Preview: Arsenal vs Sheffield United – prediction, team news, line-ups

Arsenal return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon, taking on newly promoted Sheffield United at the Emirates Stadium.

Fresh from their successful trip to Spain, Mikel Arteta’s side lock horns with the Blades, who are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League standings.

The Gunners are overwhelming favourites to emerge victorious from the clash, and supporters can buy Arsenal vs Sheffield United tickets at Seatsnet.com to witness the action live.

Arsenal head into the weekend fixture after seeing off a tricky challenge from Spanish strugglers Sevilla, running out 2-1 winners at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

Brazilian trio Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli combined to hand the Gunners a hard-fought lead on the stroke of half time.

Jesus completed a delightful turn and fed Martinelli, who finished off the move with a composed effort that broke the deadlock after a fierce end-to-end battle.

Jesus then bagged a goal for himself with a pinpoint strike early in the second half, sealing a performance that earned him a Man of the Match award after the game.

However, things took an interesting turn when Nemanja Gudelj’s bullet header cut rippled the net, handing Sevilla a sight at redemption just before the hour mark.

David Raya, who has come under intense scrutiny following a handful of shaky performances, then handed the Arsenal faithful a huge scare when he misjudged the flight of an injury-time cross. 

However, the under-fire Spanish shot-stopper was offered a reprieve as his fluffed punch landed harmlessly on the roof of the net.

The Gunners survive late pressure from Sevilla to establish themselves at the summit of their Champions League Group B. They will now be looking to return to winning ways in the Premier League.

Having lost ground on Premier League leaders Tottenham Hotspur following their 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal welcome United sitting third in the standings.

Their unbeaten streak in the league remains intact, but they sit level on points with Manchester City and two behind their high-flying North London rivals.

Having failed to register a single victory all season, United resumed from the international break with renewed vigour and left everything on the pitch despite their 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.

Erik ten Hag’s side drew first blood through a tame volley from the in-form Scott McTominay, but the Blades responded five minutes later as Oliver McBurnie rifled home a leveller from the penalty spot. 

Determined to depart Old Trafford with a positive result, Paul Heckingbottom’s side set up a resilient wall to keep Man United away from Wesley Foderingham’s goal.

Ten Hag’s men found it difficult to break United down, but a spectacular strike from Diogo Dalot sealed maximum points for the beleaguered Red Devils.

Despite their brave performance against Man United, the Blades remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League standings after picking up just one point from nine games thus far.

United’s 2-2 draw against Everton at the start of September represents their solitary point this season, with each of their last five Premier League matches ending in defeat.

They have shipped in 17 goals in that span, conceding an average of two goals per match while boasting a paltry three goals on the other end of the pitch.

United are the only side in the Premier League yet to pick up a single point on their travels, and they could be in for another frustrating outing when they visit the title contenders this weekend.

Match preview

Arsenal

Arsenal are expected to emerge victorious when they take on United, extending their 18-match unbeaten streak in all competitions (W13, D5) against the Blades since losing 1-0 in August 1971.

They are also unbeaten in 36 league games against promoted sides on home turf since 2010 (W31, D5), suggesting another routine three points could be on the cards.

Arsenal’s unbeaten streak is not the only impressive record in their campaign thus far. They have also kept the most clean sheets of any side in the division heading into the weekend round of fixtures (4).

Following their 1-0 win against Man City before the international break, Arteta’s side are looking to record consecutive home clean sheets in the league for the first time since December 2021 (a run of four).

Bukayo Saka has been in impressive form for the Gunners this season, recording a goal contribution in seven of his eight league appearances, including his last six in a row.

He could be the first Arsenal player to score or assist in seven consecutive league games since Alexis Sanchez (April 2016) and the first Englishman to achieve the feat since Ian Wright (November 1994).

Sheffield United

United have won just two of their 32 Premier League visits to London sides (D8, L22), with their last such victory coming against Crystal Palace in 2020.

Since that Palace victory, the Blades have lost their last nine Premier League fixtures in the capital, which doesn’t bode well for their chances of emerging from the Emirates with a positive result.

Their record against Arsenal also offers little for fans to be optimistic about, having won just two of their last 19 league meetings with the Gunners. 

Those victories came in consecutive meetings at Bramall Lane in December 2006 and October 2019, but the Emirates has not been a happy hunting ground for the Blades.

Conceding first may not faze Heckingbottom’s side, considering they have scored more equalising goals in the Premier League this season than any other side in the division (5). 

However, building on their equaliser remains an unsolved puzzle for the Blades, who have gone on to lose four of the five games in which they’ve levelled the scores so far.

United remain winless in the league, taking just one point from nine games (L8) and are on course to match their record from 2020/21, when they collected an equivalent points tally from their opening ten fixtures.

Team News

Arsenal face an anxious wait over the fitness of Gabriel Jesus after he was forced off with a hamstring issue late in the win over Sevilla. 

The Brazilian played down the severity of the injury but remains a doubt for the weekend encounter alongside Thomas Partey, who picked up a muscle injury in the build-up to the Champions League fixture.

Meanwhile, United have been one of the unlucky teams plagued with a concerning number of absentees, including Chris Basham and John Egan.

Anel Ahmedhodzic is the latest addition to the treatment room with a hamstring injury, while McBurnie was forced off against Man United with a groin problem.

Arsenal potential starting line-up:

(4-3-3): David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Martin Odegaard, Jorginho, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Martinelli.

Sheffield United potential starting line-up:

(4-4-2): Wesley Foderingham; Jayden Bogle, Auston Trusty, Jack Robinson, Luke Thomas; James McAtee, Vinicius Souza, Oliver Norwood, Gustavo Hamer; Cameron Archer, Rhian Brewster.

We Say: Arsenal 3-0 Sheffield United

United’s efforts against Man United should be applauded, but the relegation contenders should be no match for Arsenal, especially with a ravaged backline.

Barring any plot twists, we can envisage a high-scoring thumping at the Emirates, with Arsenal emerging comfortable victors.