One of the most anticipated fixtures of the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign is Manchester United against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
The only way is up for Manchester United
Last season was a disastrous campaign for Manchester United; they finished 15th and lost in the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur. Ruben Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag partway through the season, but results did not improve.
Now, Amorim has had a full pre-season and has been able to recruit some key forwards; expectations will be high on him to improve on last season. The United manager is brutally honest at times and has kept expectations realistic by saying his side is not ready to win the division.
Qualifying for Europe would be a success for the Red Devils. Their new signings, Benjamin Šeško, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo, will be hoping to buck the trend of failed United forwards in recent campaigns.
Arsenal finally have a new striker
It was believed that the missing piece in Arsenal's roster was a proven goalscorer. They now have Viktor Gyökeres, who starred in the Portuguese league last season. However, this weekend, he is up against his old boss at Sporting Lisbon, Amorim. The United coach will know how to nullify his former player, so Gyökeres will need to be on form.
There is pressure on Gyökeres to succeed, but it remains to be seen if he can translate his performances at Sporting to the Premier League. The striker has experience of English soccer, having been at Brighton and played for Coventry City in the Championship. It is now time for him to prove what he can do in the best division in the world.
Team news and predicted lineups
Mason Mount started United's final pre-season game in a false number nine role. Amorim could continue with this and have Šeško come in off the bench.
Man United predicted lineup: Bayındır, Maguire, Yoro, Heaven, Diallo, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu, Mbeumo, Mount, Cunha
It appears Gyökeres has already settled in at Arsenal, notably scoring in the Emirates Cup final against Athletic Bilbao. He is ready to lead the line for the Gunners.
Arsenal predicted lineup: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Gyökeres, Martinelli
Historical context and prediction
Arsenal against United was a fierce rivalry in the Premier League when Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger's teams were battling for titles. United have not been the same side since Ferguson retired. Whilst the Gunners struggled late on in Wenger's tenure. They then had trouble trying to replace him, but Arteta has steadied the ship.
Arteta needs to win a Premier League title if his time as Arsenal's manager is to be deemed a success. They now have the squad to do it with the signing of Gyökeres. They will be expected to challenge the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City for the trophy. They cannot afford to drop needless points and should beat United this Sunday. Away from home, it will be tricky, but a 2-1 win is a safe prediction.
How to watch Manchester United vs. Arsenal
United will take on Arsenal at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 17. The match will be televised on NBC, Telemundo, and can be streamed on Fubo.tv (free seven-day trial).