Manchester United v Arsenal predicted line-ups: Premier League giants to unleash new-look £292m attacks in season opener

When the fixtures for the opening Premier League weekend were revealed, a large amount of eyeballs were drawn to a clash late on Sunday afternoon.

Two giants of English football would collide, as Manchester United welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford at 4:30pm to kick-start the new campaign.

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Despite both clubs’ standing in the game, they begin the 2025/26 season at vastly different points on their respective journeys.

For Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, there is no more room for margin of error.

The Gunners have become the perennial bridesmaids in the Premier League having finished second for three successive seasons.

Arteta has also not won a major trophy since the FA Cup in 2020.

But in a bid to snap the streak and land a first league title in over a decade, Arteta has been backed heavily in the transfer market as Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke have all arrived for an estimated £165million combined.

It means it is very much now or never for Arteta to deliver on his ‘dream’ to bring ‘big trophies’ back to the Emirates Stadium.

As for United, 20-time champions of English football, they are at a completely different part of their journey.

After an embarrassing league campaign in which they finished 15th and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham, the Red Devils will endure their first season without European football in over a decade.

Similarly to their north London counterparts, United have spent heavily in a bid to turn around their bleak fortunes from last term.

Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim has overhauled his strike force, with Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha the club’s marquee arrivals this summer.

Although the hype is largely centred around Sesko, who joined from RB Leipzig for a whopping £72m, Cunha and Mbeumo combined for 35 league goals last term and will be expected to hit the ground running.

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Manchester United vs Arsenal: Team news

Given Sesko has joined a week before the season opener, Amorim could opt to ease the Slovenian into his side rather than chuck him straight in.

He isn’t the only key consideration the Portuguese boss must make regarding his line-up on Sunday.

Andre Onana picked up a hamstring injury in the first week of pre-season training and did not play a single minute across their friendlies.

However, the Cameroonian gloves-man has since returned to training and stands a chance of involvement against Arsenal.

Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee is one who enters under an injury cloud and was absent from United’s draw against Fiorentina to round out their pre-season fixtures.

Noussair Mazraoui has not played since he was taken off at half-time during United’s pre-season clash against Leeds in Sweden while Lisandro Martinez remains sidelined with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

As for the visitors, they have far fewer injury concerns to wrestle with.

Riccardo Calafiori and Kai Havertz went into Arsenal’s final pre-season clash against Athletic Club last Saturday under an injury cloud but both participated.

There are no concerns around marquee arrival Gyokeres, as he started and scored against the Spanish side.

But there was no sight of winger Leandro Trossard, as he was left out entirely from the matchday squad.

The Belgian picked up a groin issue during the Gunners’ pre-season clash against Tottenham in July and hasn’t played since.

Outside of Trossard and Gabriel Jesus, who has been out since January with a torn ACL, Arteta’s side has a clean bill of health.

How could Manchester United and Arsenal line-up?

With Onana back in training, he looks poised to make an instant return to the Red Devils’ starting side.

It means Altay Bayindir, who has started between the sticks for United in Onana’s absence in pre-season, will return to the bench.

Amorim will continue with his favoured 3-4-2-1 formation, with Yoro and Harry Maguire to slot in as the left-sided centre-back and central defender respectively.

On the right side of the back three, promising youngster Ayden Heaven looks set to take on the role having started against Fiorentina.

The 18-year-old has impressed and although he picked up a slight injury against Fiorentina, he is tipped to start provided he gets through training this week unscathed.

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Patrick Dorgu and Amad Diallo are expected to feature as the left and right wing-backs respectively.

As for the midfield pairing, Mason Mount and Casemiro featured against Fiorentina and look likely to reprise his role against the Gunners.

That means Bruno Fernandes will feature as one of the two attacking midfielders alongside Mbeumo while Cunha starts up top.

Given Sesko stands a chance of featuring from the bench, it means there is room for skipper Fernandes to play further up the pitch alongside two of the club’s big-money recruits.

Unfortunately for the likes of Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo, they will have to make do with a probable spot on the pine for the season opener.

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For Arteta’s side, there isn’t expected to be much change from how they lined up for their pre-season finale.

David Raya will start in goal while the league’s meanest centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes will be partnered once again.

At left-back, it looks to be a toss-up between Calafiori and talented teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Given Calafiori got the nod against Athletic, he may be just ahead of Lewis-Skelly to start the season opener.

The same scenario faces Jurrien Timber and Ben White at right-back.

The fact Timber started against Athletic may have him ahead in the pecking order, at least for the first game.

Summer recruit Martin Zubimendi looks destined to partner Declan Rice at the base of midfield while skipper Martin Odegaard slots in as the attacking midfielder.

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Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka pick themselves on the left and right flanks respectively, which means there is no room for summer recruit Madueke to start.

That leaves Gyokeres to make his Premier League debut, pushing Kai Havertz to the bench.

Although these may be predictions, fans won’t have to wait much longer for the real thing and talkSPORT will have fans covered not just this weekend, but the entire Premier League season.

We will have live coverage of a multitude of games throughout the year, while keeping you up to date with all the latest news.

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