Event of the Day: Arsenal versus Manchester United
Our event of the day is the FA Cup fixture between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. Both sides will be eager to progress in the competition in the hopes of winning a domestic title this year. Arsenal come off a convincing win in their local derby with Chelsea in the league. Meanwhile, United are unbeaten under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær, riding seven wins and 19 goals into today’s match. Expect a hard-fought match to remember today. With chances at the Premier League title slim for both sides, the FA Cup remains as the only chance at a domestic trophy for Arsenal and Manchester United. This will be the 16th meeting between the two sides in English football’s premier cup competition. United have won seven of the previous fifteen matches, Arsenal have one six and there have been two draws. However, this is only the third time that Arsenal have hosted the clash. They previously hosted United in the competition in 1937 and 1988, winning on both occasions. Defeating United has always been something of a good indicator for Arsenal. They have gone onto win the competition the last three times that they have beaten their northern rivals.
However, they have never met in the fourth round. Manchester United have won thirteen of their last fourteen fourth round matches. Meanwhile, Arsenal have won twelve of their last thirteen FA Cup matches against Premier League sides. It has been two seasons since Arsenal’s last FA Cup title, and three since United’s, so both sides will be eager to progress today. In the third round, United beat Reading 2-0 while Arsenal routed Blackpool 3-0. This will be the second meeting between the two sides this season. They met in early December in the Premier League, playing to a 2-2 draw. Arsenal come into this match having thoroughly beaten Chelsea 2-0 in last weekend’s London derby. United are flourishing under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who became the first United manager to win his first six league games in charge after a 2-1 win against Brighton. That win marks the most recent victory in a seven-game winning streak. United are undefeated in 2019 and under Solskjær. Expect an exciting match between two sides eager to chase a domestic trophy this year.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the Australian Open, where Novak Djokovic plays Lucas Pouille for a place in Sunday’s final. Djokovic is the world number one and looks to win his first Australian Open since 2016 and his seventh overall at the competition. Meanwhile, Lucas Pouille is a young player making big noise. He reached a career high of world number ten in March 2018. Despite entering the Australian Open as the twenty-eighth seed, he made short work of his matches to reach a career-best in Grand Slam tournaments. This a battle between the legendary veteran and a future star rising through the ranks. This a match you will not want to miss. Elsewhere, in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks host the Charlotte Hornets at the Fiserv Forum. The Omega Dubai Desert Classic continues at The Majlis course at the Emirates Golf Club. The UAE and Australia go head-to-head in the quarterfinals of the AFC Asian Cup. In Pro14 rugby, Leinster host the Scarlets at the RDS Arena.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by Arsenal; Manchester United