MANCHESTER UNITED 0-0 ARSENAL
Manchester United XI: De Gea, Tuanzebe, Maguire, Lindelof, Young, McTominay, Pogba, Lingard, Pereira, James, Rashford
Arsenal XI: Leno, Chambers, Sokratis, Luiz, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Torreira, Pepe, Aubameyang, Saka
- Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford are surprise inclusions in the Manchester United XI
- Lucas Torreira and Calum Chambers come in for Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Dani Ceballos
MANCHESTER UNITED 0-0 ARSENAL
5: “We’ve got Saka and Xhaka, but no Wan-Bissaka,” says Martin Tyler, who sounds extremely pleased with himself. No early action to discuss with the ball opening most of its time skidding around the middle of the park.
3: The eagle-eyed Gary Neville has spotted that Axel Tuanzebe is actually playing at left-back this evening. Ashley Young starting on the right tonight against Bukayo Saka. bloodbath.
MANCHESTER UNITED 0-0 ARSENAL
1: Y’all ready for this? Terrific, we’re underway at Old Trafford. Still hammering it down and both managers have sensibly got their big coats on.
Man Utd vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates (Image: GETTY)
Man Utd vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates (Image: GETTY)
Here they come!
19:55: No Roy Keane-esque style antics in the tunnel I’m sad to report. All quite civil between the two sets of players. The weather hasn’t done a thing to subdue supporters – everyone’s up for this battle.
Flithy…
19:50: Pretty grim up north this evening folks. It hasn’t stopped raining for a few hours and the surface is primed for a defensive mistake or two.
Just checked the forecast, and it’s not likely to stop anytime soon. Pleasant day on Wednesday though… if that’s any consolation.
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He needs to dominate!
19:48: Roy Keane has told Paul Pogba what he needs to do tonight – dominate. Simple enough I suppose.
“To dominate the game, it’s as simple as that,” Keane said on Sky Sports.
“Show a bit of courage, get on the ball and make things happen. We’ve been very critical of Paul over the last few years, but when he’s out of the team, as we saw at West Ham last week, he’s probably still is their best player. His mentality has got to be right though.”
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Twitter reaction
Frank: For United and Arsenal to challenge, they’ll have to sell ALL their midfielders and defenders! The Goalkeeper-ship and Striker-ship positions are well covered up! With both clubs benefiting by appointing a Director of Football each
Mehrad: Ole shouldn’t be playing Pogba and Rashford if they are not fully fit he will make the situation worse like he did last year.
Grant: Baffles me how Ashley Young who has been a complete liability is starting ahead of Rojo who (this season) has been pretty decent.
Think you’re being generous to Rojo there, Grant. He’s not had the chance to prove himself as a liability yet is more likely.
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Glory days
19:40: If you could have the Bruce Springsteen song playing in your mind while reading this – that would be helpful…
Roy Keane believes Manchester United are better equipped to return to the top of English football than Arsenal.
“I would probably have to say United,” he said on Sky Sports. “I just think United are always capable of going out and spending more money than Arsenal basically.
“Obviously if things aren’t going well over the next few months, I think Ole’s mentioned already they’re on the look out for a striker, they’re obviously short of one. I think United have got more money I suppose to try and go out and get better players.”
Unai Emery says Mesut Ozil is not injured. Purely a tactical decision. This Emery vs Ozil fight is beyond tiresome. Needs to be addressed in January. Arsenal are in no position to have a 350k a week player sitting home doing nothing #MUNARS https://t.co/YWhkoxA90x
— Uche Amako (@UcheAmako) September 30, 2019
Where’s Ozil?
19:35: Yes, the least popular feature of our Arsenal live blogs returns with the German not involved for the umpteenth time. I think we’re at the stage when Ozil starting is bigger news to be honest with you.
Asked where the playmaker was this evening, Unai Emery did his best to avoid the question.
“Today I decide the team and the squad,” the Arsenal manager said. Thanks for that, Unai.
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The captaincy debate
19:30: Not that we haven’t spoken about this to death already…
Unai Emery backed Granit Xhaka to win the fans over after the Swiss midfielder was named the club’s new captain following a dressing-room vote.
Xhaka, who has captained Arsenal six times this season, finished ahead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hector Bellerin, Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil in the voting process.
And absolutely nobody is pleased with the decision. Nobody I tell ya!
“He (Xhaka) is mature, he has experience. We are living under pressure and criticism, as a coach, as a player, as a club,” Emery said.
“I spoke with him, we want to change that outside opinion (of him). The respect he has inside is very important. I trust and believe in him. He is a good man, a good professional, a good player.”
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Battle of the youth!
19:25: Should be a very interesting night with all these youngsters looking to prove themselves against each other.
