Man Utd vs Arsenal preview H2H, team news, line-ups and prediction

Ruben Amorim will hope to kick-start his first full season in the Premier League on a high when his side hosts last season’s runner-up and arch rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday, 17th August.

It’s difficult to fault fans with Man Utd tickets for wanting to put the 2024–25 campaign behind them. The season brought yet another change in the dugout and saw them slump to their poorest-ever Premier League finish—15th spot with just 42 points. It marked their lowest league standing since the 1989–90 term and their worst top-tier points tally since the 1973–74 relegation year.

At Old Trafford, they picked up only seven wins from 19 fixtures, losing nine, matching their highest-ever number of home defeats in a single season. Furthermore, only the relegated trio of Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton registered fewer home goals than United.

Arsenal, meanwhile, ended their campaign as runners-up for a third year running. But unlike previous seasons, Mikel Arteta’s side failed to hit 70 goals. Though they suffered fewer defeats this time around, a total of 14 draws—more than their combined 11 from 2022/23 and 2023/24—ultimately cost them in the title race. Despite securing 35 away points, which accounted for 47.3% of their tally and ranked second only to Liverpool in away performance, no club recorded more away draw than the Gunners, whose eight included a draw at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils will hope to halt Arsenal’s strong form on their travels by adding to their impressive record on opening weekends.

Despite enduring some recent struggles, United remain renowned for their performances on Matchweek 1—something that could pose a threat to the Gunners as they travel to Old Trafford for the season opener.

No other club with multiple matchweek 1 appearances boasts a higher points-per-game ratio, and United’s 22 opening-day victories reflect a 66.7% win rate. They’ve also suffered just seven defeats on the first weekend of a Premier League season.

While two of those losses occurred in the last five years, the club began the 2024–25 campaign with a 1-0 win against Fulham at home.

The 2025–26 season will see United absent from European competition for the first time since the 2014–15 season. Following their final-day success over Aston Villa, Amorim delivered a passionate speech, calling for renewed belief amid difficult circumstances. For now, the club’s hopes rest on a strategic summer rebuild shaped around Amorim’s footballing vision—a path aimed at reviving their former stature.

So far, progress has been promising with Matheus Cunha arriving from Wolves, while Bryan Mbeumo—who bagged 20 league goals last season—made the switch from Bournemouth. Amorim looks to reshape his front line, as reports claim that negotiations with RB Leipzig over Benjamin Sesko are gathering pace.

Despite entering the 2024–25 campaign as strong contenders poised to capitalise on any Manchester City slip-up, Arsenal’s title bid unravelled due to a series of setbacks. Key injuries, questionable transfer decisions, and a string of underwhelming performances ultimately saw Liverpool surge ahead in the standings.

Nonetheless, optimism surrounds Mikel Arteta’s side ahead of their Premier League curtain-raiser against Manchester United. The Gunners boast an impressive opening day record, having kicked off the past three seasons with victories—beating Crystal Palace (2022/23), Nottingham Forest (2023/24), and Wolverhampton Wanderers (2024/25). A win at Old Trafford would mark their fourth consecutive opening-day triumph, a feat last achieved between 2002 and 2005, when they strung together five straight wins to begin the season.

Now entering their 34th Premier League season, Arsenal have featured on every opening weekend, winning 19 and drawing six of their previous 33 matchday one fixtures. Their points-per-game average on the opening weekend stands at an impressive 1.91—well above their overall Premier League average of 1.58.

As fans gear up for a mouthwatering showdown in Manchester, they’ll know one thing for sure: a result is guaranteed. Arsenal haven’t drawn on the opening day since a goalless affair against Sunderland at the Emirates back in 2011—a run of 13 consecutive season openers without a stalemate.

Man Utd vs Arsenal match details

• Date: Sunday 17th August 2025
• Location: Manchester, England
• Venue: Old Trafford
• Kick-off time: 4:30pm BST
• Tickets: Explore available tickets for the match on Seatsnet.com

Match stats and head-to-head

• Arsenal are undefeated in their previous five Premier League clashes with Manchester United (W4 D1), with the Red Devils securing just one win in their last seven top-flight encounters against the Gunners (L5 D1).

• No club has managed more opening-day victories (22) or accumulated more points (70) in Premier League season openers than Manchester United.

• Should Bukayo Saka score on matchday one again, having netted in the last two openers against Nottingham Forest and Wolves, he would become only the third Arsenal player to do so in three straight seasons, following Geoff Strong and Thierry Henry.

• Arsenal haven’t faced Manchester United on the first day of a league season since 1989–90, when David Rocastle scored in a 4-1 defeat.

• The Gunners are kicking off their Premier League season on the road for the fifth time in seven years, while United are opening at home for a ninth consecutive campaign — the most extended sequence in top-flight history.

Team news

Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, two of Manchester United’s headline arrivals, could be set to appear in their first Premier League fixture at Old Trafford in United colours.

Having lined up alongside each other for the first time in the 2-2 preseason draw against Everton, manager Ruben Amorim looks set to continue building their chemistry by offering them consistent minutes in upcoming matches.

Between the sticks, Altay Bayindir has been given a run of games throughout the club’s summer schedule amid uncertainty surrounding Andre Onana’s future. If the Cameroonian remains with the club when the new campaign begins, he’s expected to reclaim the No. 1 role — barring any last-minute changes.

Bruno Fernandes, who found the net three times during United’s American tour, is almost guaranteed to start provided he’s fully fit. Meanwhile, Mason Mount is pushing for a place in the XI after showing improvement during preseason, notably scoring a well-taken goal in the match against Everton.

Leny Yoro has looked solid during the preseason programme, starting all three outings, and Kobbie Mainoo is also back in contention after enduring a frustrating time last season.

However, Lisandro Martinez, Joshua Zirkzee, and Noussair Mazraoui are all still sidelined due to injury and will not feature.

Over at Arsenal, five of their six summer signings made their first unofficial appearances during the club’s tour of Asia. Now, Viktor Gyokeres, Cristhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Christian Norgaard are expected to be unveiled to the Emirates faithful for the first time on home soil.

Noni Madueke, who missed the trip due to his involvement with Chelsea at the Club World Cup, may now be integrated into the squad for the final preseason fixtures, especially after Leandro Trossard suffered an injury setback in the clash against Spurs.

Trossard now joins fellow defenders Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Jurrien Timber on the treatment table. Gabriel Jesus, meanwhile, continues his rehabilitation and is still several months away from a potential return following his ACL injury.

Predicted starting lineup

Man Utd predicted starting lineup:

Bayindir, Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw, Amad, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dorgu, Fernandes, Mbeumo, Cunha

Arsenal predicted starting lineup:

Raya, White, Saliba, Mosquera, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Prediction

Nothing brings as much excitement and optimism as an early start to life in a new Premier League season, especially when you’re facing an arch rival.

So far in preseason, United have shown a high level of improvement across different areas of the pitch. However, it can be argued that the quality of their opponents has been relatively subpar.

That isn’t the case for Arsenal, who have played more challenging games against the likes of AC Milan, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur. They have been tested physically and tactically in those fixtures, and they’ll likely face the same scenario when the league begins.

For United, their opening-day clash against the Gunners will be their first encounter against high-level opposition since the league concluded. They’ll hope to be in the best possible shape physically, and Amorim will ensure he imbues his side with the best tactical approach to face the Gunners, who are unbeaten in five games against them in the Premier League.

We’re predicting a 2-2 draw.