Manchester United v Arsenal Tips: Mike Dean and Man United penalties, a match made in heaven

Manchester United v Arsenal may not be the spectacle that it once was but I still think we should be in for an entertaining watch when the two pair off on Sunday, especially with Mike Dean in charge. 

The game can be seen live on Sky Sports Premier League kicking off at 4:30pm this Sunday and I’ve got three football tips for the game which both sides go into sitting in the bottom half of the table.

Anthony Martial will not feature as he serves a suspension whilst Jesse Lingard and Eric Baily remain on the treatment table. Alex Telles has tested positive for Covid-19 and will also miss the game for United. 

Mikel Arteta has some decisions to make around who will start at the back for the Gunners with David Luiz a major doubt for the clash. Calum Chambers, Pablo Mari and Rob Holding are all sidelined through injury however Willian and Dani Ceballos are both available for selection after recovering from knocks.

After United put five goals past RB Leipzig in the Champions League this week they have been made the even money (1/1) favourites to win this game. Three points for the Gunners is available at around 5/2, which is also the same price as the draw - an implied probability of 29%.

Marcus Rashford 2+ shots on target - 2pts @ 13/10 Betfair, Paddy Power
Manchester United to score a penalty - 1pt @ 4/1  Bet365, Skybet
Fernandes 2+ shots on target, Fred & Bellerin to be carded - 0.25pts @ 45/1 Paddy Power

It’s been two profitable weekends on the bounce for my BettingOdds.com tips and the first of three selections I’ve picked out for the game at Old Trafford is Marcus Rashford to have two or more shots on target. This is available at 13/10 with both Betfair and Paddy Power. 

It’s been some week once again for Macrus Rashford, a 16 minute hat-trick in the Champions League to go alongside the hard work he has been doing off the pitch to ensure under privileged children do not go hungry during the half-term holidays. The speed and sharpness the 22-year-old possessed when coming off the bench against Leipzig was simply blistering and he is a young man who looks to really be getting on top of his game and improving his attributes. 

This selection has landed in Rashford’s last four games in all competitions with him having three or more on target in three of those games. With no Anthony Martial there will be added emphasis on Rashford to produce in the final-third and with eight goals for club and country this season he looks a smart play here. Sky Bet and several other bookmakers have Rashford to have two or more shots on target priced odds-on, hence why I would recommend Betfair or Paddy Power at 13/10.

Next up I’m fancying Manchester United to score a penalty in the match, priced at 4/1 with bet365. As I mentioned earlier, Mike Dean will be the man in the middle on Sunday and having a look at last season’s numbers, Dean had the highest penalties per game average of any official in the Premier League with 0.41. To go with this, there is no team that dangerous Dean has given more penalties to in his career than Manchester United. 

Since the start of last season Manchester United have been awarded an eye watering 28 penalties in all competitions. We’ve seen a rise in spot-kicks awarded once again this season and with Bruno Fernandes scoring 11 of his last 12, I’d be confident that it would find the back of the net if one was awarded this Sunday. This selection has been a bit bigger priced in the past but with Dean in charge I feel this one has a great chance. Arsenal also conceded eight penalties last season which was the third-highest in the division.

I’ve hit the crossbar a couple of times this season with my longshots for BettingOdds.com however this week I’ve got a 45/1 shot made up of: Bruno Fernandes to have two or more shots on target, with both Hector Bellerin and Fred to be carded.

No player is averaging more shots on target per game this season in the Premier League for Manchester United than Bruno Fernandes with 1.4 per game. The Portugese midfielder is on free-kick and penalty duty for the Red Devils. He loves a shot from-long range and I think it’s well within his capabilities to register two on target against Arsenal.

It’s not just penalties that Mike Dean is known for, it’s his extremely high card ratio of cards that seem to come out of his top pocket. Only Stuart Attwell (4.19 per game) had a better yellow cards per game average than Mike Dean last year who racked up 4.15 on average. We should see plenty of bookings on Sunday and the first name I’m adding in is Hector Bellerin. The right-back has been booked three times in six league games this term and is much better priced than some of his counterparts such as Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.

For United I’m fancying Fred to find his way into the notebook. The Brazilian was cautioned eight times in 29 appearances last season. He’s been getting a good run in the team at the moment with both Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba out of form and I think Fred looks primed to pick up his second booking in three Premier League games this season.

As always, good luck to anyone following the selections. Let’s hope for a good watch on Sunday and please gamble responsibly.