Manchester United

Hello, and welcome to The Athletic's coverage of this afternoon's top-four Premier League battle between Arsenal and Manchester United.

It's wonderful play from Sancho to tee up Matic for the cross. 34' Arsenal 2-1 Man Utd 40' Arsenal 2-1 Man Utd De Gea is equal to it and parries it clear. His fierce effort is saved, though. Dalot is played in down the right and he tries to beat Ramsdale at his near post.

A surprise 4-2 win at Chelsea on Wednesday brought the Gunners level on points with Tottenham with the north London derby looming large on the horizon; between ...

[The players] were as disappointed as we all were, so it's now up to the players and us to show a reaction on the pitch tomorrow." Here is how you can watch the game and what you need to know: It might no longer be the battle for English footballing supremacy that it was 20 years ago, but there is plenty at stake when Arsenal face Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium with both sides looking to stay in the top four race.

The England international may be left out of the United starting XI at the Emirates on Saturday lunchtime by Ralf Rangnick.

One key change looks set to be made in the United defence, however, with Maguire dropping out of the side. We all know how difficult it is to go to Anfield. They have really good moments in the season, they have exceptional players, and they have the ability to beat any team." With United confirming the arrival of Erik ten Hag from next season, there could be a number of players with a point to prove.

Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick says Manchester United need a 'major operation' to fulfil the club's potential.

"There were also other people involved in those two clubs, people in certain positions, no matter what area it was, in order to rebuild and build something we want to build here. “I still see where we could develop. "This is something that not just one single person as a manager can do. "The most vital part is that the club manages to get in the best possible players, and we have the attitude, the energy. “Obviously, he needs the assistance of all the people inside the club and he will get that and have the chance to mould a new team together with the scouting department and the board, which is necessary. This can happen within one year."

Manchester United are reportedly keen to sign Frenkie de Jong this summer · The 24-year-old midfielder worked with Erik Ten Hag during his time at Ajax ...

'He's playing at a very good level. He's a player to be at Barca for many years.' He's a different player, more dynamic,' the Barcelona boss said.

Football fans have paid a moving tribute to Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo with loud applause during his return to the pitch following the death of his newborn son. Saturday's match at Arsenal's the Emirates Stadium was his first time back, ...

Manchester United's Instagram account posted: "Your pain is our pain. Saturday's match at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium was his first time back in action, and with seven minutes on the clock - the same number as the Portuguese star's shirt - supporters of both teams rose to their feet to applaud him. Saturday's match at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium was his first time back on the pitch, and with seven minutes on the clock, supporters rose to their feet to applaud Ronaldo.

The 63-year-old has not held back about the chasm to the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.

For me it’s not about having a contract on paper, it’s about what will really happen – how much does Erik ten Hag and the board of Manchester United really want to know about opinion, about my experience? We are very far away from that kind of football. “But the good thing about what happened, one of the very few good things, is that it’s crystal clear. This is the question. “This can happen within one year. “So, now it’s only about how do we solve them?

There should be cautious cause for optimism at Old Trafford that they can get back on their feet under new manager Ten Hag, but it will take time to put in ...

It is one reason he told the club this could take up to five years. One certainty about Ten Hag is that he is a fine training-ground coach, who has a track record of improving players. A fair consideration here is that any player can look completely different under a new manager, when played in the right role. A shake-up is expected in that area as signalled by the departures of Jim Lawlor and Marcel Bout. United do have to considerably sharpen up from a system that saw them widely boast about how Aaron Wan-Bissaka emerged as the right-back signing out of an initial database of more than 800 names. Everything has to go through Joel Glazer. “He makes all the big decisions,” is a repeated line, from those who have worked within the club and with it. There should be no wonder there has been such a disconnect for the winger, because his signing just betrays disjointed thinking. The club should also be ruthless with outgoing players, because of the profound drag effect a disgruntled few can have on the rest of the squad. Pep Guardiola has probably been on the other side of it, walking into a fully formed club at City, which is what Ten Hag was used to on a lower scale at Ajax. He would want total control of recruitment, though, and that may not fit with the current structure. If you had a truly blank slate, which many would argue this season should bring, you can work down from the top of the club. They are arguably the only English club who can truly go toe to toe with City in terms of financial muscle. For all of the buzz around Old Trafford after Ten Hag’s announcement, there was also some unease about how long it will take reality to check that excitement.

