Manchester United v Arsenal tips: Premier League preview and best bets
Liam Kelly previews the big Thursday night clash between Manchester United and Arsenal, predicting a more tentative affair than years gone by.
Football betting tips: Premier League
1.5pts Under 2.5 Goals at 27/25 (Unibet)
1pt Nuno Tavares to be shown a card at 15/4 (Unibet)
The start of the Ralf Rangnick era at Manchester United has been put on hold, with the club continuing to work through work permit and COVID issues.
It means Michael Carrick will remain in charge for the visit of an in-form Arsenal side on Thursday night, which is a worrying thought for the hosts if United's outing at Chelsea is anything to go by.
Admittedly, a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge should be celebrated, but United offered almost no threat in attack, attempting just two shots equating to 0.06 expected goals (xG) outside of Jorginho's gift for Jadon Sancho's goal (0.82 xG)
That followed two inept attacking performances against Manchester City and Watford, so there is obviously a huge issue in forward areas at the moment.
Such problems are not easy to rectify, especially with the interim to the interim still in charge, making the evens money on offer for Manchester United to win a little perplexing.
United will be encouraged by Arsenal's apparent struggles on the road, however, with the Gunners scoring only three goals and averaging a measly 0.67 xGF per game across their six fixtures away from the Emirates this season.
Kick-off time: 20:15 GMT, Thursday
TV channel: Amazon Prime Video
Manchester United 1/1 | Draw 13/5 | Arsenal 13/5
That is a good starting point for our main selection — UNDER 2.5 GOALS.
Available at a nice odds-against price, it makes great appeal when considering how this match might play out.
Manchester United's current lack of confidence going forward is, as mentioned, clear to see, and Mikel Arteta appears to have his Arsenal side very much under command this season.
Aside from heavy defeats to title contenders Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, where Arteta was unafraid to stick to his principles for the long-term benefits, Arsenal have allowed 0.81 xGA per game on average.
United are not even close to that upper echelon of teams right now, so a controlled display can be expected of Arsenal yet again.
Another price of interest is the 15/4 available for Arsenal's NUNO TAVARES TO BE SHOWN A CARD in the game. Tavares has filled in for Kieran Tierney rather well, but there is an element of chaos to his play on the left side.
Despite playing just 592 minutes in the Premier League, Tavares has committed 11 fouls — a total only Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang has beaten for Arsenal this term.
The 21-year-old is clearly is happy to spring forward and looks a little suspect when asked to defend, so the prospect of facing Sancho in some form looks a tough gig.
The price is simply too big to ignore in what will hopefully be a low-scoring affair.
Manchester United v Arsenal best bets and score prediction
- 1.5pts Under 2.5 Goals at 11/10 (General)
- 1pt Nuno Tavares to be shown a card at 15/4 (Unibet)
Score prediction: Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal (Sky Bet odds: 6/1)
Odds correct at 1310 GMT (30/11/21)
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