Matteo Guendouzi goes up against Scott McTominay in the middle of the park. Good chance of blood and thunder with those two.
Makeshift (kind of) right-back Axel Tuanzebe is tasked with stopping Bukayo Saka down that left channel. Easier said than done.
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Ole’s the man?
19:20: He certainly thinks so.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is confident he is the right man to take the club forward despite a shaky start to the Premier League season.
United are 11th in the standings with eight points after six games but the Norwegian said he can get the 20-times champions to once again compete with holders Manchester City and leaders Liverpool.
“I’m not doubting myself. If I doubted myself, then I think the rest of the world would as well,” Solskjaer said.
On a completely unrelated note, I’m just having a look at the odds for the next Manchester United manager. Poch is favourite, Massimiliano Allegri and Laurent Blanc in behind.
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Twitter reaction
Anukram: Arsenal and Manchester United need to rethink and restructure their current wage structures I think. Their glorious histories are not enough for players to come and play at these clubs anymore. Money and wages are important too.
Richard: Leicester proved it’s not just about money. Belief in your system patience and luck all play a part. And of course you need the manager to have good players and play to the teams strength. Hopeful Arsenal fan.
Rezaa: Looking at the Line Ups, there’s nothing between the 2 teams. Good attacks, poor defence. 3-3
I really do hope you’re right, Rezaa.
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Team News – Manchester United
19:10: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer makes three changes from the West ham defeat.
Axel Tuanzebe, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba come into the starting XI with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata missing out. AWB is out of the squad altogether through injury.
Marcus Rashford is passed fit despite those injury concerns, which means 17-year-old striker Mason Greenwood has been left on the bench.
Man Utd vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates (Image: GETTY)
Team News – Arsenal
19:05: Youngest player klaxon! Bukayo Saka becomes the youngest player to start for Arsenal against Manchester United in the Premier League, aged 18 years and 25 days. Bit of pub ammunition for you guys there…
Unai Emery makes two changes to the starting XI from the team who beat Aston Villa 3-2 in their last Premier League game.
Lucas Torreira and Calum Chambers start, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Dani Ceballos are on the bench.
The sides
19:00: Interesting, very interesting. Here are the line-ups for today’s games and there’s quite a few surprises.
Manchester United XI: De Gea, Tuanzebe, Maguire, Lindelof, Young, McTominay, Pogba, Lingard, Pereira, James, Rashford.
Subs: Romero, Rojo, Williams, Fred, Mata, Matic, Greenwood.
Arsenal XI: Leno, Chambers, Sokratis, Luiz, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Torreira, Pepe, Aubameyang, Saka.
Subs: Martinez, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Willock, Ceballos, Nelson, Martinelli.
The standings…
18:55: I think you know full well the standings and how the sides have performed in the opening six fixtures – but I’m contractually obliged to force-feed you this information…
Manchester United are 11th in the standings with eight points after six games – level on points with Sheffield United.
But three points tonight would see them leap into sixth – above Chelsea on goal difference.
As for Arsenal? Well… 11 points in six games and one victory away from knocking West Ham out of the top four.
The Gunners are actually in very good goal scoring form – averaging over two goals a game. But the unconvincing win over Aston Villa and the dismal 2-2 draw with Watford show the same old vulnerabilities are there at the back.
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Evening…
18:50: Hello everyone and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Premier League.
In days gone by, I would have started this blog by asking unstoppable force meets an immovable object.
Now, I’ll ask what happens when team incapable of keeping a clean sheet meets a side who simply can’t score more than one goal in 90 minutes?
Not as catchy, is it?
Not since Emmanuel Adebayor scored the only goal of the game in September 2006 have Arsenal left United with three points.
Since then, United have had the better of their battles but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are out of form and have a lengthy injury list heading into tonight’s meeting.
Should be a very interesting night indeed. Team news and line-ups arriving any moment now.
Man Utd vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League score, goals and updates (Image: GETTY)
MANCHESTER UNITED vs ARSENAL – TEAM NEWS
Paul Pogba is a doubt for Manchester United’s Premier League clash against Arsenal because of a swollen ankle.
The Frenchman returned to action for the first time since suffering the injury at Southampton last month but the issue has flared up again, leaving the midfielder touch and go to face the Gunners.
Forward pair Anthony Martial (thigh) and Marcus Rashford (groin) are unlikely to feature while Phil Jones is definitely out but fellow defender Luke Shaw returned to training on Friday after a month on the sidelines with a hamstring complaint.
Arsenal could hand a Premier League debut to Kieran Tierney at Old Trafford.
The full-back was injured when he joined from Celtic but made his bow in the Carabao Cup win over Nottingham Forest, with Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding also making long-awaited returns in midweek.
Alexandre Lacazette (ankle) is missing and Emile Smith Rowe (concussion) is also out.