Arsenal boosted their chances of a top-four finish as Granit Xhaka capitalised on a Bruno Fernandes penalty miss.

Dalot then hit the post after a Ronaldo pass while Tavares was fortunate not to be penalised for a challenge on Elanga on the fringes of the area. McTominay worked Ramsdale and, when Ronaldo spun and lashed home after a Fernandes headed flick, he was denied by the tightest of offside calls. He was reprieved when Fernandes stuttered, hopped and dragged his kick against the outside of a post. The same could be said of Tavares’s decision to jump for a United corner with his arm outstretched. Their last line was all over the place, and soon let Eddie Nketiah in for a one-on-one chance. The excellent Bukayo Saka shaped a shot for the far corner which was tipped out by De Gea at full stretch, but the United defence remained on their heels, particularly Dalot, and Tavares was able to tap home.

It's another scoring landmark for our Portuguese star, after his goal at Arsenal.

Dwight Yorke (48 of 123) and Romelu Lukaku (28 of 118) passed the three-figure mark during their time with the club, while the first two of Dion Dublin’s 111 Premier League strikes were scored in the red shirt, prior to his move to Coventry City in 1994. During his first spell at the club, between 2003 and 2009, Ronaldo scored 84 Premier League goals in 196 games, winning the Golden Boot award at the end of the 2007/08 campaign. It was the Portuguese star’s 16th league effort of the 2021/22 season, in his 27th appearance after returning to Old Trafford in the summer.

There will be an extra incentive for Arsenal to get the win, after disappointingly losing the reverse fixture 3-2 this season. It was a match that was for the ...

United have to go and beat Arsenal, the players that want to stay at Manchester United have to turn up in this game and show everybody that they want to be a part of the future. To get anything, United have to be a team. It's very difficult to see Manchester United getting a result after the recent performances, which look as if United are just turning up and they can't wait for the end of the season. Just drop @TomCantonMedia a DM for details on how to get involved. If the players that stay and want to be a part of a United team in the Champions League, this is a must-win game and hopefully there's some kind of response, but fans have been waiting for a while and it hasn't come. There will be an extra incentive for Arsenal to get the win, after disappointingly losing the reverse fixture 3-2 this season. A win for Arsenal against Manchester United on Saturday afternoon will take Arteta's team six points ahead of Ralf Rangnick's side, with still an extra game in hand to play. Arsenal's pressure in the first few moments has been telling. Arsenal writers Chris Wheatley, Kaya Kaynak and Tom Canton will be updating you throughout the day. Saka shoots and David De Gea just palms it into Tavares' path to slot home an open goal. A win will also give the north London side breathing space in the top four race. I haven't got any great expectation that we'll turn up there and get a result.

It was a highly charged, incident-packed encounter from start to finish. Nuno Tavares and Bukayo Saka fired us into a two-goal lead inside half an hour, before ...

He found space inside the box, beat his man superbly, but blazed a shot high and wide. United had been a threat throughout the opening half hour, and pulled a goal back through Cristiano Ronaldo, who stole in at the far post to fire home a looping cross. The first half was action-packed, and had flown by. Moments later Nketiah thought he had beaten the keeper, only for the goal to be ruled out by VAR for a very close offside call. The crowd were up for it from the kick off, and the team responded immediately. There were just two minutes on the clock when Tavares gave us the lead.

An enthralling game saw both sides make plenty of mistakes at the back but a first Arsenal goal for Nuno Tavares, a Bukayo Saka penalty and a Granit Xhaka ...

Dalot rattled the frame of the goal for a second time in the game as his effort cannoned off the post and back into play. They were presented with the perfect chance to draw level early in the second half, with Tavares conceding a penalty as the ball hit his outstretched arm. Arsenal needed less than three minutes to break the deadlock, United’s defence all over the shop as the recalled pair of Raphael Varane and Alex Telles wafted a leg in failed attempts to clear a simple cross, allowing Saka a shot on goal.

