Arsenal vs. Manchester United: Influencer Predictions from Both Sides

In search of a balanced approach to predictions, B/R's James McNicholas and Paul Ansorge spoke to various people who cover Arsenal and Manchester United respectively in order to find out what they think will happen in Saturday's clash between the sides. 

Given the Gunners have home advantage, it only seemed fair to start with them.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Andy Ha—Social Media Editor of Football.London

Twitter: @_AndyHa

Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Manchester United

With Arsenal going for 13 Premier League wins in a row at the Emirates Stadium, home advantage could hand Arsene Wenger's side the edge. 

Alexandre Lacazette's injury is a blow, but if Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez repeat their performances from the north London derby, I'm backing Arsenal to make it back-to-back wins over United.

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Sima—Host of the Highbury & Heels Podcast

Twitter: @simaelamine

Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Manchester United

With confidence high, Ozil back and all our attacking players scoring against Huddersfield Town on Wednesday, we should have the right mentality going into the game. Even if Lacazette is injured, the Olivier Giroud and Ozil partnership is still strong. Nacho Monreal, Laurent Koscielny and Petr Cech are also high on confidence.

Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Jonny Singer—Football Writer

Twitter: @Jonny_Singer

Prediction: Arsenal 0-2 Manchester United

Arsenal look good right now. Really good. And United are beatable if they play like they did at Watford on Tuesday. So this is only going one way.

Jose Mourinho will send his team out to sit deep, frustrate and commit lots of niggly fouls. Arsenal will fail to score, get more and more frustrated and concede a terrible opener (I suspect Granit Xhaka slipping and Koscielny being six miles out of position). Then as Arsenal push for an equaliser, pace will kill them on the break.

Paul—Part of the Arsenal Vision Post-Match Podcast

Twitter: @PoznaninmyPants

Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United

A prediction for Arsenal vs. United? I can't even predict the final score of that Huddersfield game we just won. 5-0? 1-1? 7-5? It's still too early to tell. We were about as controlled against Huddersfield as the bones a Medicine Man tosses into the air to tell the future.

The bad news for Gooners is the bones see a Lacazette-less Arsenal drawing 1-1 against United on Saturday in a turgid, tactical affair, with Mourinho smiling as he uses his inside knowledge to neutralise Ozil to grind out a point. Hopefully he was high on peyote. The Medicine Man, not Mourinho.

Tim Payton—Arsenal Supporters' Trust

Twitter: @TimPayton

Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United

Mourinho teams are hard to break down, and Arsenal will need to be stronger and pass better in and from central midfield. Much will depend on the performances of Sanchez and Ozil. It's been encouraging to see their recent good form. Overall, I expect a tight game of few chances and the points to be shared.

ADRIAN DENNIS/Getty Images

Gingers for Limpar—Arsenal Blogger

Twitter: @Gingers4Limpar

Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United

There's little reason to think Mourinho will radically change his approach to big away games; United will visit north London with the primary aim of not losing the match. The two managers have drawn many of their clashes over the years, and don't be surprised if this is another stalemate.

Arsenal's home form is strong enough to score at least once, but United's exceptional array of expensive talent should find a way to take advantage of the home side's weaknesses in order to come away with a point.

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Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Sam Homewood—Host at Full Time Devils

Twitter: @SamHomewood

Prediction: Arsenal 0-1 Manchester United 

I think the game will be boring. I can't think of the last time we played a top side and it was thrilling, although I'm sure Chelsea fans disagree about how enjoyable last season's game at Stamford Bridge was. I'd like to see some '90s fight return to this game, but I can't see it happening.

I'm going 1-0 to United because I'll always predict a United victory because I'm a biased fan and that's what I want to happen. A goalless draw seems possible until you consider the immense presence of Ashley Young, and I must conclude with the prediction he'll score at least one.

Scott Patterson—ESPN FC and Republik of Mancunia

Twitter: @R_o_M

Prediction: Arsenal 0-0 Manchester United or Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United 

It will be a low-scoring draw. 0-0 or 1-1. Mourinho to do what Mourinho does. If Romelu Lukaku was in better goal scoring form, I might have fancied him for the winner.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Richard Cann—Co-Host, Red Voices Podcast

Twitter:  @RichardCann76

Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United

After Tuesday's win at Watford, United can go to the Emirates full of confidence, but winning at Arsenal will still need a herculean effort. Mourinho's team will have to break their barren run away at top-six sides, and it will likely be a game of fine margins. We know the approach we'll see: three at the back, compact and hoping to counter with menace.

Nemanja Matic would be vital, but either exhaustion, injury or both led to his substitution at Vicarage Road, putting a question mark over his involvement. Ander Herrera has been a dire alternative this year. Victor Lindelof and the exhilarating Anthony Martial's form has promising. As has Marcos Rojo's return, but Romelu Lukaku continues to toil.

The return of Eric Bailly or Phil Jones could add some defensive steel. United have also had a habit of cruising in recent games, and Arsenal would surely take advantage. I can't see a clean sheet, but I'll back United to break their goalscoring top-six hoodoo and call a 1-1.

Adam McKola—Host, Full Time Devils and Adam McKola TV

Twitter: @AdamMcKola

Prediction: Draw 

Heart says win. Head says draw. Jose will go into it not wanting to lose the game rather than going to win it. That is frustrating because if we get at this Arsenal team, we should comfortably beat them.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press/Associated Press

Paul Ansorge—Bleacher Report, Co-Host of the United Rant Cast

Twitter: @UtdRantCast

Prediction: Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United 

Given the relative lack of optimism among the United gang here, I thought I'd jump in with a prediction of my own.

Mourinho has a real opportunity available to him. Unlike the games against Liverpool at Anfield and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, United's injury problems are pretty minimal. By which I mean Paul Pogba is available. With Pogba around and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in contention for a few minutes at least, United possess the weapons to trouble Arsenal, particularly with Martial in the form he has been in of late.

And given Arsenal have plenty of weapons with which to hurt a United side that have yet to prove they can be organised enough to withstand a sustained assault, Mourinho could benefit from taking the kind of "attack is the best form of defence" approach that has generally been anathema to him. If he does, it would likely surprise Arsenal and could give them a little trouble.

But what will really happen is he will try to park the bus and United will concede a late Giroud header.

Quotations obtained firsthand by James McNicholas and Paul Ansorge.