Ruben Amorim will take charge of his very first FA Cup tie on Sunday as Manchester United travel to the Emirates Stadium.
Following an impressive display away at Liverpool last weekend, Manchester United are preparing for another tough match as they look to pile further pain onto Arsenal.
Ruben Amorim had the team fighting as a unit at Anfield as United and Liverpool drew 2-2, but there were glimpses of what fans can look forward to in the future as the Portuguese coach tries to implement his preferred style of football into the team.
United opened the scoring through Lisandro Martinez before Cody Gakpo scored the leveller seven minutes later. Liverpool took the lead after a penalty from Mohamed Salah but Amad Diallo spoiled Liverpool’s celebrations with an 80-minute strike.
Arsenal are going into the game after losing the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle United. Mikel Arteta will hope his players can dust themselves off in time to avoid a meltdown.
Back-to-back defeats would come as a major blow to the Gunners, who are trying to mount a challenge for the Premier League title.
Meanwhile, this is the beginning of United’s defence of the FA Cup, after beating Man City 2-1 in last season’s Wembley final.
How will Manchester United line-up against Arsenal
Since United have not won any of their last five matches across all competitions, Amorim faces a challenge to get the team back to winning ways at the Emirates Stadium.
Before the game, Amorim confirmed Altay Bayindir will get a rare start between the posts – which means Andre Onana will be rested. Here is how we have predicted United will line-up.
Altay Bayindir
In goal, Altay Bayindir will face pressure from Arsenal’s lethal corner kicks. It doesn’t bode well that he conceded directly from one against Tottenham last month. It was a howler but Bayindir is getting a chance to make amends. Amorim is giving the Turkey international a chance to regain confidence.
Matthijs de Ligt
After over-committing himself with a sliding tackle for Gakpo’s goal last weekend, Matthijs de Ligt will be aiming to set the record straight with a strong performance against Arsenal.
Harry Maguire
Strong defensively whenever called upon, but Harry Maguire will be gutted he squandered his chance to win the game against Liverpool. We can expect him to take the central centre-back role against the Gunners.
Lisandro Martinez
On the left, Lisandro Martinez is slowly getting back to his best. It is intriguing to see how he performs against Arsenal’s corner kicks.
Noussair Mazraoui
Not an out-and-out wing-back by any means, but Noussair Mazraoui has been one of United’s most consistent performers this season. Strong defensive as well as going forward with the ball.
Manuel Ugarte
Under Amorim, Manuel Ugarte is growing into his role at United. The Uruguayan will be tasked with preventing any danger from Arsenal’s creative players like Martin Odegaard.
Kobbie Mainoo
Amorim has taken his time with Kobbie Mainoo, making sure to manage the youngster’s minutes after a spell out with injury. United’s academy graduate looks ready for action after a strong display at Anfield.
Diogo Dalot
On the left, after pocketing Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Dalot will look to do the same against Arsenal. The Portuguese right-back has struggled this season but has been asked to play on his least favoured flank due to injuries in the squad.
Amad Diallo
After committing his future to United with a new long-term contract, Amad Diallo will be looking to celebrate with a win. The Ivorian has been one of United’s best players this season with 13 goal contributions across all competitions.
Bruno Fernandes
Although Bruno Fernandes doesn’t have the best record against Arsenal, losing 6 of his 10 meetings, United’s most influential player has three goal contributions versus the Gunners. This weekend would be a good time to add to that.
Rasmus Hojlund
With seven goals across all competitions so far this season, Rasmus Hojlund needs to find the back of the net more often if he is to become United’s main goalscoring outlet. The Dane is still the best man to lead the line.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/DAn0NHv