Preview: Arsenal v Man Utd | Pre-Match Report | News

Our FA Cup campaign gets underway with a mouthwatering clash against Manchester United on Sunday (3pm UK), as the two most successful clubs in the competition’s 153-year history battle for a spot in the fourth round.

United moved one behind our record 14 triumphs after beating Manchester City in the Wembley final last season, but much has changed since then with Erik ten Hag replaced by Ruben Amorim during a disastrous first half of the season for the Red Devils.

Just 39 days will have passed since we ran out 2-0 victors at Emirates Stadium over one of our traditional rivals, which was our fourth-straight home success over the red half of Manchester. Another will be required if we’re to be included in the draw following the game, with extra-time and penalties utilised if necessary to separate the teams with replays now scrapped.

Honeymoon period over

Amorim has endured a torrid start to his United tenure, with just two league wins clinched from nine matches, and they head to N5 winless in their five games. After drawing 1-1 with Ipswich Town and beating Everton in his first league matches in charge, we inflicted his first loss in the Red Devils dugout, and three days later Nottingham Forest ran out 3-2 victors at Old Trafford.

It seemed a corner had been turned when two goals in the dying embers against Manchester City saw them win at the Etihad Stadium 2-1, but after being dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Tottenham Hotspur, three successive losses without scoring against Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle United saw United plummet to 12th in the table.

A battling 2-2 draw at Liverpool on Sunday once again showed that there is still plenty of talent at Amorim’s disposal, United’s proud FA Cup history now comes under the microscope as they bid to avoid falling at the first hurdle of the competition for only the third time in the last 40 years. To do so, they will have to improve defensively, they are without a clean sheet in nine games and have conceded multiple times in all of their last five.

What the managers say

Arteta: “[The FA Cup] is a massive part of our history, we’ve won it 14 times and it is a competition very attached to us. It’s a beautiful game to play against a massive club, and a very special occasion as well with the amount supporters that they’re going to bring, so it’s a very big game.

“[United] played a little bit differently [against Liverpool]with the personnel that they used, the location of certain players. The characteristics of the players that they had dictate what they do, where they are, have more threat on both sides, to feet and in behind because in the end that’s what determines the behaviours of a team. It is different the last few weeks to when we played them here at home so I’m expecting a few different things.”

Amorim: “We are in a difficult moment, we are improving, we had some training, let’s put the best team to try to win and then we will focus on the next game. So my focus is more on our week. We had time to train, to rest, so I will choose the best team to win because we also want to win the cup.

“Sometimes, it’s better to win this kind of game and then you have less time to rest but your mind is so different that you can cope with the physical aspect of the game. So my focus now is different, it’s day by day, we just want to win this game and then we will think about the next one.”

Team news

Ethan Nwaneri remains out after picking up a groin issue against Brighton, joining Bukayo Saka, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu on the sidelines.

Having been cup-tied for the Carabao Cup, Neto is likely to be back in the matchday squad as he is eligible to feature in this competition.

Marcus Rashford missed the Liverpool match through illness but is also rumoured to be negotiating a move away from Old Trafford, while Mason Mount has sat out the last four games after limping off in the Manchester derby with a thigh issue.

Victor Lindelof has also been absent for the past few weeks with a muscular injury, while Luke Shaw has a hamstring problem. Amorim has confirmed that Altay Bayindir will feature in goal ahead of usual number one Andre Onana.

Talking tactics

Adrian Clarke, writing in the matchday programme: Amorim loves the 3-4-2-1 formation, and after a much-improved performance against Liverpool, it would be a surprise if there were any major tactical changes.

They were more abrasive in that game with both central midfielders regularly winning the ball back, and one of their three centre-backs regularly squeezed up to physically engage inside the engine room. United are good ball-winners – no Premier League team has won more tackles or made more interceptions.

They will look to use the smart movement of Rasmus Hojlund, as their sole striker, he is always on the move trying to curve his runs beyond the last defender, so through balls must be stopped at source, while Amad Diallo has delivered five goals and six assists across his last 14 appearances, usually playing as one of their twin No .10s.

Having leaked two goals from set pieces on their last visit to Emirates Stadium, they will be nervous every time we send a dead ball delivery into the danger zone. Defending crosses in general has been an issue, with nine headed goals finding their way into the back of the net, the second-highest tally in the top-flight.

Facts and stats

This is the 16th different FA Cup tie (excluding replays/second legs) between Arsenal and Manchester United, the second most in the competition’s history after Everton vs Liverpool (19), but the first in the third round.

We have eliminated the holders of the FA Cup on each of the last six occasions we’ve faced them, most recently beating Manchester City 2-0 in the 2019/20 semi-final.

United have won three of their last four FA Cup games against us, including their only previous meeting at the Emirates Stadium in the competition when they triumphed 3-1 in January 2019.

The Red Devils have eliminated us from the FA Cup more than any other side in the competition’s history (8), while we have knocked out United more than any other team (7).

We have been eliminated from the FA Cup at the third round stage in two of the last three seasons, having fallen at this hurdle in just one of the previous 25 campaigns. We last went out in the third round in consecutive seasons in 1994/95 (vs Millwall) and 1995/96 (vs Sheffield United).

Manchester United have progressed from the third round of the FA Cup in each of the last 10 campaigns, since a 2-1 loss to Swansea City in 2013/14.

Match officials

Andrew Madley has been handed control of this match, a swift return to Emirates Stadium after he oversaw our Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace last month. That was one of three wins we’ve had under his watch from five appointments.

Madley was the man in the middle for United’s final triumph over City at Wembley last May, while his only Red Devils game this season was a 5-2 win against Leicester City in the League Cup. They have won eight and lost three when he’s refereed them, which includes a 4-0 loss at Brighton, the famous 7-0 defeat at Anfield and a league derby defeat.

VAR will not be in operation during the third and fourth rounds of the competition, before coming into effect from the fifth round onwards.

Referee: Andrew Madley
Assistants: Nick Hopton, Craig Taylor
Fourth official: Michael Salisbury

United’s recent visits

The Red Devils’ record at our home in recent years has been poor, having not won on each of their last seven visits and losing the last four. It was only a month ago that they last left defeated when Jurrien Timber and William Saliba netted to hand us a 2-0 success and inflict Amorim’s first loss.

In September 2023, stoppage-time goals through Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus clinched a famous 3-1 victory, while another dramatic game occurred nine months earlier when we again tasted late success with a 3-2 win.

Eddie Nketiah netted twice – including a 90th-minute winner – and Bukayo Saka scored a wonderful strike from range to see us overcome Ten Hag’s team.

Live coverage

Tune into Arsenal.com and the official app from 30 minutes before kick-off where Nicole Holliday and Jeremie Aliadiere will be pitchside at Emirates Stadium to give you a flavour of the cup tie!

They’ll be joined by Love Island star and massive Gooner Josh Denzel, while three young people who have benefited from the No More Red initiative will tell us their stories.

Adrian Clarke brings you everything you need to know about United before joining Dan Roebuck on commentary to keep you up to date with everything going on during the game.

You can also find out which broadcasters are showing the action live wherever you are in the world.