Manchester United 11/5 to press on for points record with win at Arsenal

Having conquered the Premier League, Manchester United are basking in the spring sunshine with a record points total to tilt at. Below them Arsenal sit hunched against a few rungs down from the  peak in a position of the utmost precariousness. The Gunners have earned their position with an impressive haul of 19 points from the last 21 on offer, but they’re unlikely to be adding to that total against the Champions, who Coral make 11/5 underdogs for victory.

Gone are the days of Martin Keown screaming in Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s face or “Pizzagate”,  Manchester United’s recent record against Arsenal is a one-sided one, with seven of the sides’ last eight meetings going the way of the Red Devils.

If this match is to follow the history books then Robin Van Persie has to be backed to score against his former club at 5/4 with Coral – the Dutchman has scored in the last three renewals of this fixture.

A glance at their recent results would have many convinced that Arsenal are in fine form at present with eight wins, a draw and just one loss in their last seven 10 league games. However the majority of those wins were achieved against either out-of-form sides like Swansea and West Brom or relegations strugglers including Stoke, Norwich, Reading and Sunderland.

The Gunners’ record against their fellow top six sides makes for unedifying reading too, with the one win, three draws and five losses they’ve incurred in fixtures against those sides this putting them five points adrift at the bottom of the top six mini league.

Graft more than craft has been the decisive factor in Arsenal’s springtime resurgence with defensive strength enabling them to grind out some useful victories, such as their most recent 1-0 at Craven Cottage. They’ve conceded more than a single goal in just two of their last 10 games, with Tottenham and Bayern Munich the opponents on those occasions.

United’s away record shares that no-frills element with seven of their last eight road games delivering less than 2.5 goals. With the sides’ last two meetings 2-1 wins for United it’s 3/1 that the match contains three goals, whilst a 2-1 win for the visitors is 11/1.