Arsenal has made its way into the top-four in the Premier League, and suddenly, Arsene Wenger is again a beloved man in London. The next step for the Gunners would be winning a massive match on short rest at home against Manchester United in a duel that could go a long way towards deciding the Champions League spots out of England this year.
Don't miss the English Premier League action from Emirates Stadium at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 2, 2017. Catch every moment of the match live on NBC.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
Arsenal +155
Manchester United +170
Draw +235
Over/Under 2.5
Odds Analysis
United is clearly the second-best team in England right now at 10-2-2, but this isn't a match that it is expected to win. If history is any indication, Jose Mourinho is going to park the bus, try to steal a goal and win the match 1-0.
Arsenal is a +155 favorite to win this match, but it's going to have to figure out how to put the ball in the back of the net to win this fixture. If this duel plays out the same way so many of the other top matches this year have for Manchester United, that goal is going to be difficult to come by. Still, three points would go a long way towards getting the Gunners in the top four, and that would be the only way Wenger could keep his job in peace at the Emirates.
The total in this match is seemingly a little high at 2.5 with even vig on both sides. Then again, an early goal could easily open this match up from the get go, and scoring in the Premier League has been relatively high this year.
Key Injuries
The Gunners are relatively healthy at this point in the year. Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott are both dealing with minor illnesses while Santiago Cazorla has seemingly been out of the fold ever since he put on an Arsenal shirt. The big news, though, came in the 5-0 match against Huddersfield on Wednesday. Alexandre Lacazette picked up a groin injury against Huddersfield, and he's already certainly ruled out for this match and perhaps for quite a while, too.
Manchester United had a couple injuries to deal with over the course of the week as well. Mourinho had to pull off both Marouane Fellaini and Nemanja Matic with knocks. The status of both is up in the air. Phil Jones and Eric Bailly are both out of the lineup.
Recent Form
The Gunners have suddenly won three straight matches in the Premier League, capped off by that 5-0 win over Huddersfield. It was the best game of the season for Mesut Ozil, who has been linked to a move to Barcelona in just a matter of a few short weeks. When Ozil is in tip top form, Arsenal is a really strong team. But when he is playing careless soccer as he did at the start of the season at times, this team isn't good at all. The good news for the Gunners? Ozil is playing well right now, and for a few more fixtures, that might be just what the doctor ordered to keep Arsenal on track.
Manchester United has been in fairly solid form as well. The Red Devils haven't been flashy, but they, too have put nine points out of nine in the ledger domestically. The team was beaten 1-0 by FC Basel in the Champions League a week and a half ago, but that match won't end up being the end of the world.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
We just can't trust "The Chosen One" in this match. Manchester United is handicapped by Mourinho's horrid defensive tactics in matches like this one, and if Matic is out of the fold injured, that's going to be one less big time defensive piece to have in the puzzle.
Romelu Lukaku isn't a man who can take over an offense by himself. He needs a supporting case, and United just doesn't have that for him in these big matches. The chances of Manchester United scoring are slim.
Play Arsenal and the under.
English Premier League Odds: Arsenal 1, Manchester United 0
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