Manchester United may be having a miserable season, but Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta remains wary of their ability to rise to the occasion.
Arsenal hosts United in an FA Cup third round match on Sunday, and although new coach Ruben Amorim is still adjusting to Old Trafford, the Portuguese managed to secure a 2-1 win over Manchester City last December. 2-2 draw with Liverpool last weekend.
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“Look at their performance against the big teams, how they perform and the results they get,” 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 is appointed for different reasons. Sometimes the aim is to transform a football club.
Arteta has fond memories of the FA Cup
Arteta had a transformative impact on Arsenal, returning them to the elite of English football, but it has yet to translate into regular silverware with the 2020 FA Cup, the only trophy he has won as a coach at the Emirates Stadium, although he has won it 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 Tuesday night's 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final – a match in which they dominated for long periods without being able to finish off any of their many chances.
Arteta then attributed the setback partly to the ball, which is different in the League Cup, a remark that attracted a lot of attention.
When asked about that day, he said: “We adapt. In the Champions League, it's different. Every ball is different, a different journey. That's no excuse. Every stadium is different, the weather is different.”
