Alan Shearer has shared his thoughts on the FA Cup’s heavyweight third round clash, where Arsenal will host holders Manchester United at the Emirates, with the visitors considered major underdogs.
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The two heavyweight teams will face off on Sunday in what is the marquee tie of the FA Cup’s third-round weekend. Although United are the current holders, they enter the match as underdogs, with Arsenal being the favorites to advance to the fourth round.
The Gunners have won their last four encounters against Manchester United, who have not claimed a victory at the Emirates in their last seven visits. Just weeks ago, Arsenal secured a 2-0 win over Ruben Amorim’s team.
However, after a string of defeats, United produced a spirited performance to earn a draw at Liverpool last week, leading many to believe they might have turned a corner. Shearer is among them and thinks a similar performance could see United oust the Gunners.
He told Betfair: “If Man Utd turn up with the same attitude and performance, I can see them going through to the next round. I just think that Arsenal are struggling in front of goal, and haven’t scored as many goals as they want.
“They missed one or two against Newcastle and I can see Man United going in there, and if they put in another good performance then I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they won.”
Despite being the favorites, Arsenal must recover from their midweek setback.
Their Carabao Cup hopes were dealt a blow by Newcastle, leaving them with slim chances in the tournament as they strive to end their trophy drought.
Shearer said: “Arsenal have to try and bounce back – I don’t know what kind of team they’ll put out. I think that it’ll be interesting to see them with so much riding on this game now.
“They’re up against it in the Carabao Cup now, as well as the league and are going okay in the Champions League. So, they need to go and win something this season and maybe the FA Cup is going to be their best opportunity.”
Arteta’s significant achievement as Arsenal’s manager was winning the FA Cup in 2020.
On the other hand, Ruben Amorim, who brought his winning pedigree from Sporting Lisbon, could use a trophy this season to rescue Manchester United’s season at Old Trafford and instill some hope for the future.
