Arteta is wary of Amorim’s big players
Manchester United may be enduring a miserable season, but Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remains concerned about whether the team will be up to the challenge.
Arsenal host United in the FA Cup third round selection on Sunday and although new manager Ruben Amorim is still finding his feet at Old Trafford, the Portuguese managed to secure a 2-1 win at Manchester City in December and another win after a 2-2 draw at Liverpool last weekend.
The Arsenal 🤍
For the fourth year in a row, we will be wearing an all-white jersey stripped of our iconic colors on Sunday in support of the No More Red campaign.
– Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 10, 2025
“Look at how they perform against the big teams, how they perform and the results they have had,” Arteta said.
“I know him (Amorim) well, I followed him in Portugal and there is a big reason why he is where he is at the moment and he deserves to be there.”
“Every manager has different reasons when they are appointed. Sometimes it’s about changing a football club.”
Arteta has fond memories of the FA Cup
Arteta had a transformative effect on Arsenal, returning them to the elite of English football, but this has not yet translated into regular silver medals, with the 2020 FA Cup being the only trophy he has won as manager at the Emirates, although he actually claimed her twice as a player.
The competition has undoubtedly lost some of its appeal, but Arteta has fond memories of Arsenal’s successes, adding: “The memory of winning something and sharing it with people is the ultimate goal.”
Arsenal will be hoping to bounce back from their 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle on Tuesday night in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final – a game they dominated for a long time without being able to capitalize on any of their many opportunities.
Afterwards, Arteta partly attributed the setback to the ball, which is different in the EFL Cup, a remark that attracted a lot of attention.
Asked about it today, he said: “We are adapting. Things are different in the Champions League. Every ball is different and has a different flight. It’s not an excuse. Every place is different, the weather is different.”
