The Gunners got their Stateside tour off to the sweetest of starts with a 5-0 victory over the MLS All-Stars on Wednesday and should be a little ahead of where Erik ten Hag's squad are in terms of match sharpness.
Arsenal vs Man Utd Betting Tips
- Arsenal to win @6/5 with bet365
- Gabriel Martinelli to score at any time @12/5 with bet365
- Arsenal to score over 2.5 goals @10/3 with bet365
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Stateside Gunners are in a different league
There is something about playing in the USA that appears to bring out the best in Arsenal and it could be foolish to oppose Mikel Arteta's men when they take on Premier League rivals Manchester United at MetLife Stadium this weekend.
The Gunners gave Wayne Rooney's MLS All-Stars a footballing lesson in Washington on Wednesday to make it six wins from their last seven games Stateside.
Arteta's team look to be a little further advanced in their pre-season preparations than the Red Devils with the Spaniard affording a number of his senior players up to 65 minutes of action at Audi Field.
His Old Trafford counterpart limited United's big guns to just 45 minutes in their 1-0 win over Lyon at Murrayfield this week and that policy looks unlikely to change when experienced stars like Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford make their pre-season bows.
The Carabao Cup holders were heavily reliant on Rashford's goals last season and little appears to have changed with the club yet to bring in a new top-class striker this summer.
Anthony Martial is still working his way back from injury, so Ten Hag may be forced to deploy a winger in the central striking berth for at least half of Saturday's contest.
Arsenal vs Man Utd Tip 1: Arsenal to win @6/5 with bet365
Martinelli the man to torment United
In contrast, the Gunners aren’t short on goalscoring options right now, having added Kai Havertz to the mix of attacking talent at Arteta's disposal this summer.
Gabriel Jesus is being kept on his toes by both Eddie Nketiah and Falorin Balogun, while Leandro Trossard is vying for a role on the left-hand side with Gabriel Martinelli.
Both players scored in the 5-0 victory over the MLS All-Stars with the Brazilian grabbing his goal five minutes from time after entering as a substitute.
Arteta will probably hand Martinelli a start against United and the former Ituano ace looks ready to add to his already-impressive goal tally in a Gunners shirt.
Since being snapped up from under the noses of United in 2019, the 22-year-old has delivered 33 goals and registered 19 assists in 131 appearances.
Arsenal vs Man Utd Tip 2: Gabriel Martinelli to score at any time @12/5 with bet365
Gunners can capitalise on any goalkeeping gifts
United's record in friendly matches under Ten Hag reflects how little store the Dutchman puts in achieving results over boosting fitness and cohesion ahead of the serious business.
Including games played since the last World Cup, the Red Devils have lost three of their last six warm-up contests and are yet to convince in either of their recent wins over Leeds and Lyon.
United aren’t conceding many goals, but they now face a new challenge of bedding in big-money goalkeeper signing Andre Onana prior to the new campaign.
The Cameroonian should play some part against Arsenal and it will be interesting to see how quickly defenders unused to his sweeper-keeper style can adapt to receiving pressurised passes.
Some are unlikely to have even trained alongside Onana before Saturday's game, which could give Arsenal's forwards a chance to turn over possession and create chances close to the United box.
Arsenal vs Man Utd Tip 3: Arsenal to score over 2.5 Goals @10/3 with bet365