Charlie Nicholas has predicted that Arsenal will heap more misery on Man United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when the two sides meet on Monday.
United have been very unconvincing in recent games – they only just squeaked past Rochdale in the Carabao Cup on penalties and lost their last game in the Premier League 2-0 to West Ham.
Arsenal are on a run of three successive wins and beat Nottingham Forest 5-0 in the cup in midweek.
“I am laughing already because we have a tale of two bad defences,” Nicholas said in his regular column on Sky Sports.
“Man United have one of the best keepers in the world in David de Gea and the most expensive defender in the world in £80m Harry Maguire. They got picked apart against West Ham and were nowhere near to earning anything from the match. Arsenal have five captains supposedly! Let the games begin!
“Who is fit for Manchester United? Marcus Rashford is out; is Anthony Martial ready?
“If Arsenal can play a more structured game on the counter-attack, I think they will come away with all three points.
“Man United will try to dominate the midfield with aggression, with Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba.
“Aubameyang and Pepe had chances against Liverpool at Anfield and if they get these chances against Man United I think they will take them. It will make life easier for Arsenal’s defence with Man United’s depleted frontline.”
Nicholas predicted the score would end 2-1 to Arsenal.
Solksjaer under fire
Man United haven’t had a great start to the season, winning just two of their six Premier League games so far.
A defeat against Arsenal will heap more pressure on Solksjaer, who is starting to look out of his depth at Old Trafford.
He won 14 of his first 19 games in charge of the club, which led to him being made permanent manager on March 28.
Since then, he’s only won four, lost eight and drawn four games and it’s already looking like it’s going to be a struggle to keep pace with the top-four sides in the league.
However, United have won three of the last five against Arsenal and haven’t lost to the Gunners at Old Trafford since the FA Cup game in 2015.
The bookies disagree with Nicholas and have Man United as 5/4 favourites to win, with Arsenal nudging 2/1 to claim all three points.
BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson thinks that the game will end in a 1-1 score draw.