Arsenal vs Manchester United
Premier League 2018-19
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Date: Sunday, 10 March, 2019
Kick-off: 4:30pm GMT
After a week of hugely contrasting fortunes in Europe, Arsenal and Manchester United have little time to reflect as they collide at the Emirates Stadium today in what promises to be a pivotal clash in the captivating race for a top-four Premier League finish.
The ill-disciplined Gunners have it all to do in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie against French club Rennes following a 3-1 defeat in Brittany on Thursday in which they blew an early lead and played 50 minutes with 10 men following the dismissal of Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
It continued a week of disappointment for Unai Emery's side, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham in the north London derby last weekend after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a late penalty saved by Hugo Lloris.
That latter result - combined with their own 3-2 comeback win over struggling Southampton - saw resurgent United jump above Arsenal and into fourth place, just three points adrift of Tottenham in third.
Things got even better at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, when the depleted Red Devils made Champions League history - with the help of VAR - with a stunning 3-1 defeat of Paris Saint-Germain that sent them into the quarter-finals of the Champions League on away goals.
It was a stunning achievement that may just have sealed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's future as the permanent successor to Jose Mourinho.
Arsenal vs Man Utd line-ups and team news
Arsenal XI: Leno, Papastathopoulos, Koscielny, Monreal, Maitland-Niles, Ramsey, Xhaka, Kolasinac, Ozil, Lacazette, Aubameyang
Subs: Cech, Elneny, Iwobi, Mustafi, Suarez, Guendouzi, Nketiah
Man Utd XI: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Lindelof, Dalot, Fred, Matic, Shaw, Pogba, Lukaku, Rashford
Subs: Bailly, Martial, Andreas Pereira, Rojo, Romero, McTominay, Greenwood
Referee: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire)
Score prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United
Transformed United have taken a blistering 32 points from 36 available since Solskjaer was parachuted in from Molde in December - a run of 10 wins and two draws from 12 matches.
It is hard to back against them losing any match with the atmosphere currently surrounding the club, especially if they get a few key players back fit, but Arsenal will be desperate not to slump to another home defeat to their old rivals and lose significant ground in the top-four race - particularly with their Europa League hopes seemingly now hanging by a thread.
A low-scoring draw after a busy few days for both teams seems a real possibility.
