Good afternoon to you all.

So, a big game this. United are desperately chasing fourth place and are currently six points behind Manchester City. Meanwhile, Arsenal are still in the title hunt and need a victory here to keep tabs on Leicester at the summit.

Let’s get to the team news and a big update from United’s camp.

Marcus Rashford, the 18-year-old who scored twice on his senior debut on Thursday, retains his place and starts a Premier League game for the first time.

David de Gea returns in goal while Marcos Rojo is back to full fitness and starts at left-back.

Three changes for Arsenal with Per Mertesacker and Olivier Giroud dropped. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is out for the next while with injury.

Danny Welbeck leads the line while Theo Walcott comes into the side too. Gabriel will partner Laurent Koscielny in the centre of defence.

The other big story from United is the bench and just how young it is. Along with the more well-known figures of Sergio Romero and Adnan Januzaj, there’s Paddy McNair, Joe Riley, James Weir, Andreas Pereira and another 18-year-old.

Step forward Timothy Fosu-Mensah.

More info on him right here.

Always nice to see Robbie Savage at Old Trafford.

Back in October, Manchester United’s season completely derailed after a 3-0 thumping at the hands of Arsene Wenger’s side.

Here’s what I had to say about the significance of that game in our weekly Premier League preview.

You’d forgive the usually calm and composed Louis van Gaal for coming out in hot sweats on Saturday evening.

Arsenal tore his United side to shreds last October with a blistering and brilliant first 19 minutes. Alexis Sanchez scored twice while Mesut Ozil added another as the Gunners had the run of the Emirates Stadium.

It was bewildering to see how United engaged Arsenal instead of relying on their counter-attack to find holes. They were picked to pieces and the strategy failed miserably though Petr Cech did pull off a great save just before the break to deny Anthony Martial which may have changed things.

With van Gaal such a stubborn personality, it will be intriguing to see how he lines up his side on Sunday afternoon, especially considering his depleted squad.

United’s young guns impressed on Thursday and the team’s qualification to the quarter-finals of a European tournament will elicit a confidence. But it’s hard to know how much of the performance against Midtjylland was down to adrenaline. And it’s hard to know whether Memphis Depay’s delightful contribution was a temporary deviation from crushing disappointment or the start of something genuinely exciting.

Once again, van Gaal and his side have quite a few questions to answer this weekend.”

We’re almost underway here. Predictions?

KICK-OFF! 

Varela has been a bit of an unsung hero in the last month or so for United. He’s slotted in and done very well. Arguably looks more assured at right-back than the oft-frustrating Matteo Darmian.

Early pressure from the away side as Walcott finds space in the right channel, dinks in a cross and Welbeck’s shot is blocked before trickling its way to de Gea.

A nice cameo from Memphis and he looks keen, picking up from where he left off on Thursday. He’s up against a very fast full-back in Bellerin so that’ll be a good contest.

VERY CLOSE! United are cut to pieces by Ozil’s magnificent pass and Monreal has a great chance to open the scoring. But, de Gea stands up and blocks superbly. Varela played the full-back onside as he made a darting run into the left channel.

YELLOW CARD! Well, I obviously cursed Varela because he’s been involved in two less-than-impressive moments in quick succession. He played Monreal onside for that Arsenal chance and he’s brought down Sanchez now and shown a yellow card for his troubles. Just 9 minutes gone. Could be a long day for him.

PENALTY CLAIM! Rashford does superbly to run from deep and races towards the penalty area, shaking off two challenges. There’s an outstretched leg as he approaches the 18-yard line and he’s sent tumbling. United want a penalty but the contact took place just outside the area.

From the free-kick, Memphis flashes in a dangerous, whipped ball and Cech does really well to gather at the first attempt. It was a tricky one for him.

Rashford can really give Arsenal a headache here, going by the ease in which he veered past a couple of their defenders.

YELLOW CARD! Two United players now in the book with Michael Carrick the latest offender. He dives in on Welbeck, who’s too quick for him, and he needs to be careful now too. Midway through the first half here and two United defenders on yellows.

Arsenal keeping the ball well here in the last few minutes. Monreal scampers down the left and away from Varela before whipping in a great cross. It eventually breaks for Sanchez but his snapshot is wide of de Gea’s near post.

Memphis makes some space for the cross but runs out of room and can’t quite wrap his foot around the ball enough. It goes harmlessly out for a goal-kick though the Dutch youngster does look hungry.

GOAL! Rashford!

A brilliantly-timed challenge from Carrick in the area as Welbeck tried to wriggle past him. That could easily have gone wrong but the veteran’s experience counted for plenty there.

Goodness me.

I was just writing up an entry describing his first goal when the 18-year-old popped up and grabbed a second.

What a day for him. His league debut and he’s making this look so easy.

The first one is made by Varela – his cross not cleared properly by the Arsenal defence and Rashford instinctively turned in the area to put it away.

The second was beautifully crafted by Lingard who dropped in a delightful cross from the right and Rashford got over his header and placed it perfectly beyond Cech.

Incredible.

GOAL! Rashford! 

GOAL! Welbeck! 

Well, that’s changed things a bit.

Ozil sweeps in a free-kick and there’s the former United player to nod past de Gea. There’s not much emotion at all from the forward and a different team talk for both teams at the break now.

Going by the way the market works these days, I’d say Marcus Rashford is now worth about £63m?

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Free-kick for Arsenal here in a dangerous position…

HALF-TIME! 

The wall did its job but Arsenal have forced a corner now. Good pressure from them in the last while. Rashford is at the near post to clear the in-swinging cross!

Wow. Take a breath. That was a fantastic fifteen minutes of football crammed into the end of that opening half.

Rashford took both goals superbly but United don’t look good at the back at all. Monreal should’ve opened the scoring earlier in the period while Welbeck’s goal was all-too-easy.

