Manchester United vs. Arsenal Prediction, Odds, and Best Bets for Premier League Week 1

Cem Yolbulan | Aug 16, 2025

Viktor Gyökeres scored his first goal for Arsenal against Athletic Bilbao. / X/Arsenal

The long wait is over, and the Premier League has returned. The season begins with reigning champions Liverpool taking on Bournemouth on Friday, but the juiciest matchup of the opening weekend will be between two giants, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Ruben Amorim begins his second season in charge in Manchester with one of the toughest fixtures on the calendar. Arsenal spent over $200 million in transfer fees over the summer to finally end their title drought, bringing in defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi, lethal striker Viktor Gyokeres, and Chelsea winger Noni Madueke. Thanks to these massive upgrades to the roster, the Gunners are beginning the 2025/26 season as the co-favorites alongside Liverpool to win the Premier League championship. 

After losing out on a European Cup spot following their Europa League Final loss to Tottenham last season, Man Utd are solely focused on the Premier League. Manchester United have similarly made additions to their team after finishing a miserable 15th in the PL last season, revamping the entire front line. Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, and Matheus Cunha cost the Red Devils a combined $225 million in transfer fees. 

While the trio will certainly help United be a more dangerous attacking team, their deeper, structural issues remain. The backline is still shaky, and there are not enough elite passers and playmakers on the team to be a truly dominant team in possession. They project to be a more dangerous team in transition once again, and this could come in handy against Arsenal on Sunday. 

Let’s take a look at what we can realistically expect from this season opener for two Premier League giants.   

Manchester United vs. Arsenal Odds and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook. 

Moneyline:

• Man Utd: +245
• Draw: +255
• Arsenal: +105

Total Goals: 

• Over 2.5: -120
• Under 2.5: -110

• Over 3.5: +210
• Under 3.5: -290

Both Teams to Score:

• Yes: -150
• No: +110

Half-Time Result:

• Man Utd: +285
• Draw: +110
• Arsenal: +160

Double Chance:

• Man Utd or Draw: -135

Manchester United vs. Arsenal How to Watch

• Date: Sunday, August 17, 2025
• Time: 11:30 a.m. EST
• Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
• How to Watch (TV): NBC, Peacock, Fubo

Manchester United vs. Arsenal Prediction and Pick

Last season, Arsenal was criticized for having too cautious and conservative an approach. Mikel Arteta deployed a more defensive mentality, and while this helped Arsenal allow fewer goals than any team in the league by a wide margin, it prevented them from unlocking rest defenses of lower-caliber teams. This resulted in a whopping 14 draws for Arsenal in 38 games. 

That is exactly why they broke the bank for Gyokeres and Zubimendi. The former is the all-around striker and finisher the team lacked last season, and the latter is the deep-lying playmaker the team needed next to Declan Rice. Both are expected to turn Arsenal into a more creative side when they are in possession of the ball. 

In their last preseason friendly match, Arsenal played with their ideal starting XI for the first time and completely dominated Athletic Bilbao, winning 3-0. The Zubimendi-Rice-Martin Odegaard midfield trio looks as good as any center midfield unit in the world, and they will be the biggest strength for the North Londoners next season. 

Man Utd, on the other hand, is still a work in progress. Not only will the completely new front three take some time to adapt to one another, but Amorim is also still trying to figure out the best combinations in his starting lineup. He will deploy his preferred 3-4-3 formation, but who will be Bruno Fernandes’ partner in the center midfield remains uncertain. His ideal back three and wingbacks are still unknown. And even if he were to find them before the weekend, the talent discrepancy between the two teams could be too big to make up. 

Amorim needs time. Man Utd needs multiple transfer windows to clean up the mess left by the previous regimes. Yet, he may not get that time if he gets off to a slow start. Unfortunately for the talented Portuguese manager, however, he faces an uphill battle against Arsenal. It would be a major upset if they manage to come away with a point on Sunday. 

Pick: Arsenal (+105)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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