PREVIEW: Man United look to surprise again and enter top four at Arsenal

Manchester United aim to follow up on their stunning derby day victory and enter the top four against leaders Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday.

The Red Devils got off to the perfect start under interim manager Michael Carrick, beating rivals Manchester City 2-0 at Old Trafford last time out to go fifth.

United will hope they can emulate their performance against Arsenal , who themselves look to build on a seven-point advantage at the Premier League summit.

Carrick was appointed earlier this month following Ruben Amorim’s departure after a 2–1 defeat to Brighton, with United having won just one of their previous five matches prior.

The 44-year-old’s team are just one point behind fourth-placed Liverpool, with whom they could swap places if the defending champions fail to win.

However, they will be without Matthijs de Ligt who has a back injury, while Toby Collyer is sidelined with a calf problem.

Arteta’s side are unbeaten in 12 matches across all competitions, but key defender Riccardo Calafiori hasn’t yet recovered from his muscle injury.

Youngster Max Dowman also remains unavailable due to an ankle injury.

The sides last met on the opening weekend of the season at Old Trafford, where Arsenal claimed a 1–0 victory.

The Gunners have been nigh-unplayable since, with their latest of just two Premier League defeats being a 2–1 home loss to third-placed Aston Villa in December.

Carrick will face arguably his sternest test yet across both his spells as interim coach, as Arsenal are without defeat and lead the league phase of the Champions League.

The two sides have met on 244 occasions, dating back to a 3–3 draw in a Second Division fixture in 1894.

Manchester United have recorded 102 victories in the fixture, with 51 matches ending in draws, although Arsenal have dominated recent meetings, winning six and drawing two of the last ten Premier League encounters.

The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event, with kick-off scheduled for 16:30.