Alan Shearer believes Arsenal's FA Cup tie against Manchester United has come at a good time for Ruben Amorim's side due to the Gunners' past two results. Only picking up a point at Brighton & Hove Albion one week ago, Arsenal then lost 2-0 to Newcastle United in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final encounter on Tuesday night.

Mikel Arteta's team did have more than enough chances to score in the game but they unfortunately passed them up to allow the visitors to take a two-goal lead into the return leg. Given their Carabao Cup result and the fact they could trail league leaders Liverpool by nine points in the table if the Reds win their game in hand, Shearer feels that the FA Cup is possibly the best opportunity for the north London club to end the season with a trophy.

However, it's going to be far from straightforward for Arsenal on Sunday as Manchester United travel to the capital on the back of an excellent performance and point after recording a 2-2 draw at Liverpool last weekend.

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"Manchester United’s draw at Anfield does feel like a turning point. You heard Ruben Amorim saying about how he hadn’t had too many days he could get out on the pitch and train, well, he’s had a full week now on the back of a really, really good performance at the league leaders Liverpool in such a huge game," said the Premier League's all-time top goalscorer in an interview with Betfair.

"Those players have set their standard and can’t fall below that now - they have to go out and put that performance in again. I think that it’s a really good game for them to come and face Arsenal, for whom the last two results have been, by their own high standards, poor.

"Arsenal have to try and bounce back - I don’t know what kind of team they’ll put out. I think that it’ll be interesting to see them with so much riding on this game now.

"They’re up against it in the Carabao Cup now, as well as the league and are going okay in the Champions League. So, they need to go and win something this season and maybe the FA Cup is going to be their best opportunity.

"They’ve got a home draw, albeit against a United team who put in their best performance of the season last time out. I think that it’s going to be a cracking game. I expect United to put out a similar team to last weekend against Liverpool in terms of who they put out, unless they’ve got injuries.

"They were much more resilient and had much more energy about them against Liverpool. They looked to understand what the manager was asking them to do in terms of his system, probably for the first time under Ruben Amorim.

"That would have given him real confidence that they might have just turned a corner. Obviously, they need new players in - whether they can get the amount that they want remains to be seen.

"However, it’s a starting block and can be used as a springboard onto better things. That’s the level that they have to reach every week now, it can’t happen one week and then not the next, so we’ll have to wait and see what version of Man Utd turns up."

Diogo Dalot was a key player for the Red Devils at Anfield one week ago after giving Trent Alexander-Arnold some big issues down Manchester United's left flank. Shearer believes the Portugal international could once again be a key player in the contest and someone Arsenal need to try and nullify.

"I would think that there will be one or two changes in the Arsenal team. In terms of the full-backs, especially with Diogo Dalot having given Trent Alexander-Arnold a torrid time last week, he was at the centre of their attacking play," explained Shearer.

"It will be interesting to see if he can be that impressive again against Arsenal, down that left-hand-side."

Amid Arsenal's woes in front of goal earlier in the week, Shearer has stated that they could be set for an FA Cup exit at the first time of asking if Manchester United can replicate their Liverpool performance.

"If Man Utd turn up with the same attitude and performance, I can see them going through to the next round," outlined the former striker. "I just think that Arsenal are struggling in front of goal, and haven't scored as many goals as they want.

"They missed one or two against Newcastle and I can see Man United going in there, and if they put in another good performance then I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they won."