Chris Sutton has admitted that he has a very positive feeling about Manchester United as they welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
After completing a five-game pre-season across Sweden, the United States, and Old Trafford, Rúben Amorim’s Manchester United are ready to open their 2025/26 Premier League campaign.
The Reds defeated West Ham and Bournemouth, while draws with Leeds United, Everton, and Fiorentina kept their unbeaten record intact. A penalty shootout win over the Italian club secured the Snapdragon Cup to round off the summer in style.
Their attention now turns to Sunday, 17 August, when Arsenal arrive at Old Trafford for the standout fixture of the opening weekend.
The match will bring competitive debuts for several players, with Benjamin Šeško, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo set to feature for United, while Viktor Gyökeres, Martin Zubimendi, and Noni Madueke are expected to make their first appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Sutton predicts United vs Arsenal scoreline
Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has not always been the biggest cheerleader of United, and was especially critical of Amorim’s first six months in charge at Old Trafford.
However, speaking with BBC Sport, Sutton admitted he is feeling very positive about United’s upcoming campaign while assessing who he feels could win between Amorim and Arteta on Sunday afternoon.
“What a great game this is to start the season with,” Sutton said. “I am genuinely excited about Manchester United’s new signings, especially Mbeumo and Cunha – we have already seen just how good they are in the Premier League.
“I can’t claim to have an incredible knowledge on every player, so I must admit I have seen less of United’s new striker, Benjamin Šeško, but he seems a player with a lot of potential, and his arrival surely spells the end for Rasmus Højlund at Old Trafford.
“Arsenal have a new centre-forward too, of course, and United boss Rúben Amorim knows all about Viktor Gyokeres after their time together at Sporting.
“I am looking forward to seeing how Gyökeres links up with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, and how quickly they can develop an understanding. Add in how there is always needle in this match, and that a win would be huge for either side, and there is a lot to look forward to.
Sutton rounded off by saying, “It is going to be close, but although I feel really positive about United this season, I think they will lose this and Gyökeres may just have the final say against his old manager,” before predicting a final scoreline of a 2-1 win for Arteta’s men.
Arteta warns Amorim about Gyökeres
As mentioned by Sutton, Amorim is familiar with Arsenal’s new striker, Gyökeres. The Swede scored 66 goals in 68 fixtures under Amorim’s management at Sporting.
However, this has not stopped Arsenal boss Arteta from handing United a strong warning about the 27-year-old, explaining that if United are to leave him one on one against their centre-backs, he could “destroy” them.
“I think his goals, his threat, I think he pins both centre-backs. He’s a player that when you leave him with space, one against one, he is going to destroy you,” Arteta said last week.
“So he is going to create a lot of space for us, and in any situation, he is a player who can score a goal.”
The storylines unoflding at Old Trafford make it a fantastic spectivle. Šeško was Arsenal’s top choice forward, while Amorim wanted Gyoekres at United.
Both strikers look set to face up against each other for the first time wearing opposite shirts, and it will be interesting to see if Šeško, who is much younger and still has plenty of talent to be developed, can make Arsenal regret their decision to pivot and sign Gyökeres instead.
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