Where to watch Manchester United v Arsenal and kick-off time for blockbuster Premier League opener

The Premier League returns with an blockbuster clash this afternoon as Manchester United host Arsenal.

Two giants of English football collide, as the Red Devils and the Gunners resume their rivalry at Old Trafford to kick-start the new campaign.

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Both sides will be desperate to start the 2025/26 season strong, as they look to bounce back from disappointment last term.

Mikel Arteta‘s Arsenal are bidding to finally lose their label as the Premier League’s nearly men after finishing second in three consecutive seasons.

Meanwhile, United are desperate to put an embarrassing league campaign behind them, which saw them finish 15th, as well as losing the Europa League final to Tottenham.

Debuts will likely be a focal point on Sunday, with the two teams splashing the cash this summer in a bid to bolster their ranks.

Man United v Arsenal: Where to watch

The Premier League clash at Old Trafford will take place on Sunday, August 17.

Kick-off is set for 4:30pm UK time, and has been selected for TV coverage.

The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League.

This will follow their coverage of Chelsea vs Crystal Palace, and Nottingham Forest vs Brentford, both of which are 2pm kick-offs.

Sky Go customers will be able to watch the action via their laptops or mobile devices. Alternatively, fans can purchase a NOW TV pass.

talkSPORT will have updates throughout, with our GameDay Live coverage with Sam Matterface, Perry Groves, and Jermaine Jenas.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

talkSPORT.com will also be running a live blog with updates of all the action.

Man United v Arsenal: Debuts galore

With both sides nearing the £200million mark in summer spending, their debutants will surely be in the spotlight on Sunday.

Arteta has been backed heavily in the transfer market as Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke have all arrived for an estimated £165million combined.

As for Ruben Amorim, he looks set to unveil a new-look strike force to the United faithful.

Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha make up the club’s marquee arrivals this summer.

While Sesko has grabbed the headlines after joining from RB Leipzig for a whopping £72m, Cunha and Mbeumo combined for 35 league goals last term and will be expected to hit the ground running.

With Arsenal and United having both vied for Sesko and Gyokeres’ signatures this summer, the two strikers will be looking to show their opponent what they missed out on.

• Man United have not won against Arsenal in the Premier League in almost three years (D1 L4), with their last win coming in a 3-1 victory at Old Trafford in September 2022.
• United ended a run of four straight league defeats to the Gunners in March, as the two sides played out a 1-1 draw. This had been their longest losing streak against Arsenal in their league history.
• Despite this, the Red Devils have beaten the Londoners this year, winning on penalties in the FA Cup third round in January after the tie finished 1-1 after extra time.
• New Arsenal signing Viktor Gyokeres (27 goals) has scored the second-most goals in all competitions in Europe’s top 10 leagues in 2025. Only Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe (29 goals) has netted more this year.

Man United vs Arsenal: Teams

Man United: Bayindir, Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw, Dalot, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu, Mbeumo, Cunha, Mount

Subs: Heaton, Maguire, Zirkzee, Diallo, Ugarte, Heaven, Sesko, Fredricson, Mainoo

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice, Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, Timber, Trossard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Merino, Havertz, Lewis-Skelly

Referee: Simon Hooper

Rasmus Hojlund has been omitted from the squad for United’s Premier League opener against Arsenal as speculation swirls about his future.

The 22-year-old striker has failed to justify his price tag since joining Atalanta two years ago for £72million.

Hojlund has been linked with a return to Serie A this summer and was an unused substitute in United’s final pre-season friendly against Fiorentina last weekend.

New signing Benjamin Sesko was presented before that game and is on the bench against the Gunners at Old Trafford, where the Denmark international has been conspicuous by his absence.

Ruben Amorim has also left Andre Onana out of the squad, although the Cameroon international has only recently returned to training after a hamstring issue that disrupted his pre-season.

Altay Bayindir lines up between the sticks for United, who have handed debuts to summer acquisitions Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

Viktor Gyokeres, who worked under Amorim at Sporting Lisbon, and Martin Zubimendi make their Arsenal debuts.