Event of the Day: Manchester United versus Arsenal

Our event of the day is the Premier League fixture between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford. Manchester United have had a fairly mediocre season so far and currently sit in 7th. Meanwhile, Arsenal have had a better season following a slow start, and currently sit in 4th place after 14 games, with Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea ahead of them. United will be eager to bounce back from a recent run of average form and Arsenal will look to extend their unbeaten streak to 20, so expect a hotly-contested match between these two sides. Manchester United, five seasons removed from their last league-winning campaign, continue to be a far sight from the team that once dominated the top tier of English football. The Red Devils have not been in the top five since the first week of the season and hold an uninspiring 6 win, 4 draw, 4 loss record. Their last win in the league came against Bournemouth in early November. Since then, they have been thoroughly beaten by rivals Manchester City, held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace, and overcome a 2-0 deficit to force a draw with Southampton. Outside of league play, United have enjoyed success in the Champions League thanks in part to a fairly weak group, with their biggest threat coming from Italian side Juventus.

However, they were also embarrassed in the Caraboa Cup, losing to Derby County on penalties in the third round. Meanwhile, Arsenal enter today’s game following a comfortable 4-2 victory at home against North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continued to show his worth as he scored twice, taking his record to 10 goals in 13 shots on target. Arsenal have not lost in the Premier League since August and hold a 19-game unbeaten streak across all competitions. However, the Gunners have a clear problem. They have struggled to capitalise in the first half of their league matches, having scored only 6 of their 32 goals this season in the first half of matches. They have also had to come from behind in nearly half their games this season, highlighting a potential defensive problem that could come back to bite them later in the season. While Manchester United have not lost to Arsenal at Old Trafford since 2006, Arsenal's significant unbeaten streak and United's recent decline mean that we are in for an exciting match tonight.

Honourable mentions around the globe go to the NBA, where the Toronto Raptors host the Philadelphia 76ers at the Scotiabank Arena. With 25 games played, the Raptors, behind offseason free agency acquisition Kawhi Leonard, are starting to pull away at the top of the Eastern Conference. They are 20-5 and show no signs of slowing their progress. However, the 76ers, who started the season slow, are looking like a credible threat to the Canadian team. The 76ers are only three games back and travel to Toronto on a four-game win streak. Be sure you don’t miss tonight’s match as it sure to be a fast-paced, high-scoring affair. Elsewhere, in cricket, the 3rd Test between Pakistan and New Zealand continues at the Sheik Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. In the NHL, the Anaheim Ducks host the Chicago Blackhawks at the Honda Center in Anaheim. In snooker, the UK Championships continue with day 9 of the competition at the Barbican in York.

Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!

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Photos by Premier League

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