The weekend’s headliner Premier League fixture, Manchester United at Arsenal, has lost some luster. For the home side, their leading scorer, Alexandre Lacazette, has been ruled out due to a groin injury. For the visitors, the anchor of their middle and most important player to their offense, Nemanja Matic, most likely will be missing.
“Lacazette has a groin problem and he is out, certainly, for Saturday’s game,” Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger confirmed after his side trounced Huddersfield Town 5-0 tonight.
Lacazette scored in the first half (his seventh in league play), but did not return after halftime. He was replaced by Olivier Giroud, who bagged a brace for the Gunners. Lacazette broke the Gunners club transfer fee record when he moved over from Lyon in the summer.
Arsenal are favored in the late afternoon/early Saturday evening kickoff by the ever so slightest of margins.
The bookies are showing the Gunners at 8/5 to win, 12/5 for a draw, and Manchester United at 83/41. That’s just about a pick’em there.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune corporation blogging community Chicago Now.
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