It doesn’t get any better than this. FA Cup action finally returns this weekend with four mouth-watering quarterfinal games set to whet your soccer appetite. There’s one match however that will really capture the imagination of sports fans everywhere and that is the blockbuster showdown between Premier League giants Manchester United and Arsenal.
Who will emerge victorious in this clash between the two winningest sides in the FA Cup? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the FA Cup quarterfinal between Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion here.
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Arsenal vs. Manchester United Betting Preview
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Monday, March 9, 2:45 PM ET
Line: Arsenal +178 at Manchester United +125, tie +225; total: 2.5 – view all FA Cup lines
What’s At Stake
The winner of this match grabs a seat in the semifinal round of the FA Cup that will be held at Wembley Stadium on the weekend of April 18-19. If the match ends in a draw, however, the two sides will lock horns once again in a replay this time at the Emirates Stadium.
Betting on Arsenal
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Arsenal will head into their quarterfinal clash with Manchester United with momentum on their side as they edged past Queens Park Rangers, 2-1, in a nervy Premier League encounter at Loftus Road on Wednesday. It was the fourth consecutive league win for the Gunners as they moved three points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool in the standings with 54 points.
Helping the Gunners in consolidating their top-four spot were Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez who scored Arsenal’s goals in the space of five second-half minutes. Manager Arsene Wenger will particularly be delighted with Sanchez’s goal as he finally ended his long scoring drought, finding the back of the net for the first time since January.
Sanchez has been a vital cog to Arsenal’s success this season, leading the team not only in goals (19) but also in assists (10) as well. His form has been clearly affected though by the return of Mesut Ozil who now plays in his preferred central role.
For the Gunners to advance further in the competition, Wenger needs Sanchez and Ozil to mesh together in the Arsenal attack. Based on their second half performance against QPR, it seems like their partnership is finally heading in the right direction.
They created countless opportunities in the final 45 minutes with Ozil guilty of missing some clear-cut chances. Arsenal were relentless with their attack against QPR, registering 20 shot attempts with nine of those going on target.
Duplicating that feat in their next game will be a tall task, though, as standing in their way are the 11-time FA Cup champions Manchester United. The Red Devils are third in the league in scoring defense this season, conceding just 26 goals.
Arsenal will take heart in the fact, however, that they have been banging in the goals in the FA Cup this season. The Gunners have scored a total of seven goals in their three FA Cup matches thus far. They will need every bit of that attacking intent against the Red Devils as they have failed to score a goal in their last four Cup matches against Manchester United.
Arsenal are 4-1-0 in their last five games.
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Betting on Manchester United
It wasn’t pretty by any means but Manchester United will gladly take all three points as they eked out a narrow 1-0 victory over Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Wednesday. Ashley Young grabbed the decisive goal in the 89th minute to give the Red Devils the precious win that helped them remain in fourth place in the league standings with 53 points.
Although United dominated majority of the possession (67%), they had a difficult time breaking down Newcastle’s sturdy defense. Only a late Tim Krul error prevented the Red Devils from dropping points on the road for the third consecutive time.
Fortunately for manager Louis van Gaal, Manchester United’s quarterfinal clash with Arsenal will take place at their home field of Old Trafford. The Red Devils have been excellent at home this season, scoring a total of 34 points in their 14 games at Old Trafford thus far, the second-best mark in the entire league.
Key to their success at home this season has been their excellent play on both ends of the field. The Red Devils have scored a league-best 30 goals at Old Trafford this season while they have conceded just 10 goals at home this campaign, second-best in the entire Premier League.
A worrying concern, however, for van Gaal are the ongoing struggles of winger Angel Di Maria. He was substituted for the second consecutive game against Newcastle as he delivered another subdued performance. The $99-million signing has been disappointing in his first season with the club, scoring just three goals and dishing out eight assists in the league thus far.
If Di Maria continues to flounder in attack, the onus is on captain Wayne Rooney to carry the scoring cudgels for United. He leads the team in scoring this season, bagging 11 goals in all competitions. He has already grabbed a goal against Arsenal earlier this season, scoring a delightful chip in United’s 2-1 win at the Emirates last November.
That victory extended United’s unbeaten run against Arsenal to seven games. The Red Devils have outscored the Gunners, 16-6, during that stretch. United have the better head-to-head record in the FA Cup as well, having won seven of their 14 Cup meetings with Arsenal.
Manchester United are 4-1-0 in their last 5 games.
Writer’s Prediction
Manchester United (+125) scrape through with a tough 2-1 win.
