Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Arsenal team news vs Man Utd: Predicted line-up - Lacazette amongst FIVE changes
ARSENAL welcome Manchester United to the Emirates this afternoon in a pivotal battle for the final Champions League spot.
Man Utd vs Arsenal: Solskjaer previews upcoming clash
Manchester United currently occupy fourth place with nine games of the season remaining.
Arsenal trail Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side by a point and can seriously dent their hopes of finishing fourth with a win in north London.
Should United triumph at the Emirates as they did in January, they’ll leapfrog the Gunners’ bitter rivals Tottenham into third place.
Arsenal are expected to play a far more defensively-balanced team than the side who lost 3-1 to Rennes on Thursday night.
Manager Unai Emery is expected to deploy a 3-4-3 formation, with two of the midfielders acting as wing-backs.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles is likely to be recalled to the starting XI and deployed as the right wing-back.
Sead Kolasinac will be his counterpart on the left flank, filling in for Nacho Monreal.
Arsenal’s attack is expected to be spearheaded by France international Alexandre Lacazette, who missed Thursday’s defeat in Rennes due to suspension.
They are in a very good moment but we are together in the table
His return to the fore will likely result in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being farmed out to the right wing, a decision which would see Alex Iwobi drop to the bench.
Petr Cech is expected to lose his place in the starting XI to Bernd Leno, Arsenal’s Premier League goalkeeper.
Matteo Guendouzi should deputise for Lucas Torreira, who will miss the match through suspension.
Other than the returns of Maitland-Niles, Lacazette and Leno - as well as Guendozi’s replacing of Torreira - Emery is expected to field the same side who were humbled by Rennes.
Arsenal team news vs Manchester United - Predicted line-up - Premier League (3-4-3)
Leno, Maitland-Niles, Mustafi, Sokratis, Koscielny, Kolasinac, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette
Emery is expecting a tough match against United, who go into this afternoon’s match on the back of a 3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.
“They are in a very good moment but we are together in the table,” said Emery.
“We played against them one month ago in the FA Cup, we lost 3-1 but I remember we did very good things, created chances.
“We know Sunday is a tough match and it is for everybody an amazing match with very good players and we are going to play at home with our supporters.
“We need to have a very big performance from each player and tactically like a team but I am looking forward also to playing against a team like Manchester United and how they are in this moment with each player – very big confidence after the PSG match.
“But with our supporters, I want to create a big atmosphere, a positive atmosphere for us and help us to give us the best and strongest support for the match.”