaning United followed up their victories over Liverpool and Southampton with another triumph.
Ten Hag's men were impressive against Liverpool, but were forced to dig in against the Saints. Against Leicester, United looked comfortable for the majority of the game and limited the hosts to just two shots on target. David de Gea made a smart save to prevent James Maddison from levelling proceedings in the second period.
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With the United boss naming the same team for three games on the bounce, it would not be a major surprise if the Dutchman did the same against the Gunners on Sunday. However, having played on Thursday, the quick turnaround could force Ten Hag to make a couple of changes in order to manage players' minutes. While there might be changes outfield, De Gea will continue between the sticks after recording back-to-back clean sheets for the first time since December last year.
In front of the Spaniard, United will more than likely stick with the same defence that has looked so solid in recent weeks, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez starting to develop a relationship at centre-back, while full-backs Tyrell Malacia and Diogo Dalot have received widespread praise for their performances in the past three matches. Unless anything drastic happens, the defence will be the same as it was for the win over Leicester - Dalot, Varane, Martinez and Malacia should all start.
However, Ten Hag might be tempted to make a change in midfield. With Casemiro yet to start for United after his summer move from Real Madrid, the Brazilian will be itching to feature against Mikel Arteta's men. Scott McTominay looked slightly nervous against Leicester in midweek, so he could be replaced by the £60million man.
Casemiro is likely to be joined in the midfield-three by Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen, with the latter having impressed with his ability to dictate games since his arrival from Brentford, while Fernandes has performed well in recent weeks.
Ten Hag might also choose to hand a debut to new signing Antony, who signed for United from Ajax for a fee of €95m, rising to €100m, earlier this week. The 22-year-old Brazilian wasn't available for selection against the Foxes, but after scoring two goals in three matches for Ajax prior to his departure, it could be worth the gamble of starting him from the beginning.
Should Antony start in attack, he is likely to be joined by Sancho and Marcus Rashford, with Anthony Elanga dropping to the bench. This, therefore, would also mean that Cristiano Ronaldo would have to settle for a place amongst the substitutes. With the Portuguese international failing to secure a move away from the club in the summer transfer window, he needs to remain focused, until at least January.
Predicted line-up vs Arsenal: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Malacia; Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes; Antony, Rashford, Sancho.
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