There will certainly be more goals in this with neither side looking very secure in defence.

Given United’s depleted XI, this hasn’t been very convincing from the Gunners at all though they’re still a big threat.

VERY CLOSE! Looks like Ozil’s corner takes a nick off of Schneiderlin and hits the upright. United just about escape.

Just seen a replay of Welbeck’s goal and it was absolutely terrible from United. There wasn’t even any jostling before Ozil curled in the delivery. No desire to cut out the cross whatsoever. If I was a part of United’s coaching staff, I would be furious with that. They should be in complete control heading into the break and now, it’s a different proposition.

SECOND-HALF!

Rashford has gone down here and could this be a groin injury? He doesn’t look in good shape. Januzaj is warming up but he may not be needed. The youngster is back on but we’ll keep an eye on him.

It’s been a strange start by United here. They’re quite deep and seem happy to retreat. It means Rashford is pretty isolated and the supporting cast aren’t helping him too much. Rashford still seems to be limping but stretched the Gunners down the left side in the last few minutes before playing a great pass in-field. Moments later, Lingard wins a free-kick down the right side as he bursts clear.

SUBSTITUTION! Fosu-Mensah (on) – Rojo (off)

Another senior debut for a United academy player. 18-year-old Tim Fosu-Mensah was signed from Ajax in 2014 and comes in for Rojo after he gets clattered by Welbeck. This is now a very, very inexperienced United rear-guard.

GOAL! Herrera! 

This reminds me a lot of United in the late-1980s/very early 1990s, before the Class of 1992, when Fergie was forced to blood a couple of youngsters that were later dubbed Fergie’s Fledglings – Tony Gill, Deiniol Graham, Mark Robins, Russell Beardsmore et al.

We had a couple of half-chances for United in the last few minutes. Firstly, Schneiderlin’s shot at the far post is brilliantly blocked as it headed towards Cech’s near post while Memphis cuts inside and tests the keeper from distance.

That should be game over here. Arsenal just haven’t been at the races and everything United have hit has gone in. A fair share of good fortune here as Rashford does superbly in the right channel, holds it up and waits for support. He tees up Herrera on the edge of the box who looks for the near post. Koscielny gets in the way but can only help it past Cech.

By the way, just before the goal happened, Arsenal introduced Olivier Giroud from the bench.

Ridiculous from United. Carrick plays an awful ball out of defence and as Arsenal feed it wide, United are short on numbers. The cross ends up with Welbeck seeing his effort brilliantly saved by de Gea before Ozil follows up to send it to the corner, though it was a mis-hit shot.

Terrible from United, again.

GOAL! Ozil! 

YELLOW CARDS! Herrera has a little kick at Ramsey and the midfielder doesn’t like it. He reacts and pushes the Spaniard to the ground. The crowd want a red card for the Arsenal man (a bit optimistic!) but both players end up in the book in the end.

This is getting silly now. Players are diving in and Mike Dean needs to get a grip on this. He’s whistling for everything and Louis van Gal has had enough. He gets up from his seat (a treat in itself) to complain about the decisions and throws himself on the ground to illustrate his point – much to the delight of the United fans and his coaching colleagues!

We had another yellow a few moments ago – Mo Elneny, who had replaced Coquelin, the latest to go into Dean’s book.

SUBSTITUTION! Januzaj (on) – Rashford (off)

It’s been long overdue, especially considering he went down with that probable groin injury early in the second half. But what a game its been for him. Another double and the ultimate dream for the 18-year-old. Januzaj can stretch Arsenal and run the channels for last 10 minutes.

Magnificent sitcom-esque stuff from the ‘trainer-coach’.

SUBSTITUTION! Iwobi (on) – Welbeck (off)

Arsenal bring on a youngster of their own to try and rescue something here. Welbeck is still finding his way back to full fitness so little surprise he hasn’t lasted the full ninety.

Lingard has been excellent today and he’s shown his street smarts here, doing well to hold up the ball in the right corner and inviting the silly foul from Elneny. From the free-kick, Memphis heads for the corner flag and wins a corner. Cheers from the home crowd.

United have the flicks and tricks to try and kill the game but a cheap giveaway from Fosu-Mensah puts them under pressure again.

United have five minutes plus stoppage time to hang on for a terrific win here. But they’ll need to stop giving away cheap free-kicks and avoid dropping deeper and deeper.

SUBSTITUTION! Weir (on) – Herrera (off)

The captain of the u-21 side, James Weir, replaces the Spaniard. What a day for United’s youngsters. An incredible result here.

There will be five minutes of injury time and it will be a nervy finale for United here. They need to keep the ball.

FULL-TIME!

YELLOW CARD! Ozil shows his frustration, hockey-style. Chasing Varela towards the touchline, he barges into the young full-back and sends him flying.

Well, that’s United’s  third straight win and a huge one at that.

Given their injury problems and Arsenal’s title aspirations, this probably shouldn’t have been in doubt but United played with energy and verve, led by honest performances from their raw and inexperienced youngsters.

Marcus Rashford will deservedly grab the headlines for another two-goal contribution on his Premier League debut but Jesse Lingard was excellent while Memphis Depay put together another encouraging display.

The win sees them get to within three points of fourth place but perhaps it’s worth more than that – perhaps it will instill a sense of belief and confidence that they spent so much of this campaign lacking.

Last term, their best spell came in March and early April. Who knows what a decent collection of results could do for them here.

For Arsenal, a hammer-blow.

They’re five points behind Leicester and now three behind second-placed Tottenham.

Still, Wenger will know that his side have a derby on 5th March and can make up ground with a win there.

For now though, he and the team will face a barrage of criticism…once more.

Thanks for staying with us today. More reaction on the site throughout the afternoon.