Fierce rivals Manchester United and Arsenal lock horns in their opening match of the 2025–26 Premier League season on Sunday afternoon.
Both sides endured frustrating 2024–25 campaigns—albeit on entirely different scales—and will be aiming to make amends this term. For Arsenal, there was another second-place Premier League finish and semi-final heartbreak in both the Champions League and Carabao Cup as their trophy drought continued. For United, it was pure misery as they slumped to 15th and were beaten in the Europa League final.
There will be significant pressure on both teams at the beginning of the new season but the pressure is greater for the Red Devils and Ruben Amorim. After last term’s disaster that saw them miss out on European qualification entirely, United need to make drastic improvements swiftly to avoid plummeting further into crisis.
A positive performance and/or result against Arsenal will offer hope to the Old Trafford faithful but United have their work cut out for them. The Gunners have recruited wisely this summer, especially with the additions of Martín Zubimendi and Viktor Gyökeres, and already had a far superior squad to their historic adversaries.
Arsenal don’t have an amazing record at Old Trafford but Mikel Arteta, who is under pressure himself this season, will expect victory this Sunday. United have bolstered their forward line with some big-money additions but still lack the organisation and consistency of the Gunners.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the standout fixture of the weekend.
What Time Does Man Utd vs. Arsenal Kick Off?
- Location: Manchester, England
- Stadium: Old Trafford
- Date: Sunday, August 17
- Kick-off Time: 4.30 p.m. BST / 11.30 a.m. ET / 8.30 a.m. PT
- Referee: Simon Hooper
- VAR: Paul Tierney
Man Utd vs. Arsenal Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Man Utd: 1 win
- Arsenal: 3 wins
- Draws: 1
- Last meeting: Man Utd 1–1 Arsenal (March 9, 2025) - Premier League
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Man Utd vs. Arsenal on TV, Live Stream
Man Utd Team News
Amorim knows he will be without Lisandro Martínez and Noussair Mazraoui in defence but the Portuguese coach has revealed that André Onana is available having recovered from a pre-season injury.
Joshua Zirkzee was another injury doubt having missed pre-season with a minor issue, but Amorim has cleared the Dutch forward to feature against Arsenal.
Competitive debuts should be handed out to United’s exciting new forward triumvirate of Benjamin Šeško, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, with all three likely to start Sunday’s battle against a stern Arsenal rearguard.
Man Utd Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal
Man Utd predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (3-4-2-1): Onana; De Ligt, Maguire, Yoro; Dalot, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Cunha; Šeško.
Arsenal Team News
Arsenal have only one major injury issue heading into the new season and that’s Gabriel Jesus, who’s missing with a knee problem. He suffered the setback against United during the FA Cup meeting in January and has been absent since.
Leandro Trossard is a minor doubt for the trip to Manchester after missing recent friendlies with a groin problem, but Arteta expects him to be part of Arsenal’s travelling party this weekend.
Gyökeres should lead the line against former manager Amorim and summer suitors United, with the Swede aiming to build on the goal he scored against Athletic Club last time out. Zubimendi assisted that effort and will start in midfield, while Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera and Christian Nørgaard could all make competitive debuts from the bench.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Man Utd
Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Man Utd (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyökeres, Martinelli.
Man Utd vs. Arsenal Score Prediction
It’s never straightforward predicting which iteration of United will turn up for any given match, but Amorim will be hoping his side start to turn the corner soon. New signings should make them more attractive to watch, although there remain concerns over their defensive solidity and midfield muscle.
Despite their superiority, Arsenal have struggled at Old Trafford in recent times and were only able to manage a draw at the venue last season. No matter United’s struggles, they always give the Gunners a game.
However, Arsenal’s fresh faces should offer them optimism heading to Manchester as they seek a crucial opening day win, and the Gunners will be favourites for all three points given they finished 13 places higher than United last term.
Prediction: Man Utd 1–2 Arsenal
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd vs. Arsenal: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.