Arsenal are unbeaten in five league meetings with Manchester United, losing only two of the last 14, although they've won only three of 22 visits to Old Trafford in the last 19 years.
All seven of the Gunners' league victories at Old Trafford since 1979 have been by the same 1-0 scoreline, coming in '85, '90, '98, 2002, 2006, 2020 and last year.
Manchester United vs Arsenal preview
Will this finally be the year Arsenal end their wait for the Premier League title? The Gunners have now finished runners-up in each of the last three seasons, running Manchester City extremely close in both of the first two, but finishing a very distant second to Liverpool last time round. Four clubs previously, most-recently Arsenal between 1999 and 2001, have been second in three consecutive seasons, but no club in English top flight history has done so four years in a row, not yet anyway.
In an attempt to finally take that final step, Mikel Arteta has made six new signings this summer, also hoping for better luck, having been massively derailed by injuries throughout the last campaign. However, a fast start won't be easy, considering Arsenal also have Liverpool (A), Man City (H) and Newcastle (A) on their schedule before the end of September. Nevertheless, the Gunners are unbeaten in 21 Premier League fixtures against other members of the so-called "big six", which should give supporters confidence, but this opening weekend away game will do a lot to set the tone.
As for Manchester United, the good news is that this season can't possibly be any worse than last. The Red Devils ended up 15th in the table, their lowest finish since being relegated in 1974, suffering nine home defeats, winning only thrice after 26 January, and two of those came against Ipswich and Leicester, who are no longer in the division. Thus, by the end, all of Man United's eggs were in the Europa League basket, most-notably producing an astonishing comeback to dump out Olympique Lyonnais in the quarter-finals, scoring three goals in eight astonishing extra time minutes.
However, once in Bilbao, the Red Devils barely mustered a shot of note, limply defeated 1-0 by an equally catastrophic Spurs side. So, the positive to come from this is that Rúben Amorim's team will have no European football to content with, giving him many more hours on the training ground, but therefore under extra pressure to deliver results. Since Amorim was appointed in November, only Everton, Southampton, Ipswich and Aston Villa have left Old Trafford defeated in the Premier League, suffering seven loses from 13 outings, so all logic suggests Arsenal have to be strong favourites.
Manchester United vs Arsenal head-to-head record
- Matches Played: 243.
- Manchester United Wins: 102. Draws: 51. Arsenal Wins: 90.
Manchester United team news
Manchester United have a new-look attack, spending around £207 million to recruit Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško, all of whom are forecast to make their debuts on Sunday.
This means Bruno Fernandes will drop into midfield, but the identity of his partner remains unclear; Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo have all started during pre-season. In goal, Altay Bayındır started four of five pre-season fixtures, Tom Heaton donning the gloves for the other, but André Onana has been declared fit following a hamstring injury, so will he return straight away?
Defenders Lisandro Martínez and Noussair Mazraoui remain sidelined, so could Ayden Heaven start against his former club, having been in the lineup for last weekend's draw with Fiorentina?
Manchester United predicted lineup vs Arsenal: (3-4-3): Onana; Yoro, Maguire, de Ligt; Amad, Mainoo, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Cunha, Šeško.
Manchester United player to watch vs Arsenal
Benjamin Šeško appeared set to join Arsenal for much of this summer, so will he mark his Manchester United debut with a crucial goal; the script feels written, does it not?
Arsenal team news
Mikel Arteta tends to give his opening weekend lineup a run out in Arsenal's final pre-season fixture, so we're forecasting he'll name the same side that beat Athletic Club 3-0 last Saturday.
The main question marks come at full-back, where Riccardo Calafiori got the nod, but it is very feasible that Myles Lewis-Skelly will be restored. On the opposite side, in something of a rarity, Jurriën Timber and Benjamin White are both fit at the same time, so the right-back spot is set to see a timeshare agreement while that remains the case, with the former viewed as more defensively solid.
Elsewhere, there will be debuts for Martín Zubimendi and Viktor Gyökeres, more on him later, with fellow new recruits Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Nørgaard and Noni Madueke waiting in reserve. Bukayo Saka has scored three in his last six against Man United, so will he improve that ratio?
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Manchester United: (4-3-3): Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Ødegaard; Saka, Martinelli, Gyökeres.
Arsenal player to watch vs Manchester United
There is so much excitement about Viktor Gyökeres, given that he scored 97 goals in two seasons at Sporting CP. During his Brighton career though, the Swedish striker never made his Premier League debut, an unused substitute three times, so will he mark the occasions by scoring against his former manager Amorim?
Manchester United vs Arsenal prediction
This blockbuster opening weekend fixture is likely to be entertaining and high-scoring, and we're backing Arsenal to claim a statement win at Old Trafford: Manchester United 1-3 Arsenal.
Manchester United vs Arsenal FAQs - Premier League
How to watch Manchester United vs Arsenal in the Premier League on TV channel?
Manchester United vs Arsenal in the Premier League will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League & Ultra HD.
- USA: fuboTV, NBC, Telemundo & Deportes En Vivo
- Canada: Fubo Sports Network Canada
How to watch Manchester United vs Arsenal in the Premier League on live streaming?
Manchester United vs Arsenal in the Premier League will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: SkyGo & NOW TV.
- USA: fuboTV, nbcsports.com, USA Network & Telemundo
- Canada: fuboTV Canada
What is the date and kick-off time for Manchester United vs Arsenal in the Premier League?
Manchester United vs Arsenal takes place on Sunday 17 August 2025, with kick off at 16:30 (BST), 11:30 (EDT) & 8:30 (PDT).