Good afternoon, folks. Welcome along to our live coverage of today’s Premier League game between second-placed Manchester United and Arsenal, who lie in sixth.
We’ll keep you up to date on events at Old Trafford, where kick-off is at 4.30pm.
Let’s take a check on the teams first.
Just the one change for United, with Victor Lindelof replacing Phil Jones in defence.
Manchester United
David De Gea, Antonio Valencia (c), Victor Lindelof, Chris Smalling, Ashley Young, Ander Herrera, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Jess Lingard, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez.
Subs: Joel Pereira, Marcos Rojo, Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata, Scott McTominay, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford.
Just the one change from last week's side for #MUFC as @VLindelof comes in for @PhilJones4...
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 29, 2018
Let's do this, lads! #MUNARS pic.twitter.com/liIYXi7ASs
With the second leg of their Europa League semi-final against Atletico Madrid to come on Thursday, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has made EIGHT changes to his team, including a full debut for Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Arsenal
David Ospina, Hector Bellerin, Calum Chambers, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Sead Kolasinac, Granit Xhaka (c), Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Alex Iwobi, Reiss Nelson, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Subs: Petr Cech, Rob Holding, Nacho Monreal, Jordi Osei-Tutu, Joe Willock, Danny Welbeck, Eddie Nketiah.
📋 Here's how we line up for today's game at Old Trafford#MUFCvAFC pic.twitter.com/cLmtWzrqax
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) April 29, 2018
Alexis Sanchez starts for United against his former employers today.
Arsenal’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan, another man who’ll be facing his old club today, going through his warm-up.
Kick-off approaching at Old Trafford.
Anything less than victory today will end Arsenal’s already slim hopes of a top-four finish.
And it’s underway.
Good chance for United but Pogba shanks it wide from close range.
Lovely moment just before kick-off.
#MerciArsène pic.twitter.com/w6VH6hkQNo
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) April 29, 2018
De Gea gathers a cross from Bellerin. Arsenal have made a bright start.
Lingard plays a dangerous looking ball across the face of goal but Arsenal get it away.
Matic links up with Lukaku on the edge of the box but they’re unable to produce anything substantial.
United with the lion’s share of possession and Arsenal doing their best to counter, but chances scarce so far.
Valencia sends in a promising cross for United but Chambers heads clear.
Nelson does well for Arsenal, cutting in from the left and firing a shot at goal, but the save is relatively comfortable for De Gea.
GOAL! Manchester United 1 Arsenal 0 (Pogba, 16)
Lukaku crosses for Sanchez, his header deflects off Bellerin and onto the post, but Pogba was there to fire in the rebound to give United the lead, although there may have been a hint of a foul on Nelson in midfield during the build-up to the goal.
“Arsene Wenger, we want you to stay” is the chant from the home fans.
“Arsene Wenger, you won the league here” is the response from Arsenal supporters.
Mkhitaryan is inches away from an equaliser for Arsenal. His shot sails just wide.
Lingard pulled down by Xhaka, who’s booked. Free-kick in a dangerous position for United, about 25 yards out from goal.
Pogba’s effort deflects off the wall, Sanchez collects it in the box but he’s ruled offside.
Mkhitaryan goes down in the box under a challenge from Smalling but it didn’t look like there was any contact. Maitland-Niles then goes down too but Sanchez looked like he won the ball.
Good build-up play by Arsenal as Bellerin crosses for Aubameyang but he shows too much of it to De Gea.
Arsenal seeing plenty of the ball since United went ahead. Good response from the Gunners.
Lingard shoots from just outside the box for United but it’s blocked by Chambers.
Valencia’s cross from the right is too deep. Young then gives away a free-kick in the Arsenal box for a foul on Aubemeyang.
Another Valencia cross from the right but Bellerin does well to clear the danger.
Nice interchange of passes on the edge of the box between Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang but United snuff out the danger.
Bellerin crosses for Aubameyang but his header is saved by De Gea. Probably should have produced more from that opportunity.