Paul Scholes has claimed Manchester United's dressing room is "a disaster" after Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Arsenal.

"Cristiano told me after the game that he didn't feel well enough and that's why Bruno took it. "I don't know, you have to ask Jesse Lingard if you have this information," he said. "It is an absolute mess," Scholes said.

Rangnick plays down talk of unrest after United lost 3-1 to Arsenal at the Emirates.

In the end it was about two or three yards a little bit further to the right.” We wanted to start the game really fast, dominate it, create issues, be really vertical and we managed to do that.” I had a quick chat with Jesse (Lingard) the other day and I’m sure he won’t mind me saying that the dressing room is just a disaster.” Cristiano told me after the game that he didn’t feel well enough and that’s why Bruno took it. It would be rather a problem if that was different so this is for me normal. “This is normal.

Erik ten Hag has been given a headstart in his overhaul of Manchester United by former defender Rio Ferdinand and his six-point masterplan.

You can’t have a club buying players or recruiting players and the manager doesn’t know about it. “I’m confident that the work is being done behind the scenes. Sir Alex Ferguson – I hate going back to it but it’s a fact – all through them years, the Busby years, they’re in Europe and challenging to win things. “As a manager you have to get players – you say they don’t run around, that’s not their best asset – you’ve got to get them doing that. “They’re the questions that are coming out from when I’m seeing the statements that are being made now,” he said. You can see the players that have come into this club, how many have improved?

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has selected his side to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. The Reds must win in the capital to retain ...

The early start presents United with an opportunity to respond to the poor performance at Liverpool on Tuesday and maintain an unbeaten league run in London that stretches back to 1 January 2020, when today's opponents beat us 2-0. Bruno's fellow Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo spearheads the team after missing the Anfield game due to compassionate leave, with Scott McTominay fit enough to play in midfield after being an unused substitute on Merseyside. The Reds must win in the capital to retain any real hope of making next season's Champions League but meet a Gunners side high on confidence again after a brilliant 4-2 win at Chelsea in midweek ended a run of three successive defeats.

The Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay said they lacked belief and didn't do 'the basics' after their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.

You look at the league table – with Tottenham and Arsenal – and it’s not very realistic to dream and talk about the top four.” “The defeat to Atlético Madrid [in the Champions League last 16] destroyed a lot of hopes and also the emotions of some of the players, which I can understand,” he said. “This is why we have a VAR.” It comes down to the basics and we never do them well enough in big games, recently.” When we get back in the dressing room – it’s go home and take a look at yourself in the mirror. You can’t go back to your house and be satisfied with conceding three goals away at Arsenal when we deserved to win the game.

Erik ten Hag will join Man Utd on a three-year deal - with option of a further year - in the summer; Dutchman thinking about his plans for when he takes ...

"If my protective attitude comes at the expense of myself, so be it. "I will not change my view on coaching," he said. I make no concessions in that regard.

Manchester United's hopes of Champions League are in tatters after a 3-1 defeat away to Arsenal left them six points behind their top four rivals.

The arrivals of big-name talent over the summer sparked hope of kicking on from last season's promise. Even before that game, it was not very likely, but after this result top four is gone, yes." For Manchester United, it is quite the turnaround from this time last year. The same happened when we conceded the second and the third goal. Rangnick did praise the United performance in his BT interview, but bemoaned defensive mistakes. In fairness to United, their performance was drastically improved on Saturday from recent outings, particularly going forward.

The popular British boxing champion is set for a blockbuster world title fight against Dillian Whyte at Wembley.

United have had a lot of management changes over the last few years since Sir Alex Ferguson... They can't stick with one manager!" [Ten Hag] will be a welcome change for sure and let's hope they can regain the glory days and get back to winning ways." British boxing champion Tyson Fury is hoping Erik ten Hag can be a breath of fresh air for Manchester United after his appointment was confirmed on Thursday morning.