It’s that “magical” time of the year when the FA Cup and the EFL Cup intersect. Arsenal F.C. are one of just four clubs who will play in both domestic cups this week. How will that affect their performance? Well, they fell 2-0 to Newcastle United in the League Cup semifinal, first of the two legs in the tie, so they are not off to a great start.
FA Cup 3rd Round FYIs
Manchester United at Arsenal
Kickoff: Sun. Jan. 12, 3pm, Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Arsenal Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Manchester United Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Fun Fact: Both sides have eliminated the other from the FA Cup more so than any other team. United have knocked Arsenal out of the competition more than other club- 8. Arsenal have done the same to United, sending them packing from the tournament seven times.
But hey, it can only go up from here, right? Let’s get to the first team prediction.
Arsenal F.C. Starting XI Prediction vs Man United (FA Cup)
David Raya; Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori; Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Declan Rice; Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.