Arsenal “don’t know” what to expect from Carrick’s Man United, says Arteta
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal could move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table if they beat Manchester United when the two sides meet in north London on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. GMT.
The visitors, however, pose an unknown threat, with Michael Carrick taking charge of the team for only the second time since the dismissal of Ruben Amorim on January 5.
Advertisement
Man United ‘has its weaknesses’
Arteta told the media in his pre-match press conference that “Michael’s arrival will bring new ideas. Always, the intensity increases. You could see it in the Manchester derby, the kind of behavior and the game they played, so we are expecting a very difficult match and we will certainly adapt to it. But we are at home and we know how important this match is for us.
“They are so good in many departments. It’s clear that when this team has space to run in a certain area to activate or run, they become lethal. You saw it a few days ago in Manchester. They have a lot of attributes that cause you problems. But also, like any team, they also have their weaknesses.”
There will be plenty to ride on Sunday in N5. While Arsenal could extend their lead over Manchester City with a win, Carrick’s visitors could leapfrog Liverpool and take a place in the top four following the Reds’ 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.
Advertisement
Beyond that, however, there are bragging rights – and Arteta has spoken about the historic rivalry between the two clubs.
“You sell it so well, especially in Spain, because you could see the tension, the rivalry and those individual battles that made the game really, really special. So obviously two big clubs that have been fighting at the highest level for so many years and we want to try and put in the best game possible to win it.
“Every game is different. At the end of the day, it’s the individuals who make the difference or the ones who make the game in a certain way and we’re going to try to be ourselves, to be very dominant as we always want to be, to impose the game that we want to play and whatever they want to do, we want to lead the game in the areas that are very good for us.
Havertz “will play” in the coming weeks
Kai Havertz’s fitness level was also discussed during Arteta’s pre-match press conference, with the German set to return after a long spell in the treatment room.
Advertisement
It’s been almost a year since the 26-year-old started a match for the Gunners, having suffered a hamstring problem and subsequently requiring knee surgery after picking up the injury at Old Trafford on the opening day of the 2025/26 campaign.
Arteta revealed Havertz is “very close” to making a return, but the club “needs to be very smart in how we handle this charge.
“I’m sure that in the next few weeks he will play in a few minutes. I can’t tell you in which competition because it will also depend on the context of the game, and it is a context that is positive to start him or not, with his qualities. It’s great that we have him. We can use him in different positions, we will see him in different positions, and we are really happy to have him.
“After a long-term injury, it’s not just the period that you go into, it’s what happens in the next six to eight weeks, and we want to maintain that and manage that very well so that we can move forward, like you said, when all the big, big games are coming up and we need to make sure that everyone is in the right frame of mind and physically at the highest level.”