Manchester United vs. Arsenal (0-0)
May 17, 12:00 PM
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
by Jason, Soccer Handicapper, Predictem.com
Match Odds: Manchester United 2.45 / Arsenal 3.00 / Draw 3.50 br />
Moneyline: Manchester United +145 / Arsenal +200 / Draw +250
Over/Under: 2.5 goals
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Manchester United or Arsenal will not catch Chelsea for the Premier League title, but there is still a lot riding on this match. 3rd place Arsenal suffered a shocking loss to Swansea City at home in their last match and they want to stay in the 3rd position so they can receive an automatic berth to the Champions League group stage.
Manchester United sits in 4th place and they can secure a CL spot by just getting 1 point in their last 2 matches. They may have already gotten that when this match begins if Liverpool does not beat Crystal Palace at home on Saturday afternoon. It is a long shot that Man U will pass Arsenal, as they need 2 wins and 2 Gunners loss for that to happen, but they can get halfway there with a win at Old Trafford this Sunday.
Man U got a much needed win in their last match beating Crystal Palace 2-1 after dropping their previous 3 matches. In those 3 matches United failed to score a single goal.
Wayne Rooney, who leads Man U with 12 goals on the season, was nicked up a bit in the last match, but will play. He will really be needed as Robin van Persie is injured and will likely not play. Radamel Falcao may see some action, but it is clear his better striking days are behind him.
Man U looks to get a little revenge in this match at Old Trafford, as they lost to the Gunners there earlier this season in FA Cup play. Arsenal is still alive in the FA Cup, which is the last chance for them this season to add to their trophy case. However, the Gunners lost to Man U on their home pitch earlier in the EPL season.
Alexis Snchez and Olivier Giroud ranks 5th and 6th respectively in goals scored in EPL play and the Man U defense has to mark these guys. The Man U defense has been up and down all season, but in their last 2 matches they have only conceded 1 goal in each.
Both teams have injury concerns and one of the bigger ones is Danny Welbeck, who is a former Man U player and netted the match winner in the Gunners win at Old Trafford in FA Cup play.
The Gunners can create offense from any area of the field and one key area in this match is the midfield play of Man U facing the Gunners’ trio of Santi Cazorla, Alexis Snchez and Mesut zil. Man U will be more on the attack as they are at home and may be more desperate for points.
Arsenal only has 2 wins in their last 16 matches facing Manchester United, but one of those came this season and at Old Trafford no less.
Arsenal had their 11-match unbeaten streak snapped with their loss to Swansea in their last match.
In their last 10 matches Arsenal has an O/U 2.5 goal record of 5-5 and Manchester United has an O/U 2.5 goal record of 6-4.
Arsenal Recent Form
4/11/2015 Burnley 0 Arsenal 1 (Premier League)
4/18/2015 Reading 1 Arsenal 2 (FA Cup)
4/26/2015 Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 (Premier League)
5/4/2015 Hull City 1 Arsenal 3 (Premier League)
5/11/2015 Arsenal 0 Swansea City 1 (Premier League)
Manchester United Recent Form
4/12/2015 Manchester United 4 Manchester City 0 (Premier League)
4/18/2015 Chelsea 1 Manchester United 0 (Premier League)
4/26/2015 Everton 3 Manchester United 0 (Premier League)
5/2/2015 Manchester United 0 West Bromwich 1 (Premier League)
5/9/2015 Crystal Palace 1 Manchester United 2 (premier League)
Jason’s Prediction to Win: Not sure what kind of match Arsenal will play, as they are not used to being a defensive outfit that sits back, but they will be more than happy with a draw in this encounter. Still, at home the 2nd time around I see Man U winning, as they beat the Gunners by a score of 3-1. Bet this match for free by taking advantage of a HUGE 50% signup bonus at MyBookie.