Arsenal will try to continue their bid to wrest the league title away from three-time champions Manchester City when they visit Manchester United on Sunday.
City began the weekend with control of their fate, a point back of Arsenal (26-5-5, 83 points) but with a match in hand. Manchester City (26-3-7, 85 points), however, recorded a 4-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday to put the pressure back on Arsenal.
If Arsenal don’t win on Sunday, a Manchester City win in midweek at Tottenham could wrap up the league title.
“It’s literally a very clear situation that you have to focus and be determined to do what you have to do to be in the best possible position,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “That’s very simple and clear, and that’s what we are doing.”
The Gunners make the trip north with “doubts” over Bukayo Saka’s fitness, Arteta admitted, adding that his status will be clearer after training on Saturday.
The England international has 16 goals and eight assists for Arsenal, who have won both league matches he’s missed — including their 1-0 triumph over City in October.
Manchester United (16-13-6, 54 points) enter in the somewhat awkward position of being able to help their rival win the league while also wanting to respond after an embarrassing 4-0 loss at Crystal Palace last weekend.
The Red Devils have won only once in their past seven matches — defeating already relegated Sheffield United 4-2 — while navigating a heavy injury wave.
Even so, Erik ten Hag’s side entered the weekend in eighth and only three points back of sixth-place Newcastle with three matches to play. And Marcus Rashford, Lisandro Martinez, Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay all returned to training this week after absences.
ten Hag also has an FA Cup Final against Manchester City to think about at the end of the month in terms of how quickly he pushes players back into the squad.
“We always go in a game to win and not preparing for next game,” ten Hag said. “Of course (the FA Cup Final) is at the back of my mind but we want to put out a team that is competitive for Sunday and a team that is eager to win and produce the best team for Sunday to win that game.”
–Field Level Media