The Gunners are out to bring an end to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s winning streak and they have wind in their sails after making light work of Chelsea
The fourth round of the FA Cup kicks off on Friday when the competition’s two most successful clubs, Arsenal and Manchester United, lock horns at the Emirates Stadium.
Unai Emery’s side come into the game on the back of a convincing 2-0 victory over Chelsea and they will be eager to build on that performance as they look to end an inconsistent streak.
However, they face a serious test in the form of the resurgent Red Devils, who have strung together a record-breaking seven consecutive victories under the guidance of interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The sides could not be separated when they last met in December at Old Trafford, but scenarios at both clubs have altered significantly since then so fans should expect an entirely different affair.
| Game | Arsenal vs Manchester United |
| Date | Friday, January 25 |
| Time | 7:55pm GMT / 2:55pm ET |
In the United States (US), the game can be streamed live online on ESPN+.
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| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | ESPN+ |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be shown live on TV via BBC One and it can be streamed live online using the BBC iPlayer app.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| BBC One | BBC iPlayer |
| Position | Arsenal squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Cech, Leno, Martinez |
| Defenders | Sokratis, Koscielny, Mustafi, Lichtsteiner, Monreal, Jenkinson, Kolasinac, Medley, Mavropanos, Osei-Tutu, Pleguezuelo |
| Midfielders | Elneny, Ramsey, Ozil, Torreira, Maitland-Niles, Iwobi, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Smith Rowe, Willock, Saka, Gilmour |
| Forwards | Lacazette, Aubameyang, Nketiah, John-Jules |
Arsenal make three changes to the side that beat Chelsea 2-0 in the Premier League last weekend with Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Petr Cech and Alex Iwobi all coming in. Mesut Ozil again has to make do with a place on the bench but Danny Welbeck and Henrikh Mkhitaryan aren’t yet fit to return.
Arsenal XI: Cech; Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Koscielny, Kolasinac; Torreira, Xhaka, Iwobi, Ramsey; Aubameyang, Lacazette.
Subs: Leno, Mustafi, Montreal, Lichtsteiner, Eleneny, Guendouzi, Ozil.
| Position | Man Utd squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Grant, Romero, Pereira |
| Defenders | Lindelof, Bailly, Jones, Smalling, Rojo, Young, Dalot, Shaw, Darmian |
| Midfielders | Pogba, Mata, Lingard, Andreas, Fred, Herrera, Fellaini, Matic, McTominay, Gomes, Garner, Greenwood |
| Forwards | Sanchez, Lukaku, Martial, Rashford, Chong |
Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez have both been recalled to the starting XI as Solskjaer makes five changes to the side that beat Brighton last weekend. Sergio Romero starts in goal with David de Gea rested from the squad. Defenders Eric Bailly and Luke Shaw also come in with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial on the bench.
Man Utd XI: Romero; Young, Lindelof, Bailly, Shaw; Herrers, Matic, Pogba, Lingard; Alexis, Lukaku.
Subs: Grant, Dalot, Jones, Fred, Mata, Martial, Rashford.
Home side Arsenal are narrow favourites to win the match, with bet365 giving odds of 31/20 on a Gunners victory. United are priced at 9/5 to win in north London and a draw is available at 13/5.
Click here to see more offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.
Manchester United have been riding the crest of a wave since Solskjaer’s return to Old Trafford and their upturn in fortunes has shown little sign of slowing down as they seek their eighth win in a row.
The Norwegian has scythed the gap to the Gunners in the Premier League to the point where they are now level on points and he will be desperate to ensure the run continues by knocking their long-standing rivals out.
Historically, games between the sides have been packed full of incident and, while both teams have fallen short of their usual high standards in recent years, a knockout tie has plenty of potential.
“When you get the draw and you see that it’s Arsenal, it’s one of those ‘wow’ moments,” Solskjaer told the official Manchester United website ahead of the game.
“It’s a tough one but it’s a fantastic challenge. We’ve played Arsenal so many times in the FA Cup.
“I’ve actually played in two semi-finals against them in 1999 and 2004 and we won both of them, so let’s hope that’s a good sign.”
Emery is relishing the prospect of coming up against the resurgent Red Devils and believes that a win at home can serve as a springboard.
“For this competition, it’s the best match to play,” the Spanish coach told reporters.
“We are looking forward to playing this match on Friday because it’s at our stadium, the Emirates, in front of our supporters.
“We feel very well in front of them and we want to create a new atmosphere over 90 minutes on Friday, together with our supporters.”
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