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Live sport on SN this weekendEPL preview: Rejuvenated Man Utd out to halt Arsenal's title charge
AP • January 23rd, 2026 8:21 am
Arsenal are fresh from a big win over Inter Milan at the San Siro Stadium | Photo: EPA
Arsenal versus Manchester United is a fixture that's lost its lustre since the days when they were scrapping for Premier League titles with such ferocity that clashes between the sides invariably reached boiling point.
They shared out the title between them for nine seasons between 1996 and 2004, with Alex Ferguson's United taking six and Arsene Wenger's Arsenal prevailing on three occasions.
But United have been a fading force since Ferguson's reign ended with the 2012-13 title, while Arsenal haven't been champions since their Invincibles ruled the roost in 2003-04.
After three successive runners-up finishes, Arsenal are red-hot favourites to end that long wait this season and have opened a seven-point lead at the top over stuttering Manchester City and Aston Villa.
They host United on Monday (NZ time) and while their visitors are, once again, not in the title equation, the match has suddenly gone from being what most assumed would be a comfortable home win to a fixture that could rekindle memories of old.
The sacking of manager Ruben Amorim this month ended another chapter of woe for United, but the appointment of former midfielder Michael Carrick on a caretaker basis until the end of the season sparked an astonishing reaction last weekend.
Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo scores the first goal in their derby win over City | Photo: EPA
United's 2-0 'thrashing' of City at Old Trafford seemed to banish the gloom at a stroke -- with Carrick's side ripping Pep Guardiola's title contenders to shreds with the kind of swashbuckling football that has been beyond them for so long.
While Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side have a comfortable cushion at the top, they have drawn their last two league matches 0-0 and will be wary of a United side who will be eager to prove last weekend was no flash in the pan.
Although trailing Arsenal by 15 points, United are fifth, one point behind fourth-placed champions Liverpool, and with genuine hopes of qualifying for the Champions League after the ignominy of being absent from Europe this season.
Man City's dreadful run has left them playing catch-up again, with the Old Trafford loss and Wednesday's Champions League humiliation at Bodo/Glimt threatening to derail their season.
A home game against bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday should allow them to reset, although with the visitors showing signs of life nothing will be taken for granted.
Manchester City | Photo: AP
Unai Emery's Villa also need a quick bounce back after a draw at Crystal Palace followed by their first home defeat of the season against Everton last week. Villa face a tricky trip to Newcastle United on Monday.
The weekend's action begins at the London Stadium on Sunday with relegation battlers West Ham United hosting Sunderland, hoping to use last week's morale-boosting win at Tottenham Hotspur to kick-start their escape bid.
They are in 18th spot, five points behind Nottingham Forest who go to seventh-placed Brentford on Monday.
Liverpool travel to Bournemouth on Sunday knowing they are in a scrap to make next season's Champions League. After four successive draws, Arne Slot's side are only just ahead of United and two points better off then Chelsea, who go to Crystal Palace on Monday.
Spurs manager Thomas Frank bought himself some time as they beat Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday but the Dane will be back in the firing line at second-from-bottom Burnley on Sunday.
Lose that and the vultures will be circling again.
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