Lingard plays in Lukaku but he loses track of the path of the ball and Arsenal get it clear.
The ball falls to Lukaku after a scramble in the box but the Belgian striker is surrounded and is unable to get a decent shot away.
Unfortunately for Gunners fans it’s vintage Arsenal at the moment. Plenty of possession in the right areas but little end-product.
Close call! Pogba spreads the ball wide to Young and his cross from the left hits Ospina’s near post.
Free-kick to United out on the left. Sanchez sends it in but Arsenal clear it.
Nelson gets on the end of Aubameyang’s cross but his header goes wide.
One minute to be added on at the end of the first half.
Half-time: Manchester United 1 Arsenal 0
That first 45 minutes didn’t quite have the same intensity as some of Arsene Wenger’s previous visits to Old Trafford. Let’s hope things pick up after the restart.
The second half of Arsene Wenger’s 28th and final match as Arsenal manager at Old Trafford is up and running.
No changes for either side.
Great run by Maitland-Niles but Smalling and Lindelof make an important intervention.
Lukaku carrying an ankle injury after a challenge from Mavropanos. Looks like he’s about to go off.
Marcus Rashford replaces Lukaku.
GOAL! Manchester United 1 Arsenal 1 (Mkhitaryan, 51)
What a moment for Mkhitaryan against his former club, as he finishes sublimely from the edge of the box after Xhaka did well to win possession.
Mkhitaryan cuts in from the left in search of his second but his shot is well off target.
Useless stat: Mkhitaryan is the first player to score for and against Manchester United in the same Premier League season.
Xhaka curls in a free to the back post but it’s far too heavy.
Despite United losing the lead, Arsenal continue to enjoy most of the possession.
United have been really poor so far in the second half and the home fans are growing frustrated.
United win a corner but it’s cleared by Mavropanos.
Danny Welbeck replaces Reiss Nelson and Nacho Monreal replaces Sead Kolasinac for Arsenal. For United, Anthony Martial and Marouane Fellaini are in for Ander Herrera and Jesse Lingard.
Iwobi tries to release Aubameyang but his pass is mis-placed.
Welbeck robs Fellaini of possession and shoots from distance but it’s straight at De Gea.
Please excuse the relative lack of updates, folks, but this has been a very dull and uneventful game, unfortunately. Don’t worry, you’re not missing anything, there’s just very little happening. There’s a lack of bite or intensity that has made it difficult to watch.
Martial looks for Fellaini at the back post but Mavropanos does well to head away for a corner.
And the corner comes to nothing.
Chance for Smalling but he scuffs his close-range effort.
Valencia sends in a cross but it’s a free out to Arsenal for a foul on Ospina by Fellaini.
Sub for Arsenal: 18-year-old Joe Willock replaces goalscorer Mkhitaryan, who gets a decent reception from the fans of his former club.
A bit more cohesion about United now as they set about trying to win this game. If they produce anything positive, there’s a strong chance Rashford will be at the heart of it. He’s been lively since coming on.
Sanchez fails to beat the first defender with a corner but United get another one. It falls to Martial, whose shot sails harmlessly wide.
Young’s cross just misses Fellaini, who claims he was pushed by Mavropanos. Didn’t look to be much in it.
Young crosses deep to Valencia but his volley just about stays in the stadium.
All United at the moment.
Martial squares it for Pogba but he’s dispossessed by a cluster of Arsenal players.
Willock tries to release Welbeck and Smalling had to stretch to keep him at bay.
United have dominated for the last while but Arsenal are threatening now as time ticks away.
Xhaka’s free-kick into the box finds Monreal but Pogba gets it away.
Almost a winner for United!
Martial’s ball in is headed off the post by Fellaini, it rebounds off Rashford into the back of the net but he’s ruled offside.
Four minutes to be added on.
GOAL! Manchester United 2 Arsenal 1 (Fellaini, 90)
There it is! In the first minute of additional time, Young’s cross from the left is perfect and Fellaini heads beyond the reach of Ospina.
Full-time: Manchester United 2 Arsenal 1
