Matchday of the FA Cup Round of 16 between Arsenal and Manchester United will take place on January 12 at the Emirates Stadium in London. Arsenal vs. Manchester United: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Andy Madley (England)
Matches – 11 (Premier League and English League Cup, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 43;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.9;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 18%.
Predicted lineups for Arsenal vs. Manchester United
Arsenal (4-3-3): David Raya – William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Jurrien Timber, Myles Lewis-Skelly – Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz – Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli.
Manchester United (3-4-2-1): André Onana – Lisandro Martínez, Leni Yoro, Harry Maguire – Diogo Dalot, Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte, Noussair Mazraoui – Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo – Rasmus Højlund.
Arsenal
Arsenal is the most successful club in the FA Cup with 14 trophies. The team last won this tournament in the 2019/20 season, defeating Chelsea 2-1 in the final. Since then, the Londoners have lost interest in the Cup and have not progressed beyond the Round of 16. Last season, Mikel Arteta's side was knocked out in their first stage, losing to Liverpool (0-2).
- The club has secured only one victory in regular time in their last six matches in this tournament (1 draw and 4 losses).
- At least one team failed to score in the last six FA Cup matches involving Arsenal.
- No more than three goals have been scored in regular time in Arsenal's last 12 games in this tournament.
Manchester United
The Red Devils have the second-highest number of FA Cup trophies with 13. Their last victory came last year when they defeated Manchester City 2-1 in the tournament's final. Interestingly, the previous season's final also featured a Manchester derby, but City emerged victorious. That defeat to Pep Guardiola's side is Manchester United's only loss in regular time in their last 14 FA Cup matches (9 wins and 4 draws).
- At least three goals have been scored in regular time in 9 of Manchester United's last 12 games in this tournament.
- Both teams scored in 10 of Manchester United's last 13 FA Cup matches.
- The club has suffered only one first-half defeat in their last 18 FA Cup matches (7 wins and 10 draws).
Arsenal vs. Manchester United: Match Prediction
The Londoners are competing for four trophies by mid-January. The team is among the top four in the Premier League and Champions League. Additionally, Mikel Arteta's side has reached the semi-finals of the English League Cup. In my opinion, the FA Cup is not a priority for Arsenal, and the team is unlikely to play at full strength in the upcoming match. This has been their approach in the last four editions of this tournament.
On the other hand, the FA Cup is important for Manchester United. The club reached the final of this tournament in the last two seasons, somewhat compensating for their league shortcomings. It's also worth noting that the Red Devils perform well away in the FA Cup – in the last 20 years, they have only lost in regular time by more than one goal difference once.
I think the hosts will likely play a second-string team, with the main squad preparing for the derby against Tottenham in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Ruben Amorim will focus on progressing as far as possible in this tournament. Nevertheless, with some caution, I suggest the prediction: Manchester United with a handicap (+1)
