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Onana tipped for United debut
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Rice, Havertz and Timber all featured v MLS All-Stars
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Goals galore in PL meetings last term
Arsenal v Manchester United
Saturday 22 July, 22:00
The football gods laughed in our faces last night, as Brommapojkarna ended a four-match losing streak to beat our boys Hammarby 1-0. An equaliser would've landed our Bet Builder, but Olof Mellberg's hosts held firm.
We'll return to the glamorous world of pre-season friendlies now, because Arsenal are up against Manchester United in New Jersey.
Arsenal beat the MLS All-Stars 5-0 on Thursday. New signing Kai Havertz was on the scoresheet, and there was a debut for record signing Declan Rice. Both are expected to start tonight, and we could also see a start for Dutch defender Jurrien Timber, who offers Arsenal versatility by being able to play at right-back and centre-back.
Although the Gunners didn't see through their push for the Premier League title last term, there is a feel-good factor in the camp. They have made some excellent signings, key centre-back William Saliba has agreed a new long-term contract and Mikel Arteta's position as manager is stronger then ever. The club has been rewarded for its patient support for the rebuild, and despite previous criticism of the Kroenke family, the owners have come up with serious cash in recent transfer windows.
Manchester United have also made an eye-catching acquisition, bringing in Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana. That should be transformative in terms of United's build-up play, as the Cameroonian is far more adept in possession than his predecessor David de Gea, as we saw in his extraordinary performance against Manchester City in the Champions League final. It also does no harm that Onana has previously worked with United manager Erik ten Hag at Ajax.
United beat Lyon 1-0 last time out, having already seen off Leeds United. New skipper Bruno Fernandes could start, as might Marcus Rashford, who has agreed a new long-term contract with the Red Devils after an excellent season.
It's often difficult to judge how a friendly will go, given the fitness levels and the volatility of the team selection, but there were plenty of goals in the two Premier League meetings between the sides. Arsenal lost 3-1 at Old Trafford, even though it was widely accepted they had been the better team, and then the Gunners secured a dramatic 3-2 win over United at the Emirates.
I really like the look of this Arsenal side at the moment, especially with the new signings, so I'll use the Sportsbook's Bet Builder to combine Over 2.5 Goals and Arsenal/Draw at 2.1511/10.