Manchester United host Arsenal on Sunday in a meeting between two of the in-form sides in the Premier League right now.
After a shaky start United have won three on the bounce, most recently seeing off Leicester City in a narrow 1-0 win on Thursday night. As for the Gunners, they boast the only 100 per cent record remaining in English football with five wins from five for Mikel Arteta's side.
It all makes for a contest that is hard to call for many. And prominent pundit and former Arsenal star Paul Merson thinks it will result in a 1-1 stalemate.
Read more: United team news and injury updates ahead of Arsenal game
Writing on his weekly prediction column for sportskeeda, he said: "I don't think Cristiano Ronaldo will get into the starting line-up for Manchester United this week. They're confident as a team, and they're hard to beat. They've got two clean sheets, and it all starts from the front. Fair play to Erik ten Hag! They're completely different from what they were against Brentford - that's what top managers do.
"It's hard to tinker with a team when you've won three on the trot, and I don't see Casemiro starting this game either. It would be unfair to the player as well if Man United lose on Sunday. Don't change anything that isn't broken. I'd go with the same eleven this weekend.
"If Man United win this game, they're into the Premier League top four. Four wins on the trot and everybody goes, 'Wow! Look at them!' I'd be quite shocked if Arsenal won this game. They might have to play without their two best footballers — Odegaard and Zinchenko.
"Arsenal can't afford to lose, and they don't need to win this game right now — a draw should suffice."
Elsewhere, Chris Sutton has tipped the Gunners to seal the win by the odd goal in five on Sunday. Writing on his BBC Sport prediction page, the former Chelsea man said: "This feels impossible to predict. Manchester United have won their past three games and Arsenal have started superbly.
"Martin Odegaard went off injured in the win against Aston Villa and he is a big player for them. Arsenal were far too good for Villa and if anything is lacking they were not quite ruthless enough, but Gabriel Jesus is big trouble for any defenders. He hassles and presses and has great quality. It will be close. I like what Ten Hag has done in such a short space of time at Manchester United but I am going to jump on the Arsenal bandwagon. I've said 2-1 to the Gunners but my daughter said 3-2 and she wears the trousers, so 3-2 it is!"
And writing on his Paddy Power predictions page, Mark Lawrenson also expects a tight affair.
He wrote: "This is Arsenal’s toughest game so far. I was impressed with Manchester United at Southampton, not that they played particularly well but that they stuck at it. The system seemed to work for them and they scraped a 1-0.
"They’re still a long way from where they should be but I think the least they’ll get against Arsenal is a draw. I predict it to finish Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal."
READ MORE:
