Arsenal v Man Utd Odds Back Robin Van Persie to score on Emirates return

Old rivals Arsenal and Manchester United lock horns at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon in what promises to be an engaging encounter in North London. The Gunners simply need to win in order to boost their chances of a top-four finish, while newly crowned champions United will be looking to take a step closer to breaking the record points haul set by Chelsea in 2004/05.Ladbrokes have installed the hosts as the narrow 5/4 favourites to record a valuable win that will definitely see them end the weekend in third place, regardless of the Tottenham and Chelsea scores. United may already have sealed their 20th top-flight title but they will still be a real threat and can be backed at 2/1 to come away with the win, while a draw is available at 5/2.The major talking point is undoubtedly Robin Van Persie who ironically returns to the Emirates as a Premier League champion having secured his side the title last week, courtesy of a stunning hat-trick in a 3-0 win at home to Aston Villa.This took the Dutchman’s tally to a remarkable 24 and he looks set to win the Golden Boot as Luis Suarez is banned for the rest of the season. With five goals in his last three games RVP is in inspired form and can be backed at 9/2 in both the first and last goalscorer markets, while he is available at just 5/4 to net anytime. The former Gunners favourite scored in the corresponding fixture earlier in the season and has also found the back in the last three meetings between the clubs, although two of those goals were for his former side.Since United lost to Arsenal in the 2004/05 FA Cup Final they have gone on to win five Premier League crowns, the Champions League, three League Cups and four Community Shields, while Arsenal have failed to win any silverware. A motivated United now have their sights set on registering a record points haul and in order to achieve this feat they must win each of their remaining four games, starting with Arsenal on Sunday.Their electric performances this season suggests that they have every chance of achieving this. They have only been beaten twice in their last 22 league games, and haven’t lost away from home in 10 games dating back to mid-November. Furthermore their record against the Gunners is superb, having won six of the last seven Arsenal v Man Utd league games, including the last three. Fergie’s men therefore look a decent bet at 9/1 to come away with a 2-1 win, as they did last season, while they be found at 11/4 to win with RVP getting his name on the scoresheet.While the Gunners may have a poor recent record against United in contrast their league form has been strong of late and they head into the match with just one defeat in their last 12 games. Furthermore they have picked up an impressive 16 points from a possible 18 and will be desperate to get one over their old foes and rupture their chances of breaking the points record, while in the process boosting their own chances of finishing in the top four for the 17th consecutive season under Arsene Wenger.They can be backed at 9/1 to claim a 1-0 win but with United scoring in their last 22 consecutive league games it seems unlikely that they won’t find the back of the net on Saturday, which perhaps makes a 2-1 home win a more tempting bet at 8/1.Arsenal will be without striker Olivier who is suspended for three games after getting sent off against Fulham, meaning Wenger will need the likes of Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott to step up to the plate, with both players available at 11/5 to get their names on the scoresheet. Meanwhile Santi Cazorla scored the last time the teams met and can be backed at 5/2 to do so again on Sunday.Wayne Rooney has scored 10 times against Arsenal and can be backed at 6/1 to open the scoring on Sunday. Now the title is won there is every chance that Sir Alex Ferguson may opt to play the likes of Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck who are available at 21/ and 5/2 respectively to score during the match.Both Arsenal (18) and Man Utd (15) have made a habit of scoring late goals this season and another late show could be on the cards at the Emirates. The second-half is priced at 21/20 to produce the most goals, while there are currently odds of 37/20 for the game to be level after 75 minutes. The Gunners also have odds of 37/20 to score between 75th minute and full time, while Man Utd are priced at 23/10 in the latest betting with LadbrokesArsenal v Man Utd Form Read More