Manchester United vs. Arsenal Preview

Manchester United will host Arsenal at Old Trafford tomorrow. These two teams met twice last season. In August 2011, the Red Devils exploded for an incredible 8-2 win at Old Trafford. Manchester United won 2-1 thanks to a late Danny Welbeck goal in the reverse fixture at the Emirates in January.

Much of the pre-game talk has centered around Robin van Persie, as he prepares to face his former team for the first time since moving to Old Trafford in the summer. The 29-year-old has made a superb start at United, scoring seven goals in just nine Premier League games so far.

Manchester United comes into this game sitting second in the standings with 21 points from nine games. Their most recent game occurred on Wednesday when Chelsea defeated them 5-4 in a Capital One Cup tie. Last weekend though, the Red Devils won 3-2 in a Premier League game against Chelsea and that had been their fifth straight win across two competitions. The Red Devils currently top their group in the UEFA Champions League with nine points in three games.

Arsenal is in sixth place in the Premier League table with 15 points from nine games. Their most recent match was a wild affair as they came back from an 0-4 deficit to beat Reading 7-5 in a Capital One Cup contest last Tuesday. Overall though, Arsenal's recent form has been somewhat shaky. Before last weekend's 1-0 win against Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League, they had lost two successive games against Schalke '04 in Europe and against Norwich City in the Premier League. The Gunners currently sit second in their UEFA Champions League group with six points from three games.

Arsenal has conceded just 6 goals so far this season, while Manchester United has looked vulnerable, conceding 13 goals already. Uncharacteristically, the Gunners have scored just 14 goals in nine games compared to United's 24. However, following Tuesday night's offensive display, the Gunners attack may have awaken and I see both teams creating a lot of chances in this game. Look for a high-scoring game, take over 3.

Odds:

Manchester United -165
Arsenal +375

Draw +250

Over/Under 3 (-115)

Odds provided by America's Bookie