Two giants of English football meet in the FA Cup third round this weekend. Both Arsenal and Manchester United have had different seasons with both sides looking for a good cup competition triumph this campaign.
Arsenal hosted Manchester United in the league last month when the Gunners headed home two corners with Gabriel and William Saliba on the score sheet.
Manchester United defied the odds last season when they beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final and along with the Europa League, this competition could be one of their only ways of getting into Europe next season.
The last time Arsenal won this competition was back in August 2020, during the COVID pandemic when they beat Chelsea 2-1 with a brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Arsenal lost 2-0 to Newcastle United at the Emirates in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final and also drew 1-1 at Brighton, last weekend in the Premier League.
The Red Devils went off script at Anfield last weekend when they pulled off a 2-2 draw with goals from Lisandro Martinez and Amad Diallo. Now, Ruben Amorim faces his first-ever game in the FA Cup.
The last time these two sides met in the FA Cup was back in the fourth round in 2019. Manchester United won 3-1 with the United goals coming from Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial and former Gunner Alexis Sanchez.
This heavy weight game could easily go anyway on Sunday with a place in the fourth round of the cup at stake.
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Team News
The Gunners have quite a few injury problems with Bukayo Saka still out with a thigh problem.
Youngster Ethan Nwaneri, who seemed to have taken Saka's place, is also on the sidelines along with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Raheem Sterling is fit again after illness for the Gunners and if Arsenal are to rotate, he could feature at the Emirates Stadium.
Ruben Amorim has already confirmed that second choice goalkeeper Altay Bayindr will start for the Reds with Marcus Rashford being made available again after an illness, despite the transfer rumours surrounding him.
Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans all remain out. There are doubts are about Amad too who has a little injury but could still feature.
. Likely line ups
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Rice, Merino; Jesus, Havertz, Martinelli.
Bayindir; De Ligt, Maguire, Martinez; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot; Diallo, Fernandes; Hojlund
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Key Players
Arsenal - Kai Havertz
With no Saka or Nwaneri, it's hard to pick one key player as there are plenty in the Gunners side.
However, Havertz has had a reasonably good time at Arsenal so far and is often among the goals with 12 to his name so far this season.
He also lost the FA Cup final twice in a row with Chelsea so he will be looking to maybe get a bit of redemption in this competition.
Manchester United - Amad Diallo
If he's fit, Amad could really be the deal breaker for Manchester United. The young Ivorian has impressed all at Old Trafford since Erik Ten Hag's departure in October.
The right winger has also signed a new contract this week, keeping him at the club until 2030 which has gone down a treat for United fans.
Amad has scored away at Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the last month. Can he add Arsenal now to that list?
. Match details
Where is the game being played?
This game is being played at the Emirates Stadium in North London which has a capacity of 60, 704.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off down in North London is at 15:00 BST on Sunday 12th January 2025.
Where can I watch the game?
The match is being shown on BBC One with coverage getting underway at 14:35 